Calaveras County, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Calaveras County Code Title 6 (Animals) and the County Zoning Code contain no chapter setting hive counts, setbacks, or permits for honey beekeeping. The only beekeeping reference in Title 6 is in the Section 6.04.030 definition of 'wild animal,' which lists venomous animals but expressly carves out an exception for 'honey-producing bees,' meaning honey bees are not treated as regulated wild animals under the animal code. Because there is no local apiary ordinance, beekeeping in unincorporated Calaveras County is governed primarily by California state law. The California Food & Agricultural Code's apiary provisions (Division 13, beginning at Section 29000) require beekeepers to register the location of their apiaries annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner, and the Bee and Hive Protection statutes (Section 29040 et seq.) address apiary registration, identification, and notice for pesticide protection. Beekeepers should contact the Calaveras County Agricultural Commissioner (Environmental Management Department) to register hives and confirm any local agricultural requirements. General nuisance rules in County Code Section 6.10.110 could apply if an apiary creates a documented nuisance, but bees themselves are not a permitted-animal category under Title 6.