Montana requires all beekeepers to register hives with the Department of Agriculture annually. The state apiary law preempts local registration mandates and sets disease standards uniformly.
MCA Title 80, Chapter 6 (Apiaries) requires beekeepers to register colonies with the Montana Department of Agriculture and pay annual fees based on hive count. The Department maintains apiary location records, conducts disease inspections, and may quarantine or destroy colonies infected with American foulbrood. Commercial beekeepers face additional zone protections that create exclusive territory rights for established operations. While cities may regulate hive placement and density via zoning, the state registration and disease control framework applies universally. Pollinator protection rules also limit pesticide application near registered apiaries.
Operating unregistered hives violates MCA 80-6-104 with civil penalties; selling diseased equipment is a misdemeanor with fines up to $500.
Billings, MT
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Billings, MT
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Billings, MT
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Billings, MT
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Billings, MT
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Billings, MT
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