---
title: Bowen Island backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules
question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Bowen Island?"
place: Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/bowen-island
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: Bowen Island Municipality
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/backyard-chickens/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/backyard-chickens.json"
---

# Bowen Island backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

**Question:** Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Bowen Island?

**Short answer:** Bowen Island's Land Use Bylaw does not mention hens, chickens, roosters or bees. It allows "domestic agriculture" for personal use in some residential zones, but does not say whether hens count. No hen limit, coop rule or permit is set. Ask Planning before buying birds.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Bowen Island Municipality, https://bowenislandmunicipality.ca)  
**Cost:** No permit or fee for hens is stated.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Planning Department, 604-947-4255 ext. 6
- Email: Planning Department email, planning@bimbc.ca
- Phone: Bylaw Services, 604-947-4255 ext. 2 (Municipal offices: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** The Land Use Bylaw does not mention hens or chickens. It lists 'domestic agriculture' (growing or rearing any agricultural product for the occupant's personal use) as an accessory use in the Rural Residential (RR 1, RR 2, RR 3) and Settlement Residential (SR 1, SR 2) zones. It does not say whether hens count.
  - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025), Bowen Island Municipality, s. 1 definitions](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/)
  - Official wording: "means the growing or rearing of any agricultural product for the personal" … "use of the occupant of the lot."
  - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025), Bowen Island Municipality, ss. 4.1.1, 4.5.1](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/)
  - Official wording: "4.1.1 Permitted Uses of Land, Buildings and Structures" … "Domestic Agriculture ♦ ♦ ♦" … "4.5.1 Permitted Uses of Land, Buildings and Structures" … "Domestic Agriculture ♦ ♦"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Most hens:** None set. Bowen Island's bylaws set no hen limit, coop rule or permit.
- **Roosters:** None set. The bylaws read for Bowen Island set no rooster rule.
- **Coop rules:** No coop rules found. One general rule: keeping of livestock or poultry may not be conducted within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, or 50 metres of a water reservoir or lake.
  - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025), Bowen Island Municipality, s. 3.21](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/)
  - Official wording: "No use, including those uses listed below, shall be conducted within thirty (30) metres" … "keeping of livestock or poultry or storage of agricultural waste;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permit or registration:** None set. Bowen Island's bylaws set no hen limit, coop rule or permit.
- **Bees:** Not confirmed. Bowen Island's Land Use Bylaw does not mention bees.
- **Other livestock:** Agriculture (rearing crops, plants, livestock and other animals, subject to Provincial regulation) and stables are permitted principal uses in the Rural Residential zones RR 1, RR 2 and RR 3. In RR 1(c) areas, agriculture is limited to lots of 1 hectare and larger. Livestock and poultry may not be kept within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, or 50 metres of a lake.
  - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025), Bowen Island Municipality, s. 1 definition](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/)
  - Official wording: "the growing, rearing, producing or" … "harvesting of crops, plants, livestock and other animals subject to Provincial Regulation"
  - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025), Bowen Island Municipality, s. 4.1.4(3)](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/)
  - Official wording: "Agriculture use and horticulture use is limited to lots 1 hectare (2.47" … "acres) and larger."
  - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025), Bowen Island Municipality, s. 3.21](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/)
  - Official wording: "keeping of livestock or poultry or storage of agricultural waste;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Bowen Island Municipality Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025)
  - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025), Bowen Island Municipality, title](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/)
  - Official wording: "BOWEN ISLAND MUNICIPALITY LAND USE BYLAW NO. 57, 2002" … "CONSOLIDATED FOR CONVENIENCE – November 2025"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/) does not mention hens, chickens, roosters or bees. It lists "domestic agriculture" (growing or rearing any agricultural product for the occupant's personal use) as an accessory use in the Rural Residential zones RR 1, RR 2 and RR 3 and the Settlement Residential zones SR 1 and SR 2. It does not say whether hens count. The Village Residential zones VR 1 and VR 2 list no domestic agriculture. Find your lot's zone on Schedule B (the Land Use Map).

## Good to know

- No number of hens, rooster rule, coop rule or permit is set in the bylaws we read.
- Keeping livestock or poultry may not be done within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, or 50 metres of a water reservoir or lake.
- Agriculture (rearing crops, plants, livestock and other animals, subject to Provincial regulation) and stables are permitted principal uses in RR 1, RR 2 and RR 3. In RR 1(c) areas, agriculture is limited to lots of 1 hectare and larger.
- Before getting birds or bees, ask Planning at 604-947-4255 ext. 6 or planning@bimbc.ca.

## Official forms and pages

- [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/)

## Related questions

- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Bowen Island](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/how-many-pets.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [West Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Gibsons](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Lions Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/backyard-chickens.md)
- [District of North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/backyard-chickens.md)
- [North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vancouver/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Enforcement, Bowen Island Municipality](https://bowenislandmunicipality.ca/services/bylaw-enforcement/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Bowen Island Municipality](https://bowenislandmunicipality.ca/contact/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 3 are recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Bowen Island Municipality. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/backyard-chickens/_