Salt Lake County, UT Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone
- A-1 Agricultural Zone
- Min. lot area
- 10,000 square feet
- Use status
- Permitted use
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Salt Lake County
Summary
Beekeeping is a permitted use in the county's A-1 agricultural zone, but an apiary needs at least a 10,000-square-foot lot.
In the A-1 zone, the minimum lot area for any dwelling, school, church, greenhouse, aviary or apiary, or for the keeping of animals and fowl for family food production, shall be ten thousand square feet. The minimum lot area for any fowl, poultry, rabbit, fish, chinchilla, beaver, nutria or frog farm, or for raising or grazing horses, cattle, sheep or goats (except as permitted for family food production), or for packing or storage plants, shall be one acre. The minimum lot area for radio and television transmitting and relay stations and towers shall be four acres or more, such additional area to be sufficient to permit the placement of towers in such a manner that side clearance in every direction from each and every tower shall be equal to or greater than the height of the tower.
(Prior code § 22-23-4)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
County zoning code lists an apiary as a permitted use in the A-1 Agricultural Zone, alongside aviaries and family food production animals. The minimum lot area for any dwelling, school, church, greenhouse, aviary or apiary in the A-1 zone is ten thousand square feet, so keeping bees on a smaller unincorporated county lot doesn't meet the zone's baseline.
Violations & Fines
Operating an apiary on an A-1-zoned lot smaller than ten thousand square feet doesn't meet the minimum lot area requirement for that use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is beekeeping allowed in unincorporated Salt Lake County?
Does this apply inside Salt Lake City or other cities in the valley?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake County
Compare Salt Lake County to another location·View the Utah animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.