Forsyth County's animal code does not regulate honey bees. Keeping bees is an agricultural activity protected from county zoning as a bona fide farm use under NC right-to-farm law (NCGS 106-701) and Ch. 160D. The NC Department of Agriculture handles apiary inspection statewide.
Chapter 6 (Animals) does not set a hive count, setback, or permit for honey bees. Because beekeeping is a form of agriculture, an operation on genuine farm land in the unincorporated county is protected from county zoning restrictions under Ch. 160D and from nuisance suits under NCGS 106-701. Statewide, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services regulates apiaries (NCGS Ch. 106, Article 55), including inspection for pests and diseases and voluntary hive registration. Hives kept so as to create a genuine public nuisance could still be reached under Sec. 6-9. Inside Winston-Salem and the towns, municipal zoning may set specific beekeeping standards, so city residents should check local rules.
No county beekeeping penalty exists. A bee operation causing a documented public nuisance (Sec. 6-9) is citable as a Class 3 misdemeanor, fine up to $500 (Sec. 6-55). Municipal codes may impose their own hive-permit or setback requirements within city
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Winston-Salem defines 'rank noxious vegetation' over eight inches as a nuisance, including non-native grasses, invasive plants, poisonous plants, and untende...
See how Forsyth County's beekeeping rules stack up against other locations.
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