Plano, TX Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Plano follows Texas Agriculture Code chapter 131 on beekeeping, which delegates apiary health and inspection to the Texas Apiary Inspection Service (TAIS) at Texas A&M. Hobby beekeepers keeping hives for personal use do not need state registration; commercial operations and anyone moving hives across state lines require TAIS registration and health certificates, with a 200-dollar permit required to import hives into Texas. Plano's residential rules treat beekeeping as a permitted accessory use with practical conditions focused on safety and nuisance prevention: hives should be placed in the rear yard with a setback of roughly 10 to 25 feet from the property line where feasible, a flyway barrier (fence, hedge, or screen at least 6 feet tall) is expected when hives are within 10 feet of a property line to push the bee flight path up and over the neighbor, and a constant source of water on the keeper's property is expected to discourage bees from seeking water at neighboring pools. Hive numbers scale with lot size under common best practice (two hives on up to a quarter acre, more on larger lots). Africanized honey bee (AHB) concerns are addressed through TAIS and requeening protocols; swarms or aggressive colonies should be reported to Plano Animal Services or 311. Bee-sting incidents and unattended abandoned hives can be cited as public nuisance. HOA covenants in some Plano neighborhoods restrict or prohibit beekeeping.