MyCity
Operating & Renewing
Operating Requirements
Beekeepers are required to adhere to appropriate beekeeping practices including:
- maintaining bee colonies in moveable frame hives that are kept in sound and usable condition
- providing a constant and adequate water source
- locating hives on a site so that the movement of bees does not become an animal nuisance
Beekeepers should be able to respond immediately to control bee swarms and to remediate nuisance conditions. A beekeeping nuisance means conditions including, but not limited to:
- aggressive or objectionable bee behavior
- hive placement or bee movement that interferes with pedestrian traffic or persons residing on or adjacent to the hive premises
- overcrowded, deceased or abandoned hives
Ready to Renew?
Steps to renew online:
Beekeepers registered with the city must submit a registration form annually by May 13. You may renew your registration in the following ways:
1) Complete an online registration form.
or
2) Complete a fillable registration form (pdf) and email it to beekeeping@health.nyc.gov.
Select "Annual" as the type of registration.
Steps to renew by mail:
Existing beekeepers are required to renew each hive's registration by May 31st of each year. When renewing your registration please select “Annual” on the registration form.
Submit the completed form via USPS regular mail, to the address below.