Beekeepers reminded of fee changes

From Montana Department of Agriculture

HELENA — The Montana Department of Agriculture is reminding Montana’s commercial and hobbyist beekeepers of the change in apiary registration fees as a result of the passage of House Bill 443 during the 2019 legislative session.

Following the passing of HB 443, the department met with the board of the Montana Beekeeper’s Association and determined that the fee structure needed to be revised in order to encourage hobbyist beekeeper registration and provide additional support for commercial beekeepers, specifically another apiary staff member.

For people who have already paid registration fees for 2019, the new registration fees will begin in 2020.

The new fee structure is as follows:

Type: Old: New

Commercial $19/site $35/site

Pollination $19/site $35/site

Hobbyist $19/site $10/site

Landowner $19/site $10/site

Application Fee $20 $10

(one-time fee for new beekeepers)

The new application form reflects these changes and a PDF of the application can be found on the state’s website at: https://agr.mt.gov/bees . Questions regarding registration or the registration fee structure can be directed to the State Entomologist at 406-444-3790 or apiary@mt.gov.

The Montana Department of Agriculture’s mission is to protect producers and consumers, and to enhance and develop agriculture and allied industries. For more information on the department, visit agr.mt.gov.

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Online: Text of House Bill 433: https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/billpdf/HB0443.pdf .