--- title: Belcarra backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Belcarra?" place: Belcarra, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/belcarra category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: Village of Belcarra sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/backyard-chickens/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/backyard-chickens.json" --- # Belcarra backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules **Question:** Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Belcarra? **Short answer:** Yes. Belcarra allows 2 to 6 hens on any residential lot under its Chicken Keeping Policy. Roosters are not allowed. You must register with the Village first; the fee is $50. The Village's bylaws say nothing about bees or other livestock. **Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Belcarra, https://belcarra.ca) **Cost:** Registration fee $50. Violating the policy: $200 (first offence), $400 (second), $600 (third or later). **How long:** Register before bringing the hens to the property. **Where:** - In person: Municipal Hall, 4084 Bedwell Bay Road, Belcarra, BC V3H 4P8 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed statutory holidays).) - Phone: Village Office, 604-937-4100 - Email: Village Office, belcarra@belcarra.ca ## Key facts - **Hens allowed:** Yes. Keeping chickens is permitted in all residential zones under the Chicken Keeping Policy, which allows hens on all residential lots. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), s. 227(1)](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf) - Official wording: "The keeping of chickens is permitted in all residential zones in accordance with the Chicken Keeping Policy." - Source: [Chicken Keeping Policy No. 215, s. 1.1](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2023/07/Policy-215-Chicken-Keeping-Policy.pdf) - Official wording: "A minimum of 2 hens up to a maximum of 6 hens are permitted on all residential lots." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Most hens:** 6 hens (the policy also sets a minimum of 2). - Source: [Chicken Keeping Policy No. 215, s. 1.1](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2023/07/Policy-215-Chicken-Keeping-Policy.pdf) - Official wording: "A minimum of 2 hens up to a maximum of 6 hens are permitted on all residential lots." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Roosters:** No. Roosters are not permitted. - Source: [Chicken Keeping Policy No. 215, s. 1.2](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2023/07/Policy-215-Chicken-Keeping-Policy.pdf) - Official wording: "Roosters are not permitted." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Coop rules:** Coop and run behind the dwelling in the rear yard, at least 3.0 m from the dwelling, 1.2 m from any lot line and 3.0 m from a flanking street. At least 0.37 m² of coop and 0.92 m² of run per hen. Hens stay in the enclosure, secured from sunset to sunrise. - Source: [Chicken Keeping Policy No. 215, ss. 3.1-3.4](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2023/07/Policy-215-Chicken-Keeping-Policy.pdf) - Official wording: "located within the rear yard of the lot behind a dwelling" … "a minimum 3.0 meters (9.8 feet) from a dwelling" … "a minimum 1.2 meters (3.0 feet) from any lot line" … "a minimum 3.0 meters (9.8 feet) from a flanking street" … "a minimum of 0.37 m2 coop space and 0.92 m2 enclosed run space per hen" … "the enclosure must be secured from sunset to sunrise" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Permit or registration:** Yes. Owners must register their hens with the Village before bringing them to the property, submit a schematic of the enclosure, and register with BC Premises ID. The registration fee is $50. - Source: [Chicken Keeping Policy No. 215, ss. 2.1-2.4](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2023/07/Policy-215-Chicken-Keeping-Policy.pdf) - Official wording: "All owners must register their chickens with the Village prior to bringing them to their property" … "A schematic of the enclosure must be submitted to staff at the time of registration." … "All chicken owners must register their animals with BC Premises ID (BCPID)" - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 517, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Schedule 12 Animal Control Fees](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2026/07/Bylaw-517-2018-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-Consolidated.pdf) - Official wording: "Keeping of Chickens Registration Fee $50" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bees:** Not confirmed. The Village's bylaws and policies do not address bees or other livestock. - **Other livestock:** Not confirmed. The Village's bylaws and policies do not address bees or other livestock. - **Bylaw:** Chicken Keeping Policy (Corporate Policy No. 215); Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018, s. 227; fees in Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 517, 2018, Schedule 12 - Source: [Chicken Keeping Policy No. 215, title](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2023/07/Policy-215-Chicken-Keeping-Policy.pdf) - Official wording: "Corporate Policy No. 215" … "Chicken Keeping Policy" - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), s. 227](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf) - Official wording: "227 – Keeping of Chickens" - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 517, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Schedule 12](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2026/07/Bylaw-517-2018-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-Consolidated.pdf) - Official wording: "Keeping of Chickens Registration Fee $50" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works The [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018]() (s. 227) permits keeping chickens in all residential zones in accordance with the [Chicken Keeping Policy]() (Corporate Policy No. 215). The policy allows a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 6 hens on all residential lots. Roosters are not permitted. ## Steps 1. Register your hens with the Village before bringing them to your property. 2. Submit a schematic of the enclosure when you register. 3. Register with BC Premises ID. 4. Pay the $50 registration fee. 5. Build the coop and run to the policy's rules, below. ## Good to know - The coop and run must be in the rear yard, behind the dwelling, at least 3.0 m (9.8 feet) from the dwelling, 1.2 m from any lot line and 3.0 m from a flanking street. - Allow at least 0.37 m² of coop and 0.92 m² of run per hen. Keep the hens in the enclosure, secured from sunset to sunrise. - Eggs, meat and manure may not be used commercially, and slaughtering on the property is not allowed. - Violating the policy is $200 for a first offence, $400 for a second and $600 for a third or later (Fees and Charges Bylaw, Schedule 12). - The Village's bylaws and policies do not address bees or other livestock. Ask the Village Office at 604-937-4100 before keeping them. ## Official forms and pages - [Chicken Keeping Policy No. 215 (PDF), Village of Belcarra](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2023/07/Policy-215-Chicken-Keeping-Policy.pdf) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf) - [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 517, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2026/07/Bylaw-517-2018-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-Consolidated.pdf) ## Related questions - [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Belcarra](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/how-many-pets.md) - [Belcarra noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/noise-rules.md) - [Belcarra unsightly property rules and how to report](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/unsightly-property.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md) - [Port Moody](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/backyard-chickens.md) - [Anmore](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/anmore/backyard-chickens.md) - [Burnaby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/backyard-chickens.md) - [Port Coquitlam](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-coquitlam/backyard-chickens.md) - [North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/backyard-chickens.md) - [District of North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/backyard-chickens.md) ## Sources - [Chicken Keeping Policy No. 215 (PDF), Village of Belcarra](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2023/07/Policy-215-Chicken-Keeping-Policy.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 510, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2021/05/Bylaw-510-2018-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated-.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 517, 2018 (PDF, consolidated), Village of Belcarra](https://belcarra.ca/assets/media/2026/07/Bylaw-517-2018-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-Consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Contact Us, Village of Belcarra](https://belcarra.ca/contact-us/) (read 2026-11-08) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 2 could not be confirmed. 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