Tuscaloosa, AL Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

A search of Tuscaloosa's Chapter 4 (Animals and Fowl) did not turn up a beekeeping-specific ordinance setting hive numbers, setbacks, or permits. In the absence of a dedicated city rule, the controlling authority is Alabama's statewide honeybee and apiary law in Title 2, Chapter 14 of the Code of Alabama, administered by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. That chapter provides for the regulation, registration, and inspection of bees and apiaries to control bee diseases and pests; beekeepers should register with and follow the requirements of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. Beekeepers in Tuscaloosa also remain subject to the city's general nuisance provisions: a colony that creates a hazard or interferes with neighbors' use of their property could be addressed as a nuisance even without a bee-specific section. Some Alabama municipalities (for example Dothan) have adopted detailed beekeeping ordinances covering hive counts and distances from property lines, but no equivalent Tuscaloosa ordinance was located in this research. Prospective beekeepers should confirm directly with the City of Tuscaloosa whether any zoning condition applies on their lot and should comply with state apiary registration before placing hives.