Beekeeping in El Cajon, California
Beekeeping is permitted only in the O-S, RS-40 and RS-20 zones, and there up to four hives with county registration, screening from the street and a 15 cubic foot cap on hive size.
What El Cajon itself requires
Hive limit: Up to four beehives per property, and only in the O-S, RS-40 and RS-20 zones.
Note: Check your zone before anything else, because that is what decides the answer in El Cajon. The beekeeping section reads as though the city welcomes hives, and it does, but only on the larger residential lots: the land use table permits keeping bees for personal use in the RS-40 and RS-20 zones, which are the 40,000 and 20,000 square foot minimum lot zones, and in the O-S open space zone. In RS-14, RS-9, RS-6 and all of the multifamily zones it is marked not permitted, and those cover most of the city. If you are in one of the three zones that allow it, the rules are straightforward. Register with the County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures first, keep no more than four hives, use a docile stock, keep the hives out of the front and exterior yards and out of sight from the street, keep them outside your zone setbacks, and keep any single hive under fifteen cubic feet, which is about eight standard boxes and not a real constraint on an ordinary colony.
- Keeping of bees for personal use is permitted in the RS-40 and RS-20 residential zones and, as an agricultural use, in the O-S open space zone. It is marked not permitted in PRD, RS-14, RS-9, RS-6 and every RM multifamily zone. Table 17.140.210; 17.155.030
- Beehives must be well maintained at all times, and only docile bee species may be kept. 17.205.035(A)-(B)
- Registration with the County of San Diego Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures is required before beekeeping activities begin. 17.205.035(C)
- Beehives must not be visible from the public right-of-way, and must not be located in exterior or front yards. 17.205.035(D)-(E)
- Up to four beehives may be kept per property. 17.205.035(F)
- A beehive may be no larger than 15 cubic feet in volume, and must not sit within the required setbacks of the underlying zone. 17.205.035(G)-(H)
What San Diego County adds
Beekeeping is allowed in the unincorporated county under a three-tier scheme sized by colony count, with setbacks, a signed best-practices checklist at registration and a monthly hive check. Registration applies everywhere in the county, including inside cities.
Read this carefully: a county beekeeping ordinance very often applies only to the unincorporated parts of the county, with registration as the exception that reaches inside city limits. Where that is true, the county setbacks, barriers and firebreak rules are not yours to follow and the city code above is what governs you. Check which parts reach you before assuming either way.
The full San Diego County ordinance, section by section, and every other city ›
California requires registration, wherever you keep bees
Every apiary owner in California must register their hives with the county agricultural commissioner, hobbyist and commercial alike. It is state law, so almost no city code mentions it, and reading only your local ordinance will not tell you it exists.
Other cities in San Diego County
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