The County of San Diego's Apiary Program expands beekeeping opportunities in the unincorporated areas of San Diego County, promotes responsible beekeeping, and ensures public safety. To support beekeepers in raising healthy and gentle bee colonies Apiary Inspectors monitor for honey bee pest and disease issues and review beekeeping best management practices at apiaries. 

ANNUAL APIARY REGISTRATION

Each year, all beekeepers with honey bee colonies in California are required to report the number and location of bee colonies to the Agricultural Commissioner in the county where the bee colonies are located by the first day of January and/or within 30 days of acquiring bees.

Registration is a California state law and San Diego County ordinance and applies to hobbyist and commercial beekeepers. Registration allows the County's Apiary Inspectors to assist registered beekeepers in detecting honey bee pests, diseases, and undesirable honey bee behavior. Registered beekeepers can request to be notified prior to pesticide pest control applications made with a pesticide labeled “toxic to bees” onto a blossoming plant that will be applied within one mile of their apiary. Registered beekeepers are part of the Apiary Program network that provides correspondence on science-based beekeeping information, regulatory information, and honey bee quarantine pests of concern.

Steps to register your apiary:

1. Provide your apiary locations and number of bee colonies either
   

a) electronically using the secure BeeWhere website https://beewhere.calagpermits.org/

See the quick start BeeWhere Registration Guide and video tutorial for how to use BeeWhere for more information, OR

b) by completing the 2023 Apiary Registration form and returning to us by email:

Labs.AWM@sdcounty.ca.gov

or postal mail:

County of San Diego Dept. of

Agriculture, Weights & Measures

Attn:  Apiary Program

9325 Hazard Way, Suite 100

San Diego, CA 92123

Whether you register electronically using BeeWhere or by paper form, your apiary locations will be uploaded to the BeeWhere website.

2. If your bee colonies are in the unincorporated area of San Diego County, please submit the Best Management Practice checklist that applies to your apiary in addition to your registration form:

Tier A (1-2 colonies)

Tier B (3-20 colonies)

Tier C (21 or more colonies)

If you are a first time registrant and your bee colonies are located in the unincorporated area of San Diego County, please complete the free online beekeeping course as well.

           3. No registration fees are being charged at this time due to a regulatory update.

California Assembly Bill 719 recently revised section 29044 of the California Food and Agricultural Code to require an annual registration fee of up to $250 to be identified in regulation. The California Department of Food and Agriculture is working with the Apiary Board to establish a proposed fee schedule for apiary registration. There will be no registration fees collected until the schedule has been finalized in regulation. You will be notified when a registration fee has been established and becomes due.

For questions, call the Bee Hotline at 1-800-200-2337.

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RELATED LINKS

Beekeeping in San Diego County  (University of California Cooperative Extension - San Diego)

California Apiary Laws & Regulations (California Department of Food and Agriculture)

California Master Beekeeper Program

Bee Informed Partnership

Honey Bee Health Coalition

Project Apis m.

California State Beekeepers Association

Western Apiculture Society

Plant Pest Diagnostics Laboratory