Utah Beekeeping Laws: Registration, Fees & Imports
By UrbanBee Editorial TeamSources checked Oct 3, 2026
⚠️ Not Legal Advice: Summaries for educational purposes only. Verify with official Utah authorities.
Utah requires beekeeper registration, with an application within 30 days of acquiring bees or bringing them into the state. Utah Code 4-11-104 makes registration valid through December 31 and requires renewal on or before that date.
Use the current AIMS application linked from the UDAF apiary program. Check local hive permission before installation, and arrange import certification before transport rather than treating the registration window as a border-document exemption.
Current Utah Registration Fee Bands
| Operation size | Fee in UDAF’s FY27 instructions |
|---|---|
| Hobbyist: 1–20 hives | $15 |
| Sideliner: 21–100 hives | $50 |
| Commercial: 101 or more hives | $100 |
These amounts come from the current registration instructions. Older fee sheets may show different prices. Check the amount displayed by the current application for your category before paying.
Renew Before the Year Ends
The agency’s instructions describe renewal around January 1, while Section 4-11-104 says on or before December 31. Set the reminder before the statutory date and ask UDAF about any portal timing question.
Download the approved certificate and retain the submission confirmation. The current instructions explain that keeper registration covers the beekeeper, with additional locations added to the record. They also describe displaying the registration number on equipment managed on property you do not own.
Use precise locations and a current contact so yard-specific health information reaches the person responsible. For a shared garden, agree who updates the record when managers change.
Imports Have Their Own Certificate Requirements
Utah Code 4-11-111 regulates incoming packages, hives and used equipment. It requires origin inspection documentation and destination information; used equipment also has sterilization-related certification provisions. Describe the full shipment to UDAF and the seller before collection.
A 30-day registration period does not mean bees can cross the border without the required health certificate. Retain the relevant certificate with the order and ask what changes are needed if the shipment date or equipment changes.
Local Permission and Inspections
UDAF says registered beekeepers can request inspections, testing and health certification without a service charge through its apiary program. Use that contact route if unusual brood symptoms need assessment.
Local placement remains an address-level question. Use the law checklist to ask about permits, colony limits, setbacks, water and flight barriers. Resolve owner, lease and association permission before selecting the hive site, and check food rules separately for honey sales.
Legal and safety alert: Use the current fee schedule and meet the statutory renewal deadline. State registration does not approve a particular parcel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon must a Utah beekeeper register?
Utah Code 4-11-104 requires the registration application within 30 days of taking possession of bees or moving them into the state.
Does adding another Utah bee yard require a second keeper registration?
UDAF’s current instructions say registration is issued to the beekeeper. Additional apiary locations can be added to that record without a location fee.