North Dakota Beekeeping Laws: Licenses & Apiary Signs

North Dakota requires an annual beekeeper license, registration of hive locations and posted contact signs, including for a single colony. The NDDA apiary program makes the one-colony scope explicit.

Use the current licensing and location forms through the beekeeper instructions. Obtain landowner consent and confirm local permission before placing bees.

North Dakota’s License, Locations and Signs

Check	Agency’s stated requirement	Planning action
Keeper license	Annual; expires December 31	Renew before the next in-state season
Hive locations	Register every yard	Record actual coordinates or location details
Yard sign	Name, phone and keeper ID	Make it visible when approaching the yard
Owner permission	Obtain consent before placement	Keep a written yard agreement
Outgoing shipment	Check destination health requirements	Request inspection before transport

The detailed instructions specify name and phone lettering at least 1.5 inches high, with the keeper ID at least three inches high and half an inch thick. Inspect signs for wind damage and vegetation that hides them.

Renew Before Returning Bees

NDDA’s program guidance says year-round keepers should renew before January 1, while seasonal operators need the license renewed before bees return. Do not treat a winter absence as a reason to arrive with the previous year’s expired record.

The detailed instructions recommend submitting an incoming application at least two weeks before expected arrival. Allow that processing time when arranging transport. Keep the approved record and identification number with the movement documents.

If you use the online system for an existing operation, ask how to connect the established account rather than creating a duplicate that leaves some locations under an older record. Update the responsible contact when management changes.

Maintain a location file identifying the owner, access route, hive positions and colony count. Ask NDDA about an already registered location or any additional ownership documentation needed before using it. Payment or a submitted form should not be treated as the final location decision.

For hosted land, agree who maintains access, water and the visible sign, and how either party can end the arrangement. Inspect the sign during each site visit so contact information remains usable after weather or mowing work.

Health and the Local Property Layer

The beekeeper instructions describe free inspections and certificates. Contact the program with the receiving state’s requirements when planning an outgoing shipment. A routine health assessment and a destination-specific certificate are different requests.

Use the address-level law checklist to confirm city or county land-use rules, setbacks, barriers, water and nuisance provisions. Keep lease or association consent with that record. If you plan honey sales, review food-business requirements separately.

Legal and safety alert: Complete licensing, each yard’s registration and identification. A keeper license does not establish every local or private-property permission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does one North Dakota honey bee colony require a license?

Yes. NDDA says the annual license, location registration and apiary-sign duties apply from one colony upward.

When does a North Dakota beekeeper license expire?

NDDA says licenses expire December 31. Renew before January 1 if bees remain in the state year-round, or before bringing them back into the state.