---
title: Fort St. John backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules
question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?"
place: Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/fort-st-john
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Fort St. John
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/backyard-chickens/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/backyard-chickens.json"
---

# Fort St. John backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Fort St. John, https://www.fortstjohn.ca)  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Services, 250-787-8150

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023), ss. 3 ("Fowl"), 48](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "“FOWL” means any Galliform including, but not limited to, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys" … "No person shall Keep Fowl within the city limits."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (consolidated), ss. 28.2, 28.4 (I-2 Zone); 29.4 (I-3 Zone)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "The following uses and no others are permitted in the I-2 Zone:" … "Agriculture use is permitted on parcels 4 ha and larger."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Most hens:** Not confirmed. The sources read give no coop rules, hen limit or permit.
- **Roosters:** No. Roosters are fowl and no fowl may be kept in the city.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023), s. 48](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "No person shall Keep Fowl within the city limits."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coop rules:** Not confirmed. The sources read give no coop rules, hen limit or permit.
- **Permit or registration:** Not confirmed. The sources read give no coop rules, hen limit or permit.
- **Bees:** 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.
  - Source: [Beekeeping Bylaw No. 2373, 2017, ss. 4-5](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/beekeeping-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other livestock:** 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.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023), ss. 50-51](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to include Bylaw 2584, 2023); Beekeeping Bylaw No. 2373, 2017
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023), s. 1](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as “Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021”."
  - Source: [Beekeeping Bylaw No. 2373, 2017, s. 1](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/beekeeping-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "City of Fort St. John Beekeeping Bylaw No. 2373, 2017"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [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.

## Bees

The [Beekeeping Bylaw](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/beekeeping-bylaw) allows bees if you:
- keep hives in the rear yard, at least 3 metres from neighbouring property lines;
- put the hive inside a solid 1.8-metre fence or at least 2.4 metres off the ground;
- 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.

## Good to know

- 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.
- 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).
- Check your lot's zone and any exception with Bylaw Services at 250-787-8150.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control Bylaw 2556, 2021 (consolidated PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw)
- [Beekeeping Bylaw 2373, 2017 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/beekeeping-bylaw)
- [Zoning Bylaw 2470, 2019 (consolidated PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw)

## Related questions

- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Fort St. John](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/how-many-pets.md)
- [Fort St. John dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/dog-licence.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Taylor](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/taylor/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Dawson Creek](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Pouce Coupe](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Chetwynd](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Tumbler Ridge](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Mackenzie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2556, 2021 (consolidated to Bylaw 2584, 2023) (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Beekeeping Bylaw No. 2373, 2017 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/beekeeping-bylaw) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (consolidated) (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Services, City of Fort St. John](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/bylaw-services) (read 2026-11-05)

_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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Fort St. John. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/backyard-chickens/_