Utica City Code has no dedicated beekeeping ordinance. Honeybees are not classified as livestock or fowl under New York law, and the state does not require hobbyist hive registration. Placement is limited chiefly by the city's nuisance provisions and zoning, so avoid creating a hazard to neighbors.
New York does not register or license backyard beekeepers, and honeybees are not covered by Utica's fowl or dog ordinances. There is no specific Utica hive-count or setback rule in the City Code. In practice, hives are constrained by the general nuisance provisions of Chapter 2-15 (which bar animals or conditions that create a disturbance) and by Zoning Ordinance use rules for your district. Beekeepers should site hives to avoid stinging incidents and flight paths over neighboring yards, provide a water source, and keep colonies from swarming, since an ongoing hazard could be abated as a nuisance.
There is no bee-specific penalty; a hive that becomes a hazard or disturbance can be addressed as a nuisance by Codes Enforcement, potentially requiring removal.
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