Woodbury, MN Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Bees classified as
- Livestock, Sec. 5-16
- Minimum lot
- 5 acres, agricultural zoning
- Density cap
- 1 livestock animal/acre
- Above cap requires
- Conditional use permit, ch. 24
- Chicken-hen exception
- Does not extend to bees
- Enforcing officer
- Animal control officer, Sec. 5-20
Summary
Woodbury classifies bees as livestock, not a domesticated pet, under City Code Sec. 5-16. Sec. 5-17 confines livestock-keeping, bees included, to properties zoned agricultural of at least five acres, with more than one livestock animal per acre needing a conditional use permit.
Livestock means domesticated animals being: alpacas, bees, dairy and beef cattle, deer, donkeys, goats, horses and ponies, llamas, mules, sheep, pigs, hogs, chickens, turkeys, ducks and other poultry, fish, mink, and game birds. ... The keeping of livestock, with the exception of chicken-hens, as defined in section 5-16 is allowed on properties zoned for agricultural use of at least five acres in size. The keeping of more than one livestock animal per acre shall require a conditional use permit in accordance with chapter 24, zoning.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 48).
Full Breakdown
Woodbury's animal code defines "livestock" in Sec. 5-16 to include bees by name, alongside cattle, goats, horses, and poultry, and separately defines "domesticated pet" to exclude any species listed as livestock. That classification matters because Sec. " Chicken-hens received a carve-out permitting them on R-1 and R-2 lots at set densities, but bees were not given that exception, so a beekeeper in an ordinary residential zone falls outside the ordinance's allowance and would need land zoned agricultural and at least five acres to keep hives as of right.
Even on qualifying agricultural land, Sec. 5-17 caps density at one livestock animal per acre before a conditional use permit is required under chapter 24, zoning, meaning a hobbyist with several hives on a smaller ag parcel may need to apply for that CUP through the city's zoning process rather than simply registering the hives. The community service officer, designated the animal control officer under Sec. 5-20, enforces the livestock and pet provisions of chapter 5 alongside the public safety department.
Violations & Fines
Keeping bees, or any other livestock species, on land that is not zoned agricultural and at least five acres, or keeping more than one livestock animal per acre on qualifying land without first obtaining a conditional use permit under chapter 24, is a violation of Sec. 5-17 enforceable by the animal control officer; the section does not list a separate fine schedule for livestock violations, so enforcement proceeds through the city's general nuisance and zoning code-compliance process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep beehives in a Woodbury residential neighborhood?
How many beehives can I keep on qualifying land?
Who enforces Woodbury's livestock and beekeeping rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Woodbury
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