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Placer County · Building on your lot

Pets, chickens and bees in Placer County

Placer County's own rules on pets, chickens and bees, with the code text for every value.

Ask about pets, chickens and bees in Placer County See coverage

Each rule below links to the section of the Placer County Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Placer County's code says

Placer County code What Placer County's code adds
Bees
  • No more than 2 bee colonies.
    Applies: Residential Single-Family (RS) zone.
    § 6.32.030 · code text
    no more than two colonies may be kept in the Residential Single-Family RS zone district
  • No more than 5 colonies per acre, and at most 100 hives in one location.
    Applies: RA, RF, RES, AE, F, FOR, O, TPZ, AG. Over 100 allowed in 3-day transport, temporary crop pollination, Oct. 1-Jan. 31 with per-acre limit met.
    § 6.32.030 · code text
    All other zone districts (RA, RF, RES, AE, F, FOR, O, TPZ,-AG) may keep no more than five colonies per acre, not to exceed a total of 100 hives in one location.
  • Hives at least 25 feet from neighboring property lines, unless behind a 6-foot flyway barrier or over 12 feet up.
    Applies: Non-commercial apiaries.
    § 6.32.030 · code text
    Non-commercial apiaries must be set back 25 feet from neighboring property boundaries unless:
Permit
  • Yearly apiary registration with the commissioner.
    Applies: All beekeepers.
    § 6.32.030 · code text
    All beekeepers must register with the commissioner as required under the Apiary Protection Act.

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep chickens or bees at my home in Placer County?

Placer County's code: No more than 2 bee colonies. (Residential Single-Family (RS) zone.) (§ 6.32.030); No more than 5 colonies per acre, and at most 100 hives in one location. (RA, RF, RES, AE, F, FOR, O, TPZ, AG. Over 100 allowed in 3-day transport, temporary crop pollination, Oct. 1-Jan. 31 with per-acre limit met.) (§ 6.32.030).

General information, not legal advice.

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Placer County Municipal Code — full text