Santa Clara permits residential beekeeping with up to 2 hives per 5,000 square feet of lot area, requiring 20-foot setbacks from property lines and a water source under City Code Chapter 6.10.
Santa Clara allows residential beekeeping in single-family zones. Beekeepers are permitted up to 2 hives per 5,000 square feet of lot area, with a general cap of 4 hives on typical residential lots. Hives must be located at least 20 feet from any property line and 25 feet from any street or right-of-way. If hives are located closer, a 6-foot-tall flyway barrier (solid fence or dense vegetation) is required to direct bee flight upward and away from neighbors. Beekeepers must maintain a permanent water source on-site to prevent bees from congregating at neighboring pools and spas, a common issue in Silicon Valleys Mediterranean climate. Only European honey bees (Apis mellifera) are permitted; Africanized colonies must be promptly requeened. Beekeepers should register with the Santa Clara County Agricultural Commissioner under California Food and Agricultural Code 29040. Complaints about aggressive swarms or nuisance hives are handled by the city code enforcement and animal services. Santa Clara University maintains demonstration hives as part of sustainability programs.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara regulates amplified sound and music through City Code Chapter 9.10, requiring permits for amplified events and prohibiting audible music at 50 fe...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara regulates outdoor music at venues including Levis Stadium and Santana Row under City Code Chapter 9.10 and conditional use permits, with amplifie...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara requires encroachment permits for new driveways, limits driveway width by zoning, and prohibits parking across sidewalks regardless of property o...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara tows abandoned vehicles after 72 hours under CVC 22651(k) and participates in the Santa Clara County Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program for priv...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara limits recreational vehicle street parking to 72 hours, requires permits for extended street storage, and restricts driveway RV storage under zon...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara fences must meet height, material, setback, and visibility standards under City Code Title 18 Zoning, with special rules for corner lots, histori...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how other cities in Santa Clara County handle beekeeping.
See how Santa Clara's beekeeping rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.