Hawaii Beekeeping Laws: Imports, Registration & Honey

Hawaii restricts bee imports and interisland movement; a seller’s ordinary mainland shipping offer does not establish permission. HRS 150A-6(4) prohibits bringing in live or dead honeybees or used bee equipment that is not certified by the department to be free of pests.

Contact the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s Apiary Program and Plant Quarantine Branch before ordering stock or moving material between islands. Supply the origin, destination island, contents and dates. Verify county and property requirements before setting up the yard.

Registration, Movement and Food Sales

Activity	Official source	Decision to resolve
Registering a keeper	HRS 142-100	Voluntary annual record and information disclosure
Importing bees or used gear	HRS 150A-6 and DAB	Whether the proposed shipment is lawful and approved
Moving material between islands	DAB Plant Quarantine Branch	Restrictions, inspection and any permitted movement
Selling home-produced honey	HRS 328-79 and Department of Health	Whether every exemption condition is satisfied

Voluntary Registration and Privacy

HRS 142-100 allows beekeeper registration on department forms. Registration lasts one year and is renewed at the end of that period. The law protects information subject to its confidentiality limitations, but makes the registrant’s name and business address publicly available.

Ask DAB for the current form and reporting instructions. Use accurate contact information and review the disclosure provisions before choosing an address. This registration serves a different purpose from a shipment authorization or county siting decision.

Import and Interisland Biosecurity

The current interisland program page lists live and dead bees and used beekeeping equipment among materials prohibited from movement. It points readers to the intrastate rules and Plant Quarantine offices. Obtain a determination for the actual route before reserving transport; do not assume inspection means every shipment can be approved.

Give the regulator a complete inventory, including queens, packages, nucs, comb, supers and other used material. Identify both islands for an interisland inquiry. Keep the issued instructions or approval with the shipment records and supplier details.

Differentiate county zoning permission from biosecurity authority. A yard acceptable to a county can still involve material that cannot lawfully be brought from its proposed origin.

DAB also describes inspections and shipment certificates for queen breeders exporting stock. Ask about the destination’s requirements before advertising an export service or accepting an order.

Home-Produced Honey Exemption

HRS 328-79 provides an exemption from the certified-processing-premises and Department of Health permit requirements when the producer meets all listed conditions:

• Sell less than 500 gallons per year.
• Sell directly to consumers, or directly to a retail store that sells to consumers.
• Put the producer’s name and address, required weight and volume, production date, infant warning and home-production/noninspection statement on each container.
• Complete a Department of Health-approved food-safety workshop and pass its certification exam.
• Keep production and distribution records for at least two years and make them available to the department.

Use the exact label statements in the statute, rather than abbreviating their meaning. At exactly 500 gallons, the “less than” condition is not met. Confirm coverage before adding ingredients or changing the processing activity.

Prepare a production ledger and identify each sales channel before purchasing labels or promising retail supply. Our home honey-business guide helps organize those questions for the health regulator.

Verify the County and Parcel

Use the address-level legal checklist to find the responsible county office. Supply the actual parcel, number of colonies and measured layout. Obtain permission for rented, shared or rooftop space and keep a workable access plan for inspections.

Legal and safety alert: Resolve biosecurity before ordering or transporting bees, including queens and used material. Voluntary keeper registration does not authorize an import or an interisland move.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a mainland seller’s health certificate approve a Hawaii bee shipment?

Do not rely on that certificate alone. Ask Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to determine whether the proposed shipment is lawful and what approval or certification is required before transport.

What should a Hawaii honey producer check before using the exemption?

Check every condition in HRS 328-79, including sales volume, permitted channels, training, label statements and records. Ask the Department of Health about the actual product and process before selling.