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Apiary registration

Ohio apiary registration

Ohio requires beekeepers to register their apiaries. Below is what the record says, where it is written and who to call, as verified on September 4, 2026.

Requirement
Required
When it is due
  • June 1 each year (the app's reminder date)
  • New beekeepers: register within 30 days

State's wording: annual; due June 1 (or within 30 days of acquiring bees); registrations expire May 31

Fee
set by ODA (not in statute)
Law
ORC 909.02
Agency
  • Official page agri.ohio.gov
  • No phone on file — use the agency site

Notes

Register with the Director of Agriculture; standard renewal under ORC 4745.

Sources

How this was checked

Verified on September 4, 2026. Confidence: high.

All states: apiary registration by state

Also on this site: the mite wash calculator and the honey label checklist.

Questions beekeepers ask

Do I have to register bees in Ohio?

Yes. Apiary registration is required in Ohio.

When is Ohio registration due?

The cadence on file: annual; due June 1 (or within 30 days of acquiring bees); registrations expire May 31.

What does registration cost in Ohio?

The fee wording on file: set by ODA (not in statute). It is printed as found; confirm with the agency before you rely on it.

Who do I contact in Ohio?

The agency page is agri.ohio.gov; no phone is on file, so use the contact page on the agency site. For a suspected disease, a pesticide kill or a question about a treatment, ask for the state apiary inspector.

Where is this written?

Law on file: ORC 909.02. Sources checked: codes.ohio.gov.

Bee Community

Take it to the bee yard

The app keeps your registrations and reminds you before the renewal date.

Bee Community is a free Android app for the bee yard: a logbook that works offline, reminders built from your own records and your region's season, a mite-wash calculator with the Honey Bee Health Coalition thresholds, a mite trend chart, and a treatment picker driven by EPA labels. Free for two active hives with no ads; Premium and Commercial add hives and tools, and nothing you record is ever locked.

Get Bee Community on Google Play

Android only. Weather and the season calendar are US-only for now. Beekeepers 18 and over. Nothing in the app is veterinary, regulatory or professional advice; the product label is the law, and your state apiary inspector is the person to call.

Questions or support: support@mybeecommunity.com

Nothing on this page is veterinary, regulatory, legal or professional advice. The product label is the law, and your state apiary inspector is the person to call. Photos, weather data and varroa guidance come from public-domain, Creative Commons and extension sources and are credited on the app's Credits screen.