West Virginia's Apiary Law requires all beekeepers to register their colonies with the Department of Agriculture and authorizes the state apiarist to inspect hives, quarantine diseased colonies, and order destruction or treatment to control honeybee diseases statewide.
Under WV Code Chapter 19, Article 13, every person owning or keeping bees in West Virginia must register with the Commissioner of Agriculture and provide colony location information. The state apiarist may inspect any apiary, and if American foulbrood or other contagious bee diseases are found, may quarantine, treat, or order destruction of infected hives. Importation of bees, used equipment, and queens requires inspection certificates. The statute applies uniformly statewide; local governments may regulate hive placement on residential lots but cannot waive registration or disease-control requirements.
Failure to register colonies, refusal to allow inspection, or non-compliance with quarantine orders is a misdemeanor punishable by fine. Diseased hives may be destroyed without compensation.
Charleston, WV
West Virginia Senate Bill 167, enacted in 2017, prohibits sanctuary policies. Charleston cannot adopt rules barring police cooperation with federal immigrati...
Charleston, WV
Charleston cannot set its own minimum wage above the West Virginia rate of 8.75 dollars per hour set by W. Va. Code Section 21-5C-2. State law preempts local...
Charleston, WV
Charleston levies a business and occupation gross receipts tax under Chapter 10 of the City Code, with rates that vary by business classification such as ret...
Charleston, WV
Charleston has not adopted a hotel worker retention ordinance like those in some larger cities. Hotel sales or change-of-control transactions in Charleston f...
Charleston, WV
Charleston hotel guests pay a 6 percent city hotel occupancy tax under W. Va. Code Chapter 7 plus a 6 percent state consumer sales tax, totaling roughly 12 p...
Charleston, WV
Charleston enforces loud party rules through the city noise ordinance and disorderly conduct provisions in Chapter 24, with stronger response near East End r...
See how Charleston's beekeeping rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.