Pinellas County, FL Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

586.10  Powers and duties of department; preemption of local government ordinances. — (1)  The authority to regulate, inspect, and permit managed honeybee colonies and to adopt rules on the placement and location of registered inspected managed honeybee colonies is preempted to the state through the department and supersedes any related ordinance adopted by a county, municipality, or political subdivision thereof. (2)  The department shall: (a)  Administer and enforce this chapter. (b)  Adopt rules necessary to enforce this chapter, rules relating to standard grades for honey and other honeybee products, and, after consultation with local governments and other affected stakeholders, rules to administer this section. (3)  The department may: (a)  Enter upon any public or private premises or carrier during regular business hours for the purpose of inspection, quarantine, destruction, or treatment of honeybees, used beekeeping equipment, unwanted races of honeybees, or regulated articles. (b)  Declare a honeybee pest or unwanted race of honeybees to be a nuisance to the beekeeping industry as well as any honeybee or other infested or infected article that is exposed to infestation or infection in a manner believed likely to communicate the infection or infestation.