{"title":"Fort St. John backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","question":"Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?","slug":"backyard-chickens","place":{"path":"ca/bc/fort-st-john","name":"Fort St. John","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"pets-and-wildlife","name":"Pets, animals and wildlife"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"City of Fort St. John","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca"},"short_answer":"Not chickens on an ordinary residential lot. Fort St. John's Animal Control Bylaw says no one may keep fowl within the city limits, though the Zoning Bylaw's agriculture rules seem to conflict, so check with the City. Bees are allowed under the Beekeeping Bylaw.","aliases":["chickens fort st john","backyard hens fort st john","beehive fort st john","livestock fort st john","horses fort st john"],"cost":null,"how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Services","value":"250-787-8150"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Control Bylaw 2556, 2021 (consolidated PDF)","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw"},{"title":"Beekeeping Bylaw 2373, 2017 (PDF)","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/beekeeping-bylaw"},{"title":"Zoning Bylaw 2470, 2019 (consolidated PDF)","url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw"}],"related":[{"slug":"how-many-pets","title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Fort St. John","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/how-many-pets/"},{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Fort St. John dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/dog-licence/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/taylor","name":"Taylor","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/taylor/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/dawson-creek","name":"Dawson Creek","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/pouce-coupe","name":"Pouce Coupe","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/chetwynd","name":"Chetwynd","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/tumbler-ridge","name":"Tumbler Ridge","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/mackenzie","name":"Mackenzie","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/backyard-chickens/"}],"topic":{"title":"Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens/"},"facts":{"hens_allowed":{"label":"Hens allowed","value":"No on ordinary residential lots: the Animal Control Bylaw says no person shall keep fowl within the city limits. The Zoning Bylaw does allow agriculture, including a poultry commodity group, on large parcels in the I-2 and I-3 Integration Zones, which seems inconsistent; check with the City.","short":"No on ordinary residential lots","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","section":"ss. 3 (\"Fowl\"), 48","quotes":["“FOWL” means any Galliform including, but not limited to, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys","No person shall Keep Fowl within the city limits."]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (consolidated) (PDF)","section":"ss. 28.2, 28.4 (I-2 Zone); 29.4 (I-3 Zone)","quotes":["The following uses and no others are permitted in the I-2 Zone:","Agriculture use is permitted on parcels 4 ha and larger."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"max_hens":{"label":"Most hens","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"The sources read give no coop rules, hen limit or permit.","sources":[]},"roosters":{"label":"Roosters","value":"No. Roosters are fowl and no fowl may be kept in the city.","short":"No","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","section":"s. 48","quotes":["No person shall Keep Fowl within the city limits."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"coop_rules":{"label":"Coop rules","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"The sources read give no coop rules, hen limit or permit.","sources":[]},"registration":{"label":"Permit or registration","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"The sources read give no coop rules, hen limit or permit.","sources":[]},"bees":{"label":"Bees","value":"Allowed under the Beekeeping Bylaw. Hives must be in the rear yard, at least 3 m from neighbouring property lines, and either inside a solid 1.8 m fence or at least 2.4 m off the ground. Limit: 2 colonies plus 2 nucleus colonies on a parcel under 1,000 m²; 4 plus 4 on a larger parcel.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/beekeeping-bylaw","title":"Beekeeping Bylaw No. 2373, 2017 (PDF)","section":"ss. 4-5","quotes":["not locate a Beehive within 3 meters of any neighboring property line","solid 1.8 meter high fence","minimum of 2.4 meters off the ground","locate Beehives in the rear yard of the property","two (2) Colonies and two (2) nucleus Colonies","four (4) Colonies and four (4) nucleus Colonies"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"other_livestock":{"label":"Other livestock","value":"Livestock may be kept only as part of an agricultural use of land permitted under the Zoning Bylaw, and is subject to zoning. Ducks, geese and other fowl are banned. Exotic animals listed in Schedule B are prohibited.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","section":"ss. 50-51","quotes":["No person shall Keep Livestock, unless the keeping is part of an agricultural use of land permitted","is subject to the","No person shall Keep Fowl within the city limits."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to include Bylaw 2584, 2023); Beekeeping Bylaw No. 2373, 2017","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","section":"s. 1","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited as “Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021”."]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/beekeeping-bylaw","title":"Beekeeping Bylaw No. 2373, 2017 (PDF)","section":"s. 1","quotes":["City of Fort St. John Beekeeping Bylaw No. 2373, 2017"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":8,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":3},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Animal Control Bylaw](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw) says no person shall keep fowl within the city limits, so hens and roosters are not allowed on ordinary residential lots. The [Zoning Bylaw](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw) does allow agriculture, including a poultry commodity group, on large parcels in the I-2 and I-3 Integration Zones. That seems inconsistent with the fowl ban, so check with the City before buying birds. No coop rules, hen limit or permit exist in the sources.\n\n## Bees\n\nThe [Beekeeping Bylaw](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/beekeeping-bylaw) allows bees if you:\n- keep hives in the rear yard, at least 3 metres from neighbouring property lines;\n- put the hive inside a solid 1.8-metre fence or at least 2.4 metres off the ground;\n- keep no more than 2 colonies plus 2 nucleus colonies on a parcel under 1,000 square metres, or 4 plus 4 on a larger parcel.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Livestock may be kept only as part of an agricultural use permitted by the Zoning Bylaw, and is subject to zoning. Ducks, geese and other fowl are banned. Exotic animals in Schedule B are prohibited.\n- A bylaw notice for keeping fowl or livestock, or breaking the beekeeping bylaw, is $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 on days 31–60).\n- Check your lot's zone and any exception with Bylaw Services at 250-787-8150.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/beekeeping-bylaw","title":"Beekeeping Bylaw No. 2373, 2017 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (consolidated) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/bylaw-services","title":"Bylaw Services, City of Fort St. John","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 3 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/backyard-chickens/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/backyard-chickens.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/backyard-chickens.json"}}