Beekeepers must register their colonies or apiaries with the commissioner each year and provide required details; new acquisitions have timing rules, permit transfers can be fee-free in some cases, and noncompliance is a violation.
§2305. Annual registration; permits, fees A.(1) On or before October 1 of each year, or prior to bringing any honeybees or beekeeping equipment into the state, every beekeeper shall register with the commissioner every colony or apiary in his possession or under his control, on a form furnished by the commissioner. The beekeeper shall indicate the number and location of each colony with each apiary location together with other information deemed necessary by the commissioner for the administration of this Part. (2) Any colony or apiary acquired after October 1 during the calendar year and not previously registered shall be registered as required under this Section. Any colony or apiary acquired after December 31 shall not be required to be registered until the following October 1, unless the beekeeper does not possess a current registration permit. B. If any colony or apiary is transferred from a registered beekeeper to another person, the permit may be transferred without the payment of a registration fee as follows: (1) A Class A permit is transferrable if the person possesses the qualifications necessary for the issuance of a Class A permit. (2) A Class B permit is transferrable; however, the beekeeping operation by the person shall be considered a new operation in determining the person's eligibility to obtain a Class A permit. C. A Class A permit may be issued to any applicant who meets the requirements of either Paragraph (1) or Paragraph (2): (1) The applicant is a person domiciled in the state. "Domicile" as used herein means the applicant's fixed, permanent, and principal home for legal purposes. No firm or corporation will be considered domiciled in the state unless its principal owner or owners is domiciled in the state. (2) The applicant has conducted beekeeping operations in the state, and has been registered with the commissioner for three consecutive years, has been inspected as provided by law, and has demonstrated his ability to control diseases and pests considered to be detrimental to the state's apiary industry by the state entomologist. D. A fee shall accompany the application for registration, the amount of the fee to be based upon and determined by the number of colonies owned by the applicant as follows: Number of Colonies Class A Permit Class B Permit 1 to 10 $ 0 $ 16.00 11 to 25 4.00 16.00 26 to 100 10.00 40.00 101 to 300 20.00 80.00 301 to 500 30.00 120.00 501 or more 50.00 200.00 E. Failure or refusal to comply with this Section shall constitute a violation of this Part. Amended by Acts 1984, No. 529, §1; Acts 1992, No. 32, §1; Acts 2003, No. 122, §1, eff. July 1, 2003.