City of South St. Paul considers legalizing beekeeping

City of South St. Paul considers legalizing beekeeping; updating chicken and duck ordinance
By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | July 2025

Homeowners in the city may soon be able to keep honeybee hives in their own backyards. After repeated requests from residents, the South St. Paul city council is reviewing a proposed ordinance to legalize beekeeping, and a final decision is expected to be made following the ordinance’s second public reading on July 21. Also under discussion are amendments to an ordinance that would make it easier for people to keep chickens and ducks on their property.

City staff believe it’s likely that some residents are already illegally keeping farm animals on their property because obtaining licensure requires jumping through a lot of hoops. For example, to get a chicken license a homeowner must obtain written consent from 75% of nearby property owners, even if it’s a rental property whose owner is a corporate entity or out-of-state landlord. Likewise, some people do not have suitable backyards and have asked for allowance to keep chickens and ducks in their side yard so long as they meet setback requirements from neighboring homes.

Loosening these restrictions and allowing these changes would ideally encourage homeowners to obtain necessary licenses and allow staff to properly inspect the properties and address any code violations. Currently, the city allows homeowners with a license to have 4-8 birds based on lot size. Odor issues are only expected with large flocks and noise concerns only come with the illegal keeping of a rooster.

The city’s sustainability task force has already recommended that the city waive the requirement to get neighbor consent to keep chickens and ducks, and to allow them to be kept in a side yard when there is no usable space in a backyard. Setback requirements must still be met. Even if the city council doesn’t deem side yards appropriate, it’s expected that neighbor consent requirements will still be lightened.

Regarding beekeeping, the proposed ordinance would require people to get a $75 permit, submit a site plan, keep the hives in a backyard area that is at least 25 feet from other homes or have a six-foot tall fence if that isn’t possible, and ensure a food and water source is readily available. The maximum number of hives on a standard lot is two. Larger lots may have more. For example a 1-acre lot may have eight hives. The city would perform code enforcement in response to nuisance complaints.

Notably, city documents say backyard beekeeping is not necessarily a “green” activity because honeybees are not native to Minnesota, and they compete against native bees for food. According to the University of Minnesota Bee Lab, a high density of bee colonies can lead to competition for flowers and the spread of pests and diseases, particularly if beekeepers
don’t monitor and treat those problems. Additionally, if backyard beekeeping is legalized, fencing may be required to reduce the likelihood of neighbors who may be allergic to bee stings from being stung.

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