Portland Beekeeping Laws: Hive and Siting Rules

Portland rules at a glance

Question	Current official-source answer
Are honey bee hives allowed?	Portland Title 13 allows beekeeping subject to Chapter 13.30, applicable administrative rules, zoning, building rules, and property restrictions. Confirm that the address is inside City of Portland jurisdiction.
Is a city permit required?	The city guide says no permit is required when all standards are met.
How many hives?	Up to 4 on any lot; up to 6 on lots of at least 10,000 square feet. Three additional hives may be kept during April through August for splits or collected swarms. Different rules can apply where Title 33 allows agricultural uses or a conditional use is approved.
What setbacks apply?	At least 3 feet from property lines and 15 feet from public walkways, streets, and specified public outdoor-use areas. Multi-unit lots have an additional 15-foot rule.
Is neighbor notice required?	Yes. Before installation, send notice to owners of properties within 150 feet and retain documentation.
Is Oregon registration required?	Oregon Department of Agriculture registration is required annually when a person owns or manages 5 or more colonies in Oregon.
Is the flyway rule clear?	No. The current city code and city web guide describe different 10-foot alternatives. See the source-conflict section below and confirm with Portland BPS before relying on either interpretation.

Are beehives allowed in Portland?

Portland Code Chapter 13.30 establishes standards for keeping honey bee hives. It does not provide blanket approval for every address or structure. The beekeeper must also check:

• whether the property is actually inside City of Portland jurisdiction;
• Title 33 zoning and any land-use conditions;
• building requirements for stands, platforms, roofs, or other structures;
• a lease, condominium declaration, deed restriction, or owner approval; and
• whether the proposed operating area can meet nuisance, access, water, flyway, and setback requirements.

A Portland mailing address or ZIP code is not enough to establish jurisdiction. Verify the full address and parcel before relying on this summary.

Hive limits and temporary colonies

Section 13.30.020(A) currently allows:

• up to 4 hives on any lot;
• up to 6 hives on a lot of at least 10,000 square feet; and
• 3 additional hives during April through August to accommodate splits of existing colonies or collected swarms.

The code also says there is no maximum under this section for lots where Title 33 allows agricultural uses or where an applicable conditional use has been approved. Do not assume that exception applies without confirming the parcel’s zoning and approval record.

Flyway requirements: an unresolved official-source conflict

Confirm this point with Portland BPS before installation. The two current City of Portland sources do not describe the same 10-foot alternative.

Portland Code 13.30.020(D) says hives must use one of these methods to direct departing bees to at least six feet above ground:

1. A solid wall, fence, dense vegetation, or combination at least 6 feet high, maintained parallel to the lot line and extending 10 feet beyond the hives in each direction.
2. Hives located at least 10 feet above ground level.
3. Neighboring structures or vegetation that already create the required elevated flyway.

The City’s separate Keeping bees in Portland web guide instead says the barrier is not required when a hive is more than 10 feet from a property line.

Those statements are not equivalent. UrbanBee has not treated the web-guide sentence as a replacement for the code. Before relying on either 10-foot alternative, give Portland BPS or 311 the exact address and proposed hive elevation and distance, ask which current standard applies, and save the response with the site plan.

Setbacks

Section 13.30.020(E) currently requires:

• at least 3 feet from every property line;
• at least 15 feet from public walkways and streets and public outdoor spaces used for seating, playgrounds, recreational fields, and similar activities; and
• on a lot with more than one residential unit, at least 15 feet from the walls of all residential units and from the listed outdoor-use areas.

Measure from the actual parcel boundary and proposed hive position. Do not substitute the curb, fence, ZIP map, or mailing address for a survey or authoritative parcel record.

Water, maintenance, swarms, and nuisance response

The code requires a convenient water source during March through October. The city web guide adds administrative guidance: place water within about 15 feet of the hive, away from property lines and toward the property’s interior where possible, and refresh it often enough to avoid rodents or vector breeding.

The code also requires sound, usable equipment and adequate space and management to prevent overcrowding and swarming. Beekeepers must respond immediately to nuisance complaints involving placement, swarming, waste, watering, or entrance orientation.

Set up water before bees arrive. Maintain safe inspection access, a clear flight path, secure equipment, and a realistic swarm and relocation plan. The urban beehive placement guide covers access, flight paths, sun and shade, drainage, wind, neighbors, security, and maintenance without inventing a universal setback.

Neighbor notification before installation

Section 13.30.010(D) requires the beekeeper to send a letter to owners of properties within 150 feet before installing hives. The letter must explain the intent to keep bees, how the applicable provisions will be met, and how to contact the beekeeper. Keep documentation showing that notice was sent.

Neighbor comments are not described as a vote or veto in the code, but notice can surface access, water, flight-path, allergy, pet, or shared-space concerns before bees arrive.

Oregon apiary registration

The Oregon Department of Agriculture says annual registration is required for a person who owns or manages 5 or more colonies in Oregon. Fewer than five colonies are not currently required to register under that program. ODA calculates the registration count from the highest number of full-strength colonies managed during the previous year; nucleus colonies are currently excluded from its definition for registration.

City compliance does not replace state registration. Check the current ODA application, deadline, counting method, and fees before filing.

ZIP codes and Portland jurisdiction

Title 13 applies when the installation property is governed by the City of Portland. It does not automatically apply to every address carrying a Portland mailing city or a Portland-area ZIP code. ZIP codes can cross municipal and unincorporated boundaries.

Use the address-based beekeeping law workflow to confirm city, county, state, zoning, apiary authority, and private-property restrictions for the exact installation address.

Practical help after the legal check

Portland Urban Beekeepers is a community education and mentoring resource, not the authority that determines legal permission. Association guidance can help with local colony management, but City of Portland code, applicable administrative rules, Oregon registration requirements, and property restrictions control.

After confirming the rules, plan the water source, swarm response, neighbor communication, and first-year setup before bees arrive.