Westminster, CO Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Section 6-7-12(H) sets the substantive beekeeping standards: bees may only be kept in a hive placed in the rear yard of a single-family detached home, with the maximum number of hives scaled to lot size, two hives on a quarter acre or less, four hives up to a half acre, six hives up to three-quarters of an acre, and eight hives beyond that. Each hive is capped at nine square feet of floor area and seven feet of total height including the roof, must sit at least ten feet from all rear property lines, and a six-foot flyaway barrier or privacy fence is required in the rear yard along with a maintained fresh water source for the bees.

Aggressive or Africanized bees are outright prohibited, and hive equipment and harvested honeycomb must be stored in bee-proof, predator-proof containers. Section 6-7-19 layers a permitting process on top: the owner or occupant must submit a permit fee, application, and rear-yard plot plan showing setbacks, fencing, flyaway barriers, water supply, and hive locations, sign an acknowledgment accepting personal liability and responsibility for nuisance abatement costs under Section 8-4-4, and consent to City inspection of the rear yard at reasonable hours. A permit may be denied, cancelled, or revoked for any violation of the beekeeping provisions.