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Pinal County, AZ Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

GR zone minimum lot
54,450 sq ft (1.25 acres) for apiaries
SR zone minimum lot
144,000 sq ft (3.3 acres) for apiaries
Use category
Filed as "commercial agricultural use," no hive cap
CR zones
No aviaries/apiaries use listed
Civil penalty
Up to $750 individual / $10,000 enterprise, per day
Criminal penalty
Class 2 misdemeanor, A.R.S. § 11-808
Variance path
Board of Adjustment, § 2.155.040

Summary

Pinal County lists apiaries as a permitted commercial agricultural use, not a separately licensed activity. In the GR General Rural zone, aviaries and apiaries sit on the same permitted-use line as field crops and orchards, available on any lot that meets the zone's 54,450-square-foot minimum. The larger-lot SR Suburban Ranch zone carries the identical allowance. Pinal County's residential CR zones do not list beekeeping among their permitted uses.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Pinal County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Commercial agricultural uses. 1. Field crops, truck gardening, berry or bush crops, tree crops, flower gardening, plant nurseries and greenhouses, orchards, aviaries and apiaries.

View official code

Full Breakdown

The county's Development Services Code treats beekeeping as agriculture, not as a stand-alone regulated activity. 010(B) of the GR General Rural zone lists 'commercial agricultural uses' as a permitted use, and subsection (B)(1) names 'field crops, truck gardening, berry or bush crops, tree crops, flower gardening, plant nurseries and greenhouses, orchards, aviaries and apiaries' together in one line, so a hobby beekeeper qualifies the same as a farmer growing citrus. 020(B)). 020(B). Neither section imposes a hive count, a distance from a property line, or a registration fee: the only gate is which zoning district the parcel sits in and whether the lot meets that district's minimum size.

Pinal County's CR-1 through CR-5 single-residence zones do not carry an 'aviaries and apiaries' or general commercial-agriculture line in their permitted-use lists, so a bee yard on a CR-zoned residential lot falls outside the permitted uses of that district. 050.

Violations & Fines

Keeping bees on a lot where the zoning district does not list 'aviaries and apiaries' as a permitted use, or on an undersized GR or SR parcel without a variance, is an unpermitted use enforced like any other zoning violation. Pinal County Code § 2.160.130 makes violating the Development Services Code a Class 2 misdemeanor under A.R.S. § 11-808, and § 2.160.140 allows a civil penalty up to $750.00 for an individual or $10,000.00 for an enterprise, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep beehives on my property in unincorporated Pinal County?
Only if your parcel is zoned for it. The GR General Rural zone and the SR Suburban Ranch zone both list 'aviaries and apiaries' as a permitted commercial agricultural use under §§ 2.40.010(B)(1) and 2.20.010(B)(1), but only on lots meeting the zone's minimum size, 54,450 square feet in GR and 144,000 square feet in SR. The county's CR residential zones do not list beekeeping as permitted.
Does Pinal County cap the number of hives?
No. The code lists 'aviaries and apiaries' as one item in the same permitted-use line as field crops, orchards and nurseries, with no hive count, spacing rule, or flight-path requirement written into § 2.40.010(B)(1) or § 2.20.010(B)(1). The limiting factor is the zoning district and the minimum lot size, not the number of colonies kept.
What happens if bees are kept in a zone that doesn't allow it?
Planning and Development Services can cite the property for an unpermitted use. Pinal County Code § 2.160.130 makes a Development Services Code violation a Class 2 misdemeanor under A.R.S. § 11-808, and § 2.160.140 sets a civil penalty of up to $750.00 for an individual or $10,000.00 for an enterprise, charged separately for each day the violation continues.
Can I get an exception if my lot is smaller than the zone minimum?
Yes. An owner who can show unnecessary hardship from the property's size may apply to the Board of Adjustment for a variance under Pinal County Development Services Code § 2.155.040, filing on a form from Planning and Development Services with the fee set under § 2.160.050.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Pinal County

Parking Rules: Overnight ParkingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Quiet HoursSome RestrictionsChickens & LivestockSome RestrictionsPet Groomer RulesSignificant RestrictionsVeterinary Clinic ZoningSignificant RestrictionsPet LimitsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Decibel LimitsSome Restrictions

All Pinal County rules

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