Beekeeping in Pinellas County is preempted to the state under Florida Statute 586.10, which gives FDACS exclusive authority over registration, placement, and inspection of managed honey bee colonies, overriding any conflicting county rule.
Florida Statute 586.10 preempts the regulation, inspection, and permitting of managed honey bee colonies to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), superseding any conflicting county or municipal ordinance. Beekeepers in Pinellas County must register every colony annually with FDACS and follow the Beekeeper Compliance Agreement and Best Management Requirements for placement in non-agricultural areas, including buffer setbacks, water sources, and Africanized honey bee mitigation. Pinellas County therefore does not impose hive caps or beekeeping permits, although general nuisance and zoning rules in Chapter 138 still apply when activities create off-site impacts.
Unregistered colonies or noncompliance with FDACS Best Management Requirements can lead to state inspection orders, fines under Chapter 586, and colony destruction in cases involving Africanized bees.
Pinellas County, FL
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