Backyard beekeeping is permitted in the City of Sonoma. A typical single-family home may maintain up to 2 hives, with up to 4 hives allowed on larger parcels, subject to screening, setback, and licensing requirements. All beekeepers must register apiaries with the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner under California's BeeWhere program.
The Sonoma City Council adopted a beekeeping ordinance in July 2010 (heard at the council meeting reported July 29, 2010) allowing residential beekeeping under Chapter 8.08 (Keeping of Livestock, Fowl and Other Animals) of the Sonoma Municipal Code. A single-family residential lot may keep up to two hives; larger parcels may keep up to four. Hives are subject to screening, spacing, orientation, and setback requirements from property lines to ensure neighbor compatibility, and applicants must obtain a city license and self-certify compliance with all rules. Statewide, all apiaries in California must be registered annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner under California Food and Agricultural Code §29040 and the BeeWhere program. The Sonoma County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures administers BeeWhere registration locally.
Beekeeping outside the city license and chapter 8.08 conditions is enforceable as a municipal infraction under SMC 1.12.010 — fines start at $100 for the first violation, $200 for the second within one year, and $500 for subsequent violations. Failure to register an apiary with the County Agricultural Commissioner is a violation of Cal. Food & Ag Code §29040 punishable by civil penalty. Nuisance hives may be abated under SMC Chapter 8.06.
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