Vacaville, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

030, no one may keep, maintain, or allow a hive of bees on a lot in a Residential District, or in a Commercial District where residential uses are permitted, without first obtaining a Beekeeping Permit from the City. Hives can be kept without a permit only outside those zones: on Open Space, Agricultural Hillside, Industrial, or Commercial land where housing is not allowed, and only if hives sit more than 150 feet from any existing or approved dwelling and at least 100 feet from any public highway, street, roadway, or alley.

Anyone who already had hives when the chapter took effect had 180 days to either apply for a permit or remove the hives. 050 sets the approval criteria: no more than two hives per property; no hive on a parcel under 20,000 square feet of total gross area; hives kept at least 20 feet from any side property line and 100 feet from any dwelling other than the beekeeper's own; none in a required front or side yard; each hive oriented toward a building and screened by a solid fence at least six feet tall within 30 feet of the hives; a constant water supply on site; and no hive within 200 feet of a dwelling occupied by a person who is systemically allergic to bee stings, or on a lot abutting one.

Applications go to the Community Development Department with a Council-set fee, and neighbors within a 600-foot radius get notice before the Director rules. The Director must deny any application that cannot meet these criteria, and an issued permit is personal to the holder and does not run with the land.