Montgomery County, MD Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- State Law
- MD Ag Art Sec 5-501
- Registration
- MDA required, free
- County Permit
- None required
- Setback
- 10 feet recommended
Summary
Montgomery County permits beekeeping on residential lots under Maryland Agriculture Article Sec 5-501 et seq. State registration with the Maryland Department of Agriculture Apiary Inspection Program is required. No county-specific permit needed. Hives should face away from neighboring property and public areas.
Section 5-501. (a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. (b) "Abandoned apiary" means an apiary where a beekeeper fails to maintain a colony. (c) "Apiary" means a place where one or more bee colonies may be maintained. (d) "Appliance" means any device used in handling bees, hives, honey, or wax. (e) "Bee" means the common honey bee, apis mellifera, at any stage of development. (f) "Bee equipment" means any part of a hive, including any frame, hive body, or super. (g) "Colony" means a hive that contains bees, comb, and honey. (h) "Disease" means an abnormal condition resulting from action by a parasite, predator, or infectious agent. (i) "Hive" means a container for housing bees. (j) "Honey house" means a structure where honey is extracted and processed for sale. (k) "Packaged bee" means any bee shipped in a combless package.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Beekeeping in Montgomery County is governed by Maryland state law under the Agriculture Article, Sections 5-501 through 5-507. Beekeepers must register with the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) Apiary Inspection Program. The state charges no registration fee and conducts periodic hive inspections for disease. Montgomery County does not impose additional local permits or restrictions on beekeeping beyond state requirements. Best practices recommended by MDA include maintaining hives at least 10 feet from property lines, providing a water source to prevent bees from visiting neighbors, orienting hive entrances away from neighboring homes and sidewalks, and installing a 6-foot flyway barrier (fence or hedge) near property lines to force bees upward. Maryland law protects beekeepers from nuisance claims if they follow best management practices. The Chesapeake Bay watershed location makes pollinator support a county priority. The Montgomery County Beekeepers Association provides local mentoring. HOAs cannot ban beekeeping under Maryland law but may regulate hive placement.
Violations & Fines
No county penalties for residential beekeeping. Failure to register with MDA: state enforcement. Diseased colonies: MDA-ordered treatment or destruction. Nuisance complaints without best practices: civil liability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to keep bees in Montgomery County?
Can my HOA ban beekeeping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
Compare Montgomery County to another location·View the Maryland animal ordinances overview
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