Tucson, AZ Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Chapter 11's apiary rules apply anywhere in the city except lots zoned 'SR' (Suburban Ranch) or 'UR' (Urban Ranch) under Tucson Code §§ 23-30(a) and 23-36(a), where the density cap doesn't apply. Everywhere else, § 11-3(1)(a) limits density to one hive, stand, box, or other bee-containing structure per 2,500 square feet of lot area, a quarter-acre lot (roughly 10,890 square feet) tops out at four hives. If any hive sits within 30 feet of an exterior lot line, § 11-3(1)(b) requires a flyway barrier at least five feet tall, built of plant material, hedge, or constructed material, running at least 30 feet past the apiary in both directions so foraging bees are forced up and over neighboring yards rather than across them at head height.

Keepers must also provide fresh, clean watering facilities on the premises so bees aren't drawn to neighbors' pools and irrigation. Beyond the physical siting rules, § 11-3(2) requires every beekeeper to register the operation with the Arizona Commission of Agriculture and Horticulture, a state-level registration layered on top of the city's zoning-based density and barrier rules. Enforcement runs through § 11-3(3): a violation is a civil infraction, not a criminal misdemeanor, punished under § 8-6 and the civil-infraction procedures of Chapter 8, which route citations to the city's administrative hearing office rather than city court.

The current version was enacted by Ordinance No. 6387 (Feb. 10, 1986) and amended by Ordinance No. 6447 (June 16, 1986) and Ordinance No. 8958 (Sept. 22, 1997), replacing an earlier 'Beekeeping' section traced to the 1953 Code.