On September 24, 2024, City Council adopted an ordinance to allow the keeping of urban honeybees on property occupied by a single-family detached dwelling and on properties determined to have a nonconforming agricultural use.
General Requirements, Terms & Conditions to Keep Urban Honeybees
[141KB] Harrisonburg City Code Article FF (regulations to keep honeybees)- [287KB] Application to Keep Honeybees
- [283KB] Solicitud para mantener abejas
Steps to Apply for an Urban Honeybee Permit
[217KB] Cómo solicitar un permiso para mantener abejas
1.You may apply for a permit to keep honeybees online via the Permitting Web Portal or mail the completed [287KB] Application to Keep Honeybees ([283KB] Solicitud para mantener abejas), required documentation, and $25.00 permit fee to the Planning and Zoning Division of the Department Community Development, 409 South Main Street, 2nd Floor, Harrisonburg, VA 22801.
Required documentation includes:
- Completed application form.
- A site plan showing the location of the beehives, water source, flyway barrier (if required), and single-family detached dwelling (or other appropriate structures if the property is determined to be a nonconforming agricultural use) in proximity to the property lines. The sketch must show dimensions and setbacks.
- Information or drawing(s) of flyway barrier (if required) and water source, including dimensions.
2. Applicants are encouraged but not required to give notice to adjacent property owners.
3. Once the application has been approved by the Department of Community Development a permit shall be issued and is valid for one (1) year.
4. Each existing permit shall be renewed annually by filing a renewal application with the Department of Community Development along with the payment of $25.00 annual fee.
Resources
The following resources are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended to be an endorsement of third parties or cover all circumstances which might arise.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) https://www.usda.gov/peoples-garden/pollinators/honey-bees
- Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Science https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/plant-industry-services-beekeeping-apiary-inspection.shtml
- Virginia Cooperative Extension https://rockingham.ext.vt.edu/
- Virginia State Beekeepers Association https://www.virginiabeekeepers.org/Information-&-Resources
- Shenandoah Valley Beekeepers Association https://shenvalleybeekeepers.org/