Sioux Falls, SD Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $50 initial, $25 to renew
- Colony density
- 2 per 2,000 sq ft, 4 max
- Hive setback
- 25 ft from occupied buildings
- Neighbor consent
- 80% within 100 ft on DD/AD1 lots
- Enforcement
- Annual animal-control inspection
Summary
Sioux Falls requires a $50 annual permit, a beekeeping class, and zoning eligibility before anyone can keep honeybee colonies, capping density at four hives per lot.
No person shall establish or maintain any hive or colony unless the city issues a permit allowing the applicant to establish and maintain a colony on the property he/she owns. Exception: If the principal use of the property is a college, university, post high school, middle school, high school, or zoo, the application shall require authorization from the property owner or authorized agent. The permit will be valid for one year.
(b) Permits are nontransferable and do not run with the land.
(c) By signing the permit, the applicant acknowledges that he or she shall defend and indemnify the city against any and all claims arising from his/her hobby beekeeping. If the principal use of the property is a college, university, post high school, middle school, high school, or zoo, the property owner or authorized agent shall also acknowledge that they shall defend and indemnify the city against any and all claims arising from the hobby beekeeping on the subject property.
(d) The fee for the initial permit shall be $50. For each subsequent permit, there shall be a $25 renewal fee. The Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium shall not be required to pay for the initial permit or any subsequent permit.
(e) No permit shall be issued unless the applicant has registered his or her apiaries with the state as required by SDCL ch. 38-18, and complies with the applicable provisions of this code and SDCL ch. 38-18.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-135: Current through local ordinance 54-26, passed 7-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Sioux Falls Code § 90.100, no one may establish or maintain a hive or colony without a city permit tied to specific zoning forms; the initial permit costs $50 ($25 to renew), requires proof of a beekeeping class taken within the past year, and mandates annual animal-control inspections. On DD or AD1 lots, applicants need written consent from 80% of property owners within 100 feet plus every abutting owner. Hives must sit at least 25 feet from an occupied building, ten feet from any property line, and behind a flyway barrier or fence unless elevated. No more than two colonies per 2,000 square feet, capped at four colonies per lot (§ 90.102, § 90.103).
Violations & Fines
Keeping bees without a permit, exceeding density limits, or maintaining a hive found to be a nuisance can bring general-penalty fines under § 10.999, permit revocation, or a city order to destroy or relocate the colony.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to keep bees in Sioux Falls?
How many beehives can I have?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sioux Falls
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