Bees are protected under Florida law, but the protection depends on which bees you are talking about. Managed honey bees are regulated as an agricultural resource under Florida Statutes Chapter 586, and native wild bees can be protected as wildlife under the state’s endangered species framework. Killing a honey bee colony without a pest control license, or harming a listed native species, can bring fines, criminal charges, or federal penalties.
How Florida Protects Managed Honey Bees
Chapter 586, “Honey Certification and Honeybees,” is the primary state law covering managed honey bees.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 586 – Honey Certification and Honeybees The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) runs the program. It can inspect apiaries, quarantine colonies, adopt rules for the industry, and order treatment or destruction of infected or infested hives.2Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 586.10 – Powers and Duties of Department; Preemption of Local Government Ordinances
The framing matters. Honey bees are treated as an economic asset that supports pollination of citrus, berries, vegetables, and other Florida crops, not as wildlife. Every beekeeper with colonies in the state has to register with FDACS and renew that registration each year. The fee is set by rule and capped at $100, with a $10 late filing fee if you miss the renewal date.3Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 586.045 – Certificates of Registration and Inspection
Chapter 586 also singles out “unwanted races of honeybees,” a category that covers Africanized bees. Bringing them into the state without a special FDACS permit is illegal, and so is selling, distributing, or concealing information about colonies infested with them. FDACS can quarantine and destroy those colonies outright.4Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 586.02 – Definitions
Protections for Native and Wild Bees
Florida is home to more than 300 native bee species, including bumblebees, carpenter bees, and sweat bees. Chapter 586 does not cover them. They fall under the state’s wildlife conservation laws instead.
Florida Statute 379.2291 defines “fish and wildlife” broadly enough to include arthropods and other invertebrates, which puts native bees within the jurisdiction of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).5Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 379.2291 – Endangered and Threatened Species FWC can list native bee species as threatened or endangered, and 25 bee species are identified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Florida’s State Wildlife Action Plan.
The blue calamintha bee, found only in central Florida scrub habitat, is a well-known example. It was petitioned for federal Endangered Species Act listing in 2015 and remains under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.6U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System – Blue Calamintha Bee Most native bees have no individual listing, but any that are designated threatened or endangered under state or federal law carry legal consequences if harmed.
Federal Endangered Species Act Overlay
Federal law adds a second layer. The rusty patched bumble bee and Franklin’s bumble bee are listed as endangered nationwide under the Endangered Species Act.7U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Proposed Nationwide Conservation Benefit Agreement for Bumble Bees Neither is known to occur in Florida, so ESA liability for those two species is unlikely to come up here. That could change if the blue calamintha bee or any other Florida-range species is added to the federal list, which would bring habitat protections along with prohibitions on take.
What You Can and Can’t Do About Bees on Your Property
If a honey bee colony has moved into your walls, eaves, or yard, Florida law gives you two legal paths, and they are regulated differently.
Live removal by a registered beekeeper is not treated as pest control. A beekeeper registered with FDACS under Chapter 586 can legally remove and relocate a colony for the purpose of beekeeping, and can use foam, soapy water, pheromone lures, and glue boards during the process. No pest control license is needed.8Cornell Law Institute. Florida Administrative Code 5E-14.151 – Removal and Relocation of Bees
Eradication is different. If the goal is to kill the colony rather than relocate it, the work is pest control and must be done by a licensed pest control operator under Chapter 482.9Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 482.021 – Definitions FDACS has stated plainly that a licensed pest control company can lawfully eradicate a nuisance honey bee colony; an unlicensed person cannot do it for hire.10Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Honey Bee Removal or Eradication in Florida
The bright line comes from the administrative rule: if the person removing bees from a structure is not a registered beekeeper, the work counts as pest control whether the bees live or die. Registration is what triggers the exemption.8Cornell Law Institute. Florida Administrative Code 5E-14.151 – Removal and Relocation of Bees
Local Beekeeping Bans Are Unenforceable
Florida preempts local governments from regulating managed honey bee colonies. Authority to regulate, inspect, and permit registered colonies belongs exclusively to FDACS, and that authority overrides any county or municipal ordinance.2Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 586.10 – Powers and Duties of Department; Preemption of Local Government Ordinances If your city has a beekeeping ban or setback rule that goes beyond FDACS rules, it can’t be enforced against a registered beekeeper. HOA covenants are a separate matter. They operate under private contract law and can still restrict beekeeping.
Penalties for Violating Florida’s Bee Laws
Chapter 586 violations are criminal. A first offense is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A second or subsequent offense is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.11Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 586.15 – Penalty for Violation
FDACS can also use administrative penalties instead of, or on top of, criminal ones. It can suspend or revoke a beekeeper’s registration or inspection certificate. If an administrative fine goes unpaid past the department’s deadline, the registration can be suspended or revoked without a further hearing, and an additional $100-per-day fine accrues until the beekeeper complies.11Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 586.15 – Penalty for Violation
The conduct these penalties reach is broad: running an unregistered apiary, introducing unwanted races of honey bees, hiding information about infested colonies, or refusing to comply with a department order to treat or destroy equipment. The jump from misdemeanor to felony on a repeat offense reflects how seriously the state treats disease control and Africanized bee containment.