Santa Ana, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Hive cap
- 2 hives on lots ≤6,000 sq ft, Sec. 5-7
- Larger lots
- 1 hive per 3,000 sq ft, max 5
- Placement
- Rear yard only, 20 ft from street
- Side setback
- 5 ft from interior lot lines
- Flight barrier
- 6-ft screen or hives 8 ft up
- Banned insects
- Wasps, hornets, Africanized bees prohibited outright
Summary
Santa Ana allows backyard beekeeping on single-family residential lots without a permit, but caps hives at two on lots of 6,000 square feet or less, rising to one hive per 3,000 square feet up to a five-hive maximum on larger parcels. Hives must sit in the rear yard, at least twenty feet from the street and five feet from side property lines.
(a)General requirements.(1)No more than two (2) hives may be maintained on a single-family residential property with six thousand (6,000) square feet or less. On lots larger than six thousand (6,000) square feet, the number of hives is limited to one (1) hive for every three thousand (3,000) square feet of lot area, with a maximum of five (5) hives, whichever is less...(b)Hive placement requirements.(2)Hives shall be located a minimum of twenty (20) feet from public rights-of-way or private streets.(3)Hives shall be located a minimum of five (5) feet from interior lots lines...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
' Hive counts are tied to lot size: no more than two hives on a lot of 6,000 square feet or less, and on larger lots one hive per 3,000 square feet of lot area up to a hard cap of five hives, whichever number is lower. All colonies must be kept in movable-frame hives kept in sound, usable condition. Placement rules require hives in the rear yard, measured from the rear lot line to the nearest wall of the house, at least twenty feet from any public right-of-way or private street, and at least five feet from interior side lot lines (waivable in writing by the adjoining owner).
Hives must either be screened behind a six-foot barrier that forces bees to fly up and over before leaving the property, or elevated eight feet above the adjacent ground, and must face away from the nearest lot line. Keepers must maintain a water source on-site to keep bees from congregating at neighbors' pools and hose bibs, and store equipment in a sealed or bee-proof enclosure. 9.
Violations & Fines
A beekeeping violation, undersized setbacks, missing water source, abandoned or swarming colonies, or exceeding the hive cap, can be cited at the enforcement officer's discretion as either a misdemeanor or an infraction, or addressed through an administrative citation under Sections 1-21.1 through 1-21.9, which carries its own notice and appeal process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many beehives can I keep at my Santa Ana home?
Where on my property can I place a beehive?
What makes a beehive a public nuisance in Santa Ana?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Ana
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