Campbell River backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?

Campbell River, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

Yes for hens in Campbell River: up to 6 per property with a City Hen Owner's licence ($10, one time), and no roosters. RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones and Quinsam lots of 0.4 hectares or more are exempt from some of these rules. No official source we read mentions bees.

Key facts

Hens allowed	Yes, on property zoned residential or Public Areas 1 (PA-1), if you live there and hold a City licence; hens stay in a coop or pen, in a secure coop from sunset to 7:00 a.m. RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones and Quinsam lots of 0.4 ha or more are exempt from several of these rules.Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), s. 5.3(a), (b), (e), (f), (n); Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006, Schedule A text, s. 4.18(k), (l) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording only keep Hens on property zoned for residential use or as Public Areas 1 (PA-1) be a resident of the property where the Hens are kept; ensure that all Hens are kept within a secure Coop from sunset to 7:00 a.m.; Properties located within the RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones are not subject to sections is permitted on properties in all Residential fully fenced areas is permitted on rural properties less than 0.4 hectares (1
Most hens	6 hens per property. In RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones and on Quinsam Livestock Boundary lots of 0.4 ha (1 acre) or more: up to 10 hens per 0.4 ha.Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), ss. 5.2(c), 5.3(c); Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006, Schedule A text, s. 4.18(i) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording keep no more than six (6) Hens on any property; may have up to ten (10) Hens per 0.4 10 chickens (restricted to
Roosters	No. Keeping a rooster is banned, except that properties in RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones are exempt from that rule.Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), ss. 5.3(d), 5.2(a); Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), s. 5.2(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording not keep a Rooster; Properties located within the RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones are not subject to 5.3(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (k), (n), (q), (t), (v), (w), and (x)
Coop rules	Coop and pen each at least 0.37 m² floor area and 0.92 m high per hen, with a nesting box and perch per hen, at least 3 m from windows and dwelling doors, placed where Zoning ancillary-building rules allow. Maximum 10 m² and 3 m high, and a fully fenced yard, except in RU-1, RU-2, RU-3 and Quinsam lots of 0.4 ha or more.Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), s. 5.3(h)-(n) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording provide a Coop and a Pen each with a minimum of 0.37m2 in floor area and 0.92m in provide each Hen with its own nesting box and perch; ensure Coops and Pens do not exceed 10m2 floor area or 3m in height; accordance with the ancillary buildings requirements in the City’s Zoning Bylaw; ensure that Coops and Pens be at least 3m away from any windows or dwelling doors; Properties located within the RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones are not subject to sections
Permit or registration	A Hen Owner's licence from the City is required: application form plus a one-time $10 fee. It is not transferable and there can be only one hen owner per property. RU-1, RU-2, RU-3 and Quinsam lots of 0.4 ha or more are exempt from the licence.Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), ss. 5.1, 5.2, Sch. A s. 4; Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), Sch. A s. 4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording A Hen Owner must obtain a licence from the City to keep Hens. The licence is not transferable to another person or property. One time licence fee for Hen Owners: Quinsam Livestock Boundary that are 0.4 hectares (1 acre) or larger are not subject to h. For every Guide and Service Dog, RCMP Dog or Search and Rescue Dog: No fee 4. One time licence fee for Hen Owners: $10.00 5. Animals other than Dogs and Hens:
Bees	Not confirmed. No official source read for Campbell River mentions bees.
Other livestock	Livestock only in RU-1, RU-2, RU-3 zones (horses with a riding academy in RR-1), on lots of at least 0.4 ha: 1 large animal over 25 kg per 0.4 ha, and 10 small animals under 25 kg per 0.4 ha; no swine or mink; buildings 15 m from lot lines (30 m if the neighbour is residential). Not applied in the Agricultural Land Reserve. Quinsam: one horse, one goat, one sheep and 10 hens per acre.Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006, Schedule A text, s. 4.18; Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), s. 6.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Keeping of livestock is permitted only in the RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones, Only 1 large animal (over 25kg) may be kept for each 0.4 hectares of land. A 30 metre minimum setback is required if the one horse, one goat, one sheep and 10 chickens (restricted to no person shall keep any Livestock on any property, within the City, other than on the property zoned for such
Bylaw	Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (Part 5, Urban Hens) and Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006 (s. 4.18)Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated), Part 5; Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006, Schedule A text, s. 4.18 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Amd Bylaw 3532 Dec/13 Added Part 5: Urban Hens PA RT 5: Urban Hens 5.1 Urban Hen Licencing: ANIMAL CONTROL BYLAW 3520, 2013 Consolidated Version Zoning Bylaw 3250, 2006 4.18 KEEPING OF LIVESTOCK (a) Keeping of livestock is permitted only in the RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones,

How it works

Animal Control Bylaw 3520 (Part 5, Urban Hens) allows hens in Campbell River on property zoned residential or Public Areas 1 (PA-1), if you live there and hold a City licence. Other livestock falls under the Zoning Bylaw, section 4.18.

Hens

Get a Hen Owner's licence from the City: an application form and a one-time $10 fee. It is not transferable, and there can be only one hen owner per property.
Keep no more than 6 hens. Keeping a rooster is banned.
Keep hens in a coop or pen, and in a secure coop from sunset to 7:00 a.m.
Each coop and pen needs at least 0.37 square metres of floor area and 0.92 metres of height per hen, with a nesting box and perch per hen, and must be at least 3 metres from windows and dwelling doors. The maximum is 10 square metres and 3 metres high, and the yard must be fully fenced.

Good to know

Exemptions: properties in RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones, and Quinsam Livestock Boundary lots of 0.4 hectares (1 acre) or more, are exempt from the licence and from several coop rules. There they may keep up to 10 hens per 0.4 hectares. RU zones are also exempt from the rooster ban; Quinsam lots are not.
Other livestock is allowed only in RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones (horses with a riding academy in RR-1), on lots of at least 0.4 hectares: 1 large animal (over 25 kg) and 10 small animals (under 25 kg) per 0.4 hectares. No swine or mink. Buildings must be 15 metres from lot lines (30 metres if the neighbour is residential). This does not apply in the Agricultural Land Reserve.
Quinsam: one horse, one goat, one sheep and 10 hens per acre.
Bees: no official text we read states a rule. Ask Development Services at 250-286-5725.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Courtenay · Cumberland · Comox · Powell River · Gold River · Port Alberni

Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Animal Control Bylaw No. 3520, 2013 (consolidated) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
Zoning Bylaw No. 3250, 2006, Schedule A text (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 3322, 2007 (consolidated to Bylaw 4003, 2025) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
Bylaw Enforcement, City of Campbell River (read 2026-11-05)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. How answers are checked.