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

# Grand Forks backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

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

**Short answer:** No City of Grand Forks bylaw permits backyard hens or bees. The Official Community Plan says only that the City will review zoning to allow small-scale animal husbandry, including backyard chickens and bees, where appropriate. The Zoning Bylaw allows commercial farm operations with animals only in the R-4 Rural Residential zone.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Grand Forks, https://www.grandforks.ca)  
**Where:**
- Phone: City Hall, 250-442-8266 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Email: City Hall, info@grandforks.ca

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** No bylaw read permits backyard hens. The Official Community Plan (policy 6.7.3) says only that the City will review zoning to allow, where appropriate, small-scale animal husbandry, including backyard chickens, bees and other small livestock.
  - Source: [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2089, Schedules, Section 6.7.3 (Local food production policies)](https://www.grandforks.ca/document/bylaw2089-official-community-plan-schedules/)
  - Official wording: "Review zoning and other relevant regulations" … "to allow, where appropriate, for small-scale" … "animal husbandry, including backyard" … "chickens, bees, and other small livestock for"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Most hens:** None set. No bylaw read for Grand Forks sets a limit on backyard hens.
- **Roosters:** Not confirmed. No bylaw read for Grand Forks mentions this.
- **Coop rules:** Not confirmed. No bylaw read for Grand Forks mentions this.
- **Permit or registration:** Not confirmed. No bylaw read for Grand Forks mentions this.
- **Bees:** No bylaw read mentions beekeeping. The Official Community Plan (policy 6.7.3) says only that the City will review zoning to allow, where appropriate, small-scale animal husbandry, including backyard chickens, bees and other small livestock.
  - Source: [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2089, Schedules, Section 6.7.3 (Local food production policies)](https://www.grandforks.ca/document/bylaw2089-official-community-plan-schedules/)
  - Official wording: "animal husbandry, including backyard" … "chickens, bees, and other small livestock for"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other livestock:** The Zoning Bylaw permits 'farm operations (crops and/or animals)' in the R-4 Rural Residential zone only; 'farm operation (animal)' means rearing poultry, fowl, livestock or game farm animals for commercial purposes. R-4A allows crop farm operations only.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2039, 2018, consolidated to A40, ss. 42.2, 43.2; Definitions; s. 7.3](https://www.grandforks.ca/document/bylaw-no-2039-2018-zoning-bylaw-consolidated-to-a40/)
  - Official wording: "farm operations (crops and/or animals);" … "Farm Operation (Animal) means the growing, rearing, producing of poultry, fowl, livestock or game farm animals for commercial purposes." … "farm operations (crops);" … "No land, building or structures may be used for a use that is not specifically listed as a"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 2039, 2018; Animal Control Bylaw No. 2116.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2039, 2018, consolidated to A40, Title](https://www.grandforks.ca/document/bylaw-no-2039-2018-zoning-bylaw-consolidated-to-a40/)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 2039"
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2116, s. 1](https://www.grandforks.ca/wp-content/uploads/Bylaw2116Animal-Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This bylaw may be cited as the “Animal Control Bylaw No. 2116”"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Zoning Bylaw No. 2039](https://www.grandforks.ca/document/bylaw-no-2039-2018-zoning-bylaw-consolidated-to-a40/) says no land may be used for a use not specifically listed as permitted in its zone. It lists "farm operations (crops and/or animals)" only in the R-4 Rural Residential zone, where a "farm operation (animal)" means rearing poultry, fowl, livestock or game farm animals for commercial purposes. The R-4A zone allows crop farm operations only.

No bylaw read mentions backyard hens, roosters, coops, hen permits or beekeeping, and none sets a limit on them. Policy 6.7.3 of the Official Community Plan says only that the City will review zoning to allow, where appropriate, small-scale animal husbandry, including backyard chickens, bees and other small livestock.

## Good to know

- Under the [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2116](https://www.grandforks.ca/wp-content/uploads/Bylaw2116Animal-Control.pdf), "animal" includes livestock, fowl, poultry and rabbits, and an owner must not let one be at large.
- Land in the Agricultural Land Reserve is governed by the Agricultural Land Commission Act where the zoning bylaw conflicts.
- Ask City Hall at 250-442-8266 what applies to your lot before buying animals.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 2039, consolidated to A40](https://www.grandforks.ca/document/bylaw-no-2039-2018-zoning-bylaw-consolidated-to-a40/)
- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2116 (PDF)](https://www.grandforks.ca/wp-content/uploads/Bylaw2116Animal-Control.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Grand Forks zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/zoning-lookup.md)
- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Grand Forks](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/how-many-pets.md)
- [Grand Forks dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/dog-leash-rules.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Greenwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/greenwood/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Midway](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/midway/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Rossland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Warfield](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Trail](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Castlegar](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 2039, 2018, consolidated to A40, City of Grand Forks](https://www.grandforks.ca/document/bylaw-no-2039-2018-zoning-bylaw-consolidated-to-a40/) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2116 (PDF), City of Grand Forks](https://www.grandforks.ca/wp-content/uploads/Bylaw2116Animal-Control.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2089, Schedules, City of Grand Forks](https://www.grandforks.ca/document/bylaw2089-official-community-plan-schedules/) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Building Inspections and Bylaw Services, City of Grand Forks](https://www.grandforks.ca/building-inspections/) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set; 3 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Grand Forks. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/backyard-chickens/_