Sunnyvale, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

010 sets the operative standards: no more than five hives per lot (agricultural uses under a use permit are exempt), and the address of every hive must be registered with the office of the Santa Clara County agriculture commissioner. Placement is tightly controlled. A hive cannot sit within 25 feet of any side or rear property line or within 100 feet of any dwelling unit other than the keeper's own, whichever distance is greater. Hives also cannot sit forward of the front building line unless they are at least 100 feet from the street right-of-way edge.

Every hive entrance must face the keeper's own house or building, be enclosed by a solid fence at least six feet tall located no farther than 30 feet from the hives (open on the side facing the keeper's building), or alternatively be mounted more than ten feet above the ground facing the keeper's structure. A constant, adequate water supply must be maintained on the premises for the bees. 010(b) only by filing the adjoining owners' and adult occupants' written consent with the administrator; that consent is irrevocable for two years, and afterward can be revoked with at least 90 days' written notice filed with the administrator.

040(c) and the rest of the animal code regardless of beekeeping compliance. 08 from the 'wild animal' classification that otherwise bans exotic and dangerous animals citywide.