California Statewide Rule
California Requires Annual Apiary Registration Statewide
Key Facts
- Statute
- Food & Ag Code §29040
- Deadline
- January 1, or within 30 days
- Register with
- County agricultural commissioner
- Annual fee
- Up to $250 (§29044)
- Hobbyist fee waiver
- Possible if nine or fewer colonies
Summary
California law requires every beekeeper, apiary owner, broker, or person possessing an apiary in the state to register each colony's number and location by January 1 each year with the county agricultural commissioner, plus an annual fee up to $250.
Every person that is the owner, broker, or is in possession of an apiary that is located within the state, on the first day of January of each year, shall register the number of colonies in each apiary that is owned or possessed by the person and the location of each apiary. Every person required to register under this article, shall do so on the first day of January of each year in which they maintain, possess, or are in possession of an apiary, or within 30 days thereafter, as prescribed in this article.
Full Breakdown
California Food and Agricultural Code section 29040 makes registration mandatory statewide: every owner, broker, or person in possession of an apiary must register the number of colonies and the location of each apiary by January 1, or within 30 days thereafter. You file with the county agricultural commissioner where the hives sit. Section 29044 sets an annual registration fee not to exceed $250, and a county board of supervisors, with the secretary's approval, may waive the fee for a hobbyist not in the business of beekeeping who possesses nine or fewer colonies. The requirement applies regardless of hive count, hive type, or whether bees are kept for honey, pollination, or hobby.
Violations & Penalties
Failing to register an apiary violates Food and Agricultural Code section 29040; the county agricultural commissioner administers registration and identification of apiaries, and every owner or possessor must still register and pay the annual fee even when hive counts are small.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do hobby beekeepers in California have to register?
When is California apiary registration due?
Sources
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