BeeKeepersRealm Editorial Team

Kentucky does not require beekeepers to register their hives. That surprises a lot of new beekeepers, since state law under KRS Chapter 252 gives the Commissioner of Agriculture the authority to establish a registration fee schedule — but according to…

Alabama requires every beekeeper to register with the state by October 1 each year — and the state has an unusual, easy-to-miss rule that can catch new beekeepers off guard: you generally can’t bring an established colony into Alabama at…

South Carolina has no state law restricting who can keep honey bees or how many colonies you can have — and no mandatory hive registry. Where South Carolina does regulate aggressively is at the border: moving honey bees or used…

Wisconsin does not require beekeepers to register their hives with the state — but it does require anyone bringing bees or used equipment into Wisconsin to report that shipment first. That distinction matters: a hobbyist starting from scratch with a…

Maryland requires every beekeeper to register — and gives you just 30 days to do it after acquiring your first colony. Under COMAR 15.07.01, there’s no exemption for hobbyists with a single hive: the moment you take possession of bees,…

Missouri does not require most beekeepers to register with the state. Unlike Florida or several other states that mandate registration for every colony, Missouri’s statewide apiary program is voluntary — with one major exception: a seven-county eradication zone in the…