{"title":"Gibsons backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","question":"Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Gibsons?","slug":"backyard-chickens","place":{"path":"ca/bc/gibsons","name":"Gibsons","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":"Town of Gibsons","url":"https://www.gibsons.ca"},"short_answer":"Mostly no. In Gibsons, animals other than household pets, including hens, are allowed only in the AG (agricultural) zone. Chickens are not household pets under the animal bylaw, and the wildlife bylaw says no poultry or beehives may be kept. Ask the Town about your lot.","aliases":["backyard hens gibsons","keep chickens gibsons","beehives gibsons","livestock gibsons zoning"],"cost":"Bylaw notice for animals outside the AG zone: $400. Poultry or bees attracting wildlife: $200.","how_long":"Standing rule; no permit is described.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Planning and Development, Town of Gibsons","value":"604-886-2274"},{"type":"email","label":"Planning and Development","value":"planning@gibsons.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025 (Town of Gibsons)","url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/"},{"title":"Wildlife Attractant Bylaw No. 1294, 2021 (Town of Gibsons)","url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/133186/"}],"related":[{"slug":"how-many-pets","title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Gibsons","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/how-many-pets/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Gibsons zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/zoning-lookup/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/bowen-island","name":"Bowen Island","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/west-vancouver","name":"West Vancouver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/lions-bay","name":"Lions Bay","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/sechelt","name":"Sechelt","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/north-vancouver-district","name":"District of North Vancouver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/north-vancouver","name":"North Vancouver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/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":"Not allowed in any zone except AG (agricultural). Zoning Bylaw 1342 bans keeping animals other than household pets elsewhere, the Animal Care Bylaw says chickens are not household pets, and the Wildlife Attractant Bylaw says no poultry may be kept (citing old Zoning Bylaw 1065). Ask the Town.","short":"No, except in AG zone","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Town of Gibsons","section":"Zoning Bylaw 1342, s. 3.8.2.1","quotes":["other than household pets is prohibited in all zones except the AG zone."]},{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/","title":"Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, Town of Gibsons","section":"Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw, s. 1 'Household Pet'","quotes":["not include any type of horse, cow, pig, sheep, goat, chicken, turkey or captive"]},{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/133186/","title":"Wildlife Attractant Bylaw No. 1294, 2021, Town of Gibsons","section":"Wildlife Attractant Bylaw 1294, s. 3.5.7","quotes":["No poultry or beehives are to be kept on the property as per Zoning Bylaw"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"max_hens":{"label":"Most hens","value":null,"status":"none","note":"None of the bylaws read for Gibsons sets a number of hens, a rooster rule, coop rules or a permit.","sources":[]},"roosters":{"label":"Roosters","value":null,"status":"none","note":"None of the bylaws read for Gibsons sets a number of hens, a rooster rule, coop rules or a permit.","sources":[]},"coop_rules":{"label":"Coop rules","value":null,"status":"none","note":"None of the bylaws read for Gibsons sets a number of hens, a rooster rule, coop rules or a permit.","sources":[]},"registration":{"label":"Permit or registration","value":null,"status":"none","note":"None of the bylaws read for Gibsons sets a number of hens, a rooster rule, coop rules or a permit.","sources":[]},"bees":{"label":"Bees","value":"Wildlife Attractant Bylaw s. 3.5.7 says no poultry or beehives are to be kept on the property, citing the old Zoning Bylaw 1065. The current Zoning Bylaw does not mention bees; ask the Town. Notice for poultry or bees attracting wildlife: $200 ($150 early, $300 late).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/133186/","title":"Wildlife Attractant Bylaw No. 1294, 2021, Town of Gibsons","section":"s. 3.5.7","quotes":["No poultry or beehives are to be kept on the property as per Zoning Bylaw"]},{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/104779/","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1125, Town of Gibsons (consolidated)","section":"Schedule A, Bylaw 1294 s. 3.5.7","quotes":["1294 3.5.6 $200 $150 $300 Yes wildlife 1294 3.5.7 Poultry/Bees attracting Wildlife $200 $150 $300 Yes Home Delivery Items attracting 1294 3.5.8 $100 $80 $120 No"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"other_livestock":{"label":"Other livestock","value":"Not allowed outside the AG (agricultural) zone: the Zoning Bylaw prohibits commercial agriculture and keeping animals other than household pets in all other zones. Horses, cows, pigs, sheep and goats are not household pets.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Town of Gibsons","section":"Zoning Bylaw 1342, s. 3.8.2.1","quotes":["The Use of land, Buildings, or Structures for commercial agriculture, and the keeping of animals","other than household pets is prohibited in all zones except the AG zone."]},{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/","title":"Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, Town of Gibsons","section":"Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw, s. 1 'Household Pet'","quotes":["not include any type of horse, cow, pig, sheep, goat, chicken, turkey or captive"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025; Wildlife Attractant Bylaw No. 1294, 2021; Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Town of Gibsons","section":"Title","quotes":["Bylaw No. 1342 | 2025"]},{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/133186/","title":"Wildlife Attractant Bylaw No. 1294, 2021, Town of Gibsons","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["Wildlife Attractant Bylaw No.1294,"]},{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/","title":"Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, Town of Gibsons","section":"Title","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as \"Town of Gibsons Animal Care and"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":8,"stated":4,"matched":4,"none":4,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\n[Zoning Bylaw No. 1342](<https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/>) (s. 3.8.2.1) prohibits keeping animals other than household pets in every Gibsons zone except AG (agricultural). The [Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw](<https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/>) says a household pet does not include chickens, turkeys, horses, cows, pigs, sheep or goats. So hens are allowed only in the AG zone.\n\nThe [Wildlife Attractant Bylaw No. 1294](<https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/133186/>) (s. 3.5.7) separately says no poultry or beehives are to be kept on the property. It still refers to the old Zoning Bylaw 1065, which the current zoning bylaw replaced in 2025, and the current zoning bylaw does not mention bees. Ask the Town before you buy birds or hives.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- No number of hens, rule on roosters, coop or run rule, or hen permit or registration is set in any of these bylaws.\n- Ducks are not named in the bylaws read.\n- Bylaw notice for keeping animals outside the AG zone: $400 ($300 if paid early, $500 late). Poultry or bees attracting wildlife: $200 ($150 early, $300 late).\n- Not sure of your zone? Check with Planning and Development at 604-886-2274 or planning@gibsons.ca.","sources":[{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Town of Gibsons","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/166385/","title":"Animal Care and Regulation Bylaw No. 1328, 2025, Town of Gibsons","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/133186/","title":"Wildlife Attractant Bylaw No. 1294, 2021, Town of Gibsons","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/104779/","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1125, Town of Gibsons (consolidated)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://gibsons.ca/contact-us/","title":"Contact us, Town of Gibsons","accessed":"2026-11-06"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-06","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 4 are recorded as not set."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/backyard-chickens/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/backyard-chickens.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/backyard-chickens.json"}}