Fort Bend County, TX Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Min acreage for ag valuation
- 5 acres
- Min colonies (5 acres)
- 6 hives
- Max acreage
- 20 acres
- Permit required
- No
Summary
Fort Bend County follows Texas state law allowing beekeeping as a qualifying agricultural use on tracts of 5 to 20 acres, granting agricultural valuation for property tax purposes when minimum colony counts are maintained.
"Agricultural use" includes but is not limited to the following activities: cultivating the soil, producing crops for human food, animal feed, or planting seed or for the production of fibers; floriculture, viticulture, and horticulture; raising or keeping livestock; raising or keeping exotic animals for the production of human food or of fiber, leather, pelts, or other tangible products having a commercial value; ... The term also includes the use of land to raise or keep bees for pollination or for the production of human food or other tangible products having a commercial value, provided that the land used is not less than 5 or more than 20 acres.
Full Breakdown
Fort Bend County Appraisal District accepts beekeeping as an agricultural use under Texas Tax Code Section 23.51, requiring 6 colonies minimum on 5 acres, with one additional colony per 2.5 additional acres up to 12 colonies on 20 acres. Beekeepers must maintain hives for at least 5 of 7 prior years to qualify. While the county itself does not impose a bee-specific ordinance, county appraisal practices and unincorporated zoning treat beekeeping as a permitted agricultural activity rather than a regulated nuisance.
Violations & Fines
Misrepresenting beekeeping use for ag valuation can result in rollback taxes covering up to 5 years plus interest and penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fort Bend County require a permit to keep bees?
Can beekeeping qualify my land for agricultural tax valuation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Bend County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Fort Bend County to another location·View the Texas animal ordinances overview
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