Creston backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Creston?

Creston, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

Short answer

In Creston, you can keep up to six hens with a Town hen licence on a property in the R1 or R5 zone. The licence is $23 a year. Roosters are not allowed. The bylaws do not mention bees, and cows, goats, sheep, pigs and most birds are prohibited.

Key facts

Hens allowed	Yes, with a Town hen licence, on properties in the Residential - Low Density (R1) or Residential - Rural (R5) zone. The hen keeper must own the property or have the owner's written permission, and must live there.Backyard Hen Licences, Backyard Hen Licences page; Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826, s. 13(a), (b) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Properties located in the R1: Residential - Low Density or R5: Residential – Rural, are permitted to keep a maximum of six hens. be the registered property owner or obtain written permission from the registered property Zone or Residential – Low Density (R1) Zone as designated in Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022;
Most hens	Six hens per parcel.Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826, s. 13(b); Backyard Hen Licences, Backyard Hen Licences page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording keep no more than six (6) Hens per parcel of land, maximum of six hens
Roosters	Not allowed.Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826, s. 13(c) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording not keep a rooster;
Coop rules	Coop and run in the rear yard, at least 3 m from the front, interior and exterior side lot lines and from any door or window, and not visible from the street. Coop at least 0.37 m² per hen, no more than 4 m² and 2 m high. Run at least 0.92 m² per hen. Hens in the coop from sunset to 7 a.m. or sunrise, whichever is first.Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826, s. 13(f), (i) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording keep Hen(s) in a Coop from sunset to 7am, or sunrise, whichever is first; Coop and Run must be located in a rear yard, and in no case shall it be closer to an exterior interior, or exterior side lot line and no less than 3m from any door or window; Coop size must be no less than 0.37 sq. m. per Hen; Run size must be no less than 0.92 sq. m. per Hen; Coop must not exceed 4 sq. m. floor area or 2m in height; and, Coop and Run must not be visible from the street parallel to the front lot line. keep Hen(s) in a Coop from sunset to 7am, or sunrise, whichever is first interior, or exterior side lot line and no less than 3m from any door or window
Permit or registration	Hen licence required: $23 a year under the Fees and Charges Bylaw (the Town's hen page says $20). One licence covers one to six hens; it expires December 31. A Provincial Premises ID number is also required.Sources differ: The Town's hen licence page and Hens-Guidelines handout say $20; the Fees and Charges Bylaw consolidated to May 12, 2026 says $23 plus taxes. The bylaw is followed. Licence is not transferable, one hen owner per property, and it can be revoked (ss. 12.3-12.5).Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1763, Schedule 2, Schedule 2, Hen Licence Fees (consolidated to May 12, 2026); Backyard Hen Licences, Backyard Hen Licences page; Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826, s. 12.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Hen Licence $23.00 (subject to applicable taxes) The licence fee is $20 for the year. Only one licence is required, regardless if you have one or six hens. Hen owners are required to have a valid Provincial Premises Identification Program Number. No person shall own, keep, possess or harbour any Hen in the Town unless a valid and subsisting
Bees	Not confirmed. Creston's bylaws do not mention bees.
Other livestock	Horses: one per parcel zoned R-5 or Agricultural, lot at least 1 hectare. Cows, goats, sheep, pigs (except potbellied pigs), donkeys, llamas and alpacas are prohibited animals, as are most birds, so ducks are not on the permitted list.Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826, s. 11.1(b); Schedule A items 14 and 26 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording keep no more than one (1) horse per parcel of land zoned either Rural Residential (R-5) or All ungulates, including domestic breeds of cow, goat, sheep, pig, mule, donkey, llama and alpaca, All birds, except the budgie, cockatiel, lovebird, finch, parrot, canary, and Hens where permitted in
Bylaw	Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826, 2015 (Parts 12 and 13); Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022 (zones)Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826, title, s. 1.1; Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826, 2015 This Bylaw may be cited as "Zoning Bylaw No. 1958, 2022".

How it works

Hens are allowed under Parts 12 and 13 of the Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826. You need a Town hen licence and a property in the Residential - Low Density (R1) or Residential - Rural (R5) zone. You must own the property or have the owner's written permission, and you must live there. The limit is six hens per parcel. Roosters are not allowed.

Steps

Confirm your zone in the Zoning Bylaw No. 1958.
Apply for a hen licence from the Town (fee in Schedule 2 of the Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1763). A Provincial Premises ID number is also required.
Build the coop and run to the rules below.

Good to know

Coop and run go in the rear yard, at least 3 m from the front, interior and exterior side lot lines and from any door or window, and not visible from the street.
The coop must be at least 0.37 m² per hen, no more than 4 m² and 2 m high. The run must be at least 0.92 m² per hen. Keep hens in the coop from sunset to 7 a.m. or sunrise, whichever comes first.
Also required: a nest box for every two hens, roost space, predator-proof fencing including over the run, food in closed containers and food scraps removed daily. Selling hen products is not allowed, and slaughtering in town is not allowed except at a vet clinic.
The licence is not transferable and can be revoked. A rooster is a $200 bylaw notice ($175 early, $225 late).
The Town's hen page says the fee is $20; the bylaw says $23. Confirm the amount with Town Hall.
Bees: the Animal Care and Zoning bylaws do not mention beekeeping. Ask the Town.
Horses: one per parcel zoned R-5 or Agricultural, on a lot of at least 1 hectare. Cows, goats, sheep, pigs (except potbellied pigs), donkeys, llamas and alpacas are prohibited, as are most birds, so ducks are not on the permitted list.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Salmo · Kimberley · Cranbrook · Fruitvale · Nelson · Castlegar

Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Backyard Hen Licences, Town of Creston (read 2026-11-06)
Animal Care and Responsibility Bylaw No. 1826 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1763, Schedule 2 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Zoning Bylaw No. 1958 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1760 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)

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.