Beekeeping Laws: U.S. & International Regulations
Find U.S. and international beekeeping laws. Compare registration, hive placement, local permissions and official sources before installing bees.
50 U.S. state guides, 17 U.S. city guides and 34 international guides
Check national, regional and local property rules
Beekeeping rules can overlap at national, state or provincial, and local level. Zoning for a specific parcel, a lease, condo or HOA rules, and permission to use a roof or shared space may add another layer. A postal code alone does not confirm that a hive is allowed at a particular address.
If your city is not listed, follow our guide to checking beekeeping laws for your address to identify the right government offices and records. The ZIP finder below identifies possible county matches; the address checklist helps confirm the actual governing authority.
The ZIP finder covers U.S. addresses. For other countries, choose an international guide below.
Find Beekeeping Rules by ZIP Code
Enter a U.S. ZIP code to find counties associated with its 2020 Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area and links to our state and city guides. Confirm the full address with local planning: a county match does not establish municipal jurisdiction or permission to keep bees.
No full street address is collected. New, changed, or some PO Box ZIP codes may not appear in this 2020 dataset. A missing match says nothing about legality.
Use the state and city directory below while search controls load.
Possible counties from Census geography
Choose your actual municipality from the available guides
These links cover the matched states; they do not prove that any listed city governs your address.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Alberta
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Auckland
- Austin, TX
- Australia
- Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)
- Berlin, Germany
- Boston, MA
- Brisbane, Queensland
- British Columbia
- California
- Canada
- Chicago, IL
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Dallas, Texas
- Delaware
- Denver, CO
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hamilton City, New Zealand
- Hawaii
- Houston, TX
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Ireland
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- London
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Manitoba
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Melbourne, Victoria
- Miami, Florida
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Montreal, Quebec
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New South Wales
- New York
- New York City, NY
- New Zealand
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Northern Ireland
- Northern Territory
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Ontario
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Portland, OR
- Quebec
- Queensland
- Rhode Island
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Saskatchewan
- Scotland
- Seattle, WA
- South Australia
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Sydney, New South Wales
- Tasmania
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Toronto
- United Kingdom
- Utah
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Vermont
- Victoria
- Virginia
- Wales
- Washington
- Washington, DC
- Wellington City, New Zealand
- West Virginia
- Western Australia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
We do not yet have a guide for this state. Use the government directory and ask the local planning office.
- Confirm the address, municipality and zoning district.
- Check state apiary registration and the official local code.
- Confirm setbacks, water, nuisance controls and property permission.
Sources: Census ZCTA definitions and 2020 county relationship files. For local contacts, use the government directory.
U.S. state beekeeping laws
Check registration, bee-health inspections, movement documents and any state limits on local rules. Then confirm the city, county and parcel requirements for your actual address.
Alabama
Check Alabama apiary registration, October renewal, fees and the ban on importing bees on comb. Packages and queens need origin-state health certificates.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Alaska
Alaska requires bee registration within 72 hours of acquisition and annually afterward. Check official import health certificates and notice before yard moves.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Arizona
Check Arizona's landowner permission and farm-notification law, feral-colony nuisance rules and local site requirements before placing honey bee hives.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Arkansas
Arkansas requires apiary registration and identification. Understand the qualified three-mile spacing rule and notices before moving to an unapproved yard.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
California
Verify California's annual apiary registration requirement, 2026 fee changes, and the separate city, county, property, and nuisance rules for your address.
Sources checked: Aug 9, 2026
Colorado
Check Colorado's movable-comb hive rule, certificates and entry permits for bees on comb or used equipment, plus the local rules for your property.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Connecticut
Connecticut requires free hive registration upon acquisition and annually by October 1. Check inspection certificates, local permission and public records.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Delaware
Delaware requires annual apiary registration by January 30 and notice after acquiring bees. Compare colony imports with queens, packages and nucs.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Florida
Verify Florida registration, annual fees, hive identification, non-agricultural land rules, and the limits of state preemption before siting a colony.
Sources checked: Aug 9, 2026
Georgia
Georgia protects beekeeping from local bans while allowing location controls. Check bee-seller licensing, colony imports and separate honey-sales rules.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Hawaii
Check Hawaii's bee-import restrictions, interisland approvals, voluntary yearly registration and conditions for the home-produced honey exemption.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Idaho
Check Idaho's commercial and hobby registration guidance, winter-storage permits and California pre-inspections before keeping or moving honey bees.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Illinois
Illinois requires free bee registration. Check the 10-day filing deadline, November renewal, hive identification and movement permits before keeping bees.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Indiana
Check Indiana's bee-entry permit, origin inspection deadlines, apiary health controls and local property rules before buying or relocating colonies.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Iowa
Check Iowa's annual apiary registry, pesticide protection rule and 60-day statutory entry-permit application before importing colonies or used comb.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Kansas
Check Kansas hive placement and the 2026 honey-sales exemption, including labeling, raw honey, sales records and the $35,000 licensing threshold.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Kentucky
Check Kentucky bee-health rules, voluntary spray notifications and the updated honey-sales exemption for under 500 gallons of Kentucky-produced honey.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Louisiana
Louisiana requires apiary permits, including no-fee small resident yards. Check October 1 registration, September 30 expiry and Class A or B eligibility.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Maine
Maine requires an apiary license and advance permits for incoming bees or used gear. Check annual colony reporting, small-yard fees and health certificates.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Maryland
Maryland requires registration within 30 days of a first colony and annual filing by January 1. Check off-property identification and local hive rules.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Massachusetts
Massachusetts has voluntary apiary registration, local permit checks and mandatory import notice. Review the two-day notice and 60-day health inspection.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Michigan
Michigan's apiary program does not require beekeeper registration or a license. Check voluntary inspections, shipment certificates and local hive rules.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Minnesota
Check Minnesota's apiary inspection service, BeeCheck requirements for bee-kill compensation and local permission before choosing a backyard hive site.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Mississippi
Mississippi apiary registration is voluntary under published rules, but incoming nucs, colonies and used equipment need advance entry and health documents.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Missouri
Missouri requires permits for incoming colonies, comb and used bee equipment, with a specific exception for certified combless packages and queens.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Montana
Montana requires apiary-site registration and renewal before April 1. Compare hobbyist, landowner and commercial classes, consent and site identification.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Nebraska
Understand Nebraska apiary inspections, health certificates and disease controls. Check destination-state requirements and local hive permission separately.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Nevada
Nevada requires apiary contact signs and movable-frame hives. Check imported package-bee certificates, voluntary registration and local property permission.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
New Hampshire
New Hampshire offers voluntary hive registration but requires apiary identification, inspectable hives and origin certificates for incoming bees and used gear.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
New Jersey
Review New Jersey overwintering registration, lot-based colony limits, setbacks, flyway barriers and optional pesticide notification before adding hives.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
New Mexico
New Mexico's commercial apiary threshold differs north and south of I-40. Check registration, November renewal and import documents before expanding.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
New York
New York requires annual beekeeper registration. Check nuc-sale declarations, incoming health certificates and the separate local rules for your hive site.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
North Carolina
North Carolina protects keeping up to five hives while allowing city placement rules. Check bee-sale permits and the separate pesticide-notification systems.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
North Dakota
North Dakota requires a beekeeper license, registered hive locations and contact signs, including one-colony hobby yards. Check renewal and site permission.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Ohio
Ohio requires annual apiary registration. Check June 1 filing, May 31 expiration, new-bee deadlines and incoming pollination rules using official sources.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Oklahoma
Compare Oklahoma's voluntary registration, required apiary signs and incoming-bee paperwork. Confirm zoning and shipment requirements before buying bees.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Oregon
Oregon requires annual registration for five or more colonies. Check counting rules, the June 1 deadline, fees and local permission before expanding.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania requires apiary registration. Check the $10 fee, renewal term, inspection program and municipal rules before choosing a hive site.
Sources checked: Sep 29, 2026
Rhode Island
All Rhode Island hives need registration. Review the March 1 statutory deadline, April 30 portal renewal notice, colony identification and transfers.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
South Carolina
South Carolina has no mandatory hive registry, but incoming bees need official entry documents. Check local siting and the small honey-producer exemption.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
South Dakota
South Dakota requires annual apiary registration, including hobby yards. Check February timing, landowner consent, spacing exceptions and bee-entry permits.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Tennessee
Tennessee requires apiary registration every three years and inspection for bee movement. Check entry permits, movable frames and local zoning before setup.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Texas
Check Texas hive registration, movement and bee removal rules. Compare city requirements and learn which agencies to contact before keeping or removing bees.
Sources checked: Aug 9, 2026
Utah
Utah requires beekeeper registration. Check the 30-day filing rule, December renewal, current fee bands and health certificates for incoming bees.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Vermont
Vermont requires apiary registration and $10 per yard annually. Check June 30 renewal, two-mile spacing exceptions and advance permits for imported bees.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Virginia
Virginia requires entry permits for bees on comb and used apiary equipment, plus health documents for packages and sales. Check identification and local zoning.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Washington
Washington requires annual registration for one or more hives. Check April 1 renewal, colony-based fees and the separate rules for your local hive site.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
West Virginia
West Virginia requires free annual apiary registration, a 10-day new-keeper filing and entry documents for imports. Check June 30 expiry and off-property signs.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Wisconsin
Wisconsin does not require hive registration, but incoming bees and used equipment need advance reporting. Check inspection documents and local permission.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
Wyoming
Wyoming's hobbyist apiary class permits up to five owned hives at one yard. Check registration, spacing categories and local site permission.
Sources checked: Oct 3, 2026
U.S. city beekeeping laws
Atlanta, Georgia
Check Atlanta zoning for your hive site, separate city rules from Georgia bee-sale requirements, and plan water, access, and neighbor safeguards.
Last updated: 10/2/2026
Austin, TX
Is beekeeping legal in Austin? Complete guide to Chapter 3-6 regulations, hive density limits, flyway barriers, and enforcement for urban beekeepers.
Last updated: 8/9/2026
Boston, MA
Boston allows residential beekeeping citywide with up to three hives per lot or roof, a $25 registration, and setback rules. Check the official sources.
Last updated: 8/9/2026
Chicago, IL
Chicago allows up to five honey bee colonies as an accessory use. Illinois registration is required. Check zoning and current official rules.
Last updated: 8/9/2026
Dallas, Texas
Understand Dallas beekeeping laws, zoning, HOA restrictions, Texas apiary rules, and Dallas County 1-D-1 agricultural appraisal requirements.
Last updated: 9/5/2026
Denver, CO
Is beekeeping legal in Denver? Complete guide to Zoning Code Article 11, the 2-hive limit, 5ft setbacks, and flyway barrier rules.
Last updated: 8/9/2026
Houston, TX
Houston has no citywide beekeeping ordinance or zoning, but deed restrictions, nuisance law, and Texas state rules still apply. Verify before you install.
Last updated: 7/26/2026
Los Angeles, CA
Check Los Angeles zoning, hive density, setbacks, flyway rules, water, and county apiary registration under the code that applies to your parcel.
Last updated: 9/29/2026
Miami, Florida
Check Miami beekeeping rules, FDACS registration, residential hive limits, flyway barriers, mosquito-spray coordination, and hurricane preparation.
Last updated: 9/5/2026
New York City, NY
Honey bees are legal in NYC, but city and state registration are required. Learn deadlines, hive care, water, nuisance rules, and official sources.
Last updated: 9/29/2026
Philadelphia, PA
Beekeeping is practiced across Philadelphia, but Pennsylvania requires apiary registration ($10 for two years). Here is how the state and city layers fit.
Last updated: 7/26/2026
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix City Code 8-8 allows bees on lots of 6,000+ sq ft: one hive per 1,700 sq ft, 5-foot setbacks, mandatory water. Smaller lots need neighbor consent.
Last updated: 9/29/2026
Portland, OR
Check Portland hive limits, setbacks, neighbor notice, water, Oregon registration, and a disclosed conflict between the city code and web guide.
Last updated: 8/9/2026
San Diego, CA
Check San Diego beekeeping rules for hive limits, setbacks, flyway barriers, re-queening, water, and county apiary registration before setup.
Last updated: 8/9/2026
San Francisco, CA
Honey bee hives may be kept in San Francisco, but California apiary registration - and possibly a fee - apply in 2026. Check property rules first.
Last updated: 7/22/2026
Seattle, WA
Is beekeeping legal in Seattle? Complete guide to hive limits (4 per lot), state registration, and setback rules for urban beekeepers.
Last updated: 8/9/2026
Washington, DC
Review Washington, DC hive registration, transport, density, distance, water, and removable-comb rules before installing bees at an address.
Last updated: 8/9/2026
International beekeeping laws
Read the national or regional framework together with local council and property requirements. Each guide distinguishes legal duties from management advice.
Australia
Australia
National
Understand Australian bee registration, state hive-brand rules, the national biosecurity code, records and Varroa duties before keeping honey bees.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)
State or province
Check Canberra's free three-year beekeeper registration, ACT Biosecurity Regulation 2025, frame-hive rules and conditional interstate exemptions.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Brisbane, Queensland
City
Check Brisbane honey-bee registration, property and planning permissions, nuisance management and why old animal-law hive tables need verification.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Melbourne, Victoria
City
Check Melbourne hive planning under Victoria's Apiary Code, registration, lot-size allowances, owners-corporation permission and rooftop access.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
New South Wales
State or province
Check NSW DPIRD registration, current fees, hive records, Varroa reporting and Sydney council permission before starting backyard beekeeping.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Northern Territory
State or province
Check NT honey-bee registration, hive codes, training deadlines, movement notices and strict import controls before keeping or transporting bees.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Queensland
State or province
Check Queensland honey bee registration, HIN branding, Brisbane property rules, biosecurity duties and heat management before installing hives.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
South Australia
State or province
Check annual PIRSA beekeeper registration, renewal records by hive count, AFB testing, backyard placement and current South Australian Varroa guidance.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Sydney, New South Wales
City
Check NSW beekeeper registration, City of Sydney boundaries, strata and rooftop permissions, community-garden agreements and local swarm contacts.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Tasmania
State or province
Check compulsory Tasmanian beekeeper registration through BeeTAS, biosecurity records, AFB testing and import checks before installing backyard hives.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Victoria
State or province
Check Victoria bee registration, the 2025–2027 fee waiver, Apiary Code hive limits, boundary placement and Melbourne council planning requirements.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Western Australia
State or province
Check WA beekeeper registration, hive-branding deadlines, seven-year records, backyard council permissions and bee-movement controls.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Canada
Alberta
State or province
Check Alberta's annual bee registration and PID duties, Calgary and Edmonton licences, hive limits and placement rules before buying colonies.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
British Columbia
State or province
Check British Columbia apiary registration, Vancouver hive-placement guidance, movement permits and bear protection before starting backyard beekeeping.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Canada
National
Find Canadian beekeeper registration and hive-placement rules by province, plus federal import checks and municipal permissions for backyard apiaries.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Manitoba
State or province
Understand Manitoba Bee Act registration, the 30-day application exception, certificate duration, apiary signs and municipal checks before keeping bees.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Montreal, Quebec
City
Plan Montreal backyard or rooftop beekeeping with MAPAQ duties, Quebec placement rules, borough bylaw checks and shared-property permissions.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Ontario
State or province
Check Ontario Bees Act registration, the 30-metre boundary and 10-metre highway rules, selling permits and local approval before installing hives.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Quebec
State or province
Check MAPAQ annual beekeeper registration, Quebec's 15-metre hive rule, the precise fence exception, identification and Montreal borough permissions.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Saskatchewan
State or province
Check Saskatchewan's Apiaries Act certificate, premises identification, bee movement permits and separate municipal licences before installing hives.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Toronto
City
Can you keep bees in Toronto? Check Ontario's 30-metre setback, Chapter 349, registration and property or rooftop permission before installing hives.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Vancouver, British Columbia
City
Check Vancouver's backyard, community-garden and rooftop hive limits, placement guidance, property agreements and mandatory B.C. registration.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Europe
Ireland
New Zealand
Auckland
City
Check Auckland's current bee-management control, water and flight-path duties, national registration and consent questions before keeping garden bees.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Christchurch, New Zealand
City
Check Christchurch council and property requirements, current bee-removal contacts, HiveHub registration and national AFB duties before keeping bees.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Hamilton City, New Zealand
City
Check Hamilton NZ beekeeping and nuisance rules, site suitability, the amended 2025 bylaw, HiveHub registration and AFB inspection duties.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
New Zealand
National
Check New Zealand apiary registration through HiveHub, AFB inspections, DECA, annual returns, levies and tutin honey-safety duties before keeping bees.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Wellington City, New Zealand
City
Check Wellington's four-hive residential threshold, council-land permission, water and flight-path duties, plus NZ apiary registration and AFB rules.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
United Kingdom
London
City
Can you keep bees in London? Check borough nuisance rules, rooftop permission, BeeBase registration and local forage before installing a hive.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Northern Ireland
State or province
Check Northern Ireland's voluntary DataBees registration, mandatory trade registration, DAERA health documents and garden-site permissions.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Scotland
State or province
Check Scottish bee-health law, voluntary BeeBase registration, mandatory disease and Varroa reporting, imports and garden or allotment permission.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
United Kingdom
National
Can you keep bees in a UK garden? Check BeeBase registration, disease reporting, council nuisance rules and allotment permission before buying bees.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Wales
State or province
Check voluntary BeeBase registration in Wales, Welsh bee-disease law, Varroa reporting, NBU contacts and property or allotment permission.
Sources checked: Oct 14, 2026
Before you install a hive
- Read the national, state or provincial guide and open its linked official sources.
- Check local council, city or county rules, including the code for an unlisted location.
- Confirm parcel zoning and obtain permission for any rented, shared, rooftop, or condo space.
- Plan water, flight paths, swarm control, and access for safe inspections.
- Recheck the rules before adding colonies, moving a hive, or selling bees.
Continue with our beginner setup plan, rooftop hive checklist, or beehive insurance guide after completing the legal check.
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