We are happy to announce that Fullerton residents living in single family properties who wish to play a part in preserving honey bees and improving the environment will now be able to keep bees towards those efforts.

The City of Fullerton City Council voted on March 20, 2018 to approve an ordinance to allow residential beekeeping and ancillary uses in single-family neighborhoods. These actions to support beekeeping in Fullerton residential neighborhoods, will help our bee population and contribute towards making our city greener. The City is proud to work with the community in becoming a more sustainable City to confront the environmental crises of today, and bees and beekeepers, are a part of the solution.

This ordinance legalizes beekeeping in residential areas while creating sensible regulations and establishing Best Management Practices to be followed by Fullerton beekeepers. The approved ordinance also defines conditions which constitute a public nuisance and grants Code Enforcement the authority to abate any potential dangerous/hazardous conditions resulting from inappropriately managed bee hives.

Residential Beekeeping Permit Required

Residential Beekeeping is now allowed in all Single-Family Residential Zoned properties (R-1 Zone). A permit is required before bees may be kept on any property in Fullerton and Fullerton beekeepers are expected to follow Fullerton Best Management Practices.

A Residential Beekeeping Permit Application is required for the issuance of the permit. The Planning Division will review the application and provide notification to adjoining properties prior to issuing the Residential Beekeeping Permit. Residents may submit applications at the Community Development Planning Division Counter located on the 2nd floor of City Hall.

Documents

• Press Release
• Best Management Practices
• Fullerton Residential Beekeeping Application
• March 20, 2018 Ordinance No. 3255
• January 20, 2018 City Council Presentation
• January 20, 2018 Agenda Letter
• January 20, 2018 Draft Ordinance
• October 25, 2017 Planning Commission Staff Report
• Planning Commission Study Session Presentation
• Community Meeting Presentation

Residential Beekeeping Background

The matter of beekeeping is particularly important at this time as there has been a worldwide decline in domesticated honeybee populations in recent years. This decline is due to a number of factors that are collectively referred to as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). The loss of adult worker bees adversely affects pollination of agricultural crops for human consumption, animal feed, clothing and soft goods manufacture (cotton, flax) and landscape purposes, as well as production of beeswax and honey. Backyard beehives contribute to the bee population, and help address the adverse effects of CCD.

There has been an interest in beekeeping in residential zones in Fullerton for some time. Residents approached the City Council requesting the City allow them to establish and maintain beehives on their properties. After a two-year process of research, analysis, public outreach, and legislative public hearings, residential beekeeping is now a permitted use.

Contact Us

For more information, or to request to be notified of future public outreach events, please contact Guillermina Torrico, Code Enforcement Supervisor at: GuillerminaT@cityoffullerton.com.

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