California (CA)
On the runs: Northern Plains to Texas holding to California · Southeast to Gulf to California · Pacific Northwest / Intermountain to California
Record held: 37 fields — 23 published, 14 not published / not yet checked.
This is a thin record because the state publishes little of this layer. What it publishes is below; every field it does not publish is marked plainly instead of filled in. A short page with honest gaps is the right page for this state.
Regulator
StateCalifornia
RegulatorCDFA Apiary Protection Program
Regulator typeDepartment of agriculture division (dept-of-agriculture-division)
Regulator contactCDFA Apiary Protection Program, 1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 • 661-575-5832 • ipcinfo@cdfa.ca.gov • HOTLINE: 1-800-491-1899 (as published on the CDFA Apiary Protection Program page)
Instruments
Health / inspection certificate (health-certificate · issued by the origin side)
FeeNot published / not yet checked
Validity windowCertificates required by Section 29120 'are valid only during the inspection season in which they were issued, except that a certificate that covers a shipment arriving prior to April 1 from a locality that has severe winters shall be valid if it shows the last inspection of the apiary was made on or after August 15 of the preceding year' (FAC § 29125). No fixed 30/60/90-day window is published in Article 9.
Notice deadlineNo advance-notice deadline is published in Article 9. The filing duty runs the other way: the certificate must be delivered to the commissioner of the county of destination (or to the Secretary, if there is no commissioner in the county) within 72 hours after the arrival of the load, lot, or shipment (FAC § 29120).
Lead timeNot published / not yet checked
What the certificate must stateThe certificate must certify to all of the following (FAC § 29122): (a) the name and address of the owner or shipper and the place of destination in this state; (b) the number or amount of queen bees, package bees, bee semen, hives, or nuclei that contain bees, the number of used hives either empty or containing comb, and a complete list of any other used beekeeping equipment in the shipment; (c) the county and state or territory of origin; (d) the date on which inspection was last made of the apiary in which the bees, comb, used hives, and appliances originated; (e) that the apiary was found free of all pests denoted as pests by the State of California, using detection procedures and methods approved by the secretary; (f) if the pest is American foulbrood, the total number of colonies in the apiary at the time of inspection and the number of colonies found infested; (g) that all American foulbrood colonies found upon inspection were destroyed, removed to a quarantine apiary, removed to wax salvage, or otherwise destroyed by specified methods pursuant to Section 29208, before issuance of the certificate.
Origin history requiredNot published / not yet checked
Who applies / who signsThe certificate must be signed by the State Entomologist, State Apiary Inspector, or comparable officer in charge of apiary inspection for the state or territory of origin (FAC § 29122). It must accompany each separate load, lot, or shipment of comb, bees on comb, queen bees, package bees, bee semen, or any used hive or used appliance imported or transported into California (§ 29120).
Health / inspection certificate (california-return-certificate · issued by the origin side)
FeeNot published / not yet checked
Validity window12 months: in lieu of the Section 29122 requirements, the Section 29120 certificate may be a California certificate of inspection (issued under Sections 29140–29145) showing the comb, bees on comb, or hives or appliances were inspected in California within the 12 months prior to their return to California (FAC § 29123).
Notice deadlineNot published / not yet checked
Lead timeNot published / not yet checked
What the certificate must stateThe California certificate must show the comb, bees on comb, or hives or appliances were inspected in California within the 12 months prior to return and at the time of inspection were found to have had less than 1 percent American foulbrood disease (FAC § 29123).
Origin history requiredNot published / not yet checked
Who applies / who signsBeekeepers or their agents using the Section 29123 return route 'shall carry a copy of the certificate with them and proof of ownership of the apiary and its contents, for production to the border inspectors on demand upon reentry' (FAC § 29123).
Registration (registration · issued by the destination side)
FeeApiary registration fee schedule, 3 CCR Section 2951 (filed and effective March 20, 2025), paid January 1 of each year, based on the total number of colonies and not on a per-colony basis: 1-9 colonies $10.00; 10-49 colonies $100.00; 50+ colonies $250.00; Broker $250.00. The broker fee is a flat rate annually regardless of the number of colonies managed and is valid through December 31 of each year.
Validity windowAnnual: registration and the registration fee are due once annually, on January 1 of each year; the fee is based on the total number of colonies registered in the previous 12 months of the calendar year (CDFA Apiary Registration Flyer 2026).
Notice deadlineNot published / not yet checked
Lead timeApiary registration is due January 1 of each year if an apiary is located within California, or within 30 days of any person acquiring or moving bees into the state (CDFA Apiary Registration Flyer 2026, FAC Div. 13 §§ 29040–29045). Registration fees are late on February 1 of each year, when a penalty fee of one-half the amount due is added.
What the certificate must stateRegistration is required in each county where apiaries are located, and is required of all beekeepers including beekeepers entering the state for pollination services. All bee brokers are required to register each year and identify all beekeepers they represent; the broker fee is an annual flat rate regardless of the number of colonies managed, and each beekeeper operating under a broker must also pay an annual registration fee. Registration is filed through BeeWhere (BeeWhere.calagpermits.org) / the County Agricultural Commissioner's office (CDFA Apiary Registration Flyer 2026).
Origin history requiredNot published / not yet checked
Who applies / who signsEach beekeeper, apiary owner, apiary operator, broker, or person in possession of any apiary pays the registration fee on January 1 of each year and registers in each county where apiaries are located (CDFA Apiary Registration Flyer 2026).
Ant-free or equivalent certification (ant-free-certification · issued by the origin side)
FeeNot published / not yet checked
Validity windowNot published / not yet checked
Notice deadlineNot published / not yet checked
Lead timeNot published / not yet checked
What the certificate must stateVoluntary program: agricultural officials in participating origin states inspect bee shipments destined to California for pests, specifically ants, and excessive debris which may harbor ants; shipments found free of ants are issued an Ant-Free Certificate by officials in the participating state (CDFA Voluntary Ant-Free Certification Program page).
Origin history requiredNot published / not yet checked
Who applies / who signsThe certificate is issued by agricultural officials in the origin (participating) state and presented by the shipper at the California Border Protection Station. The certification is not required to enter California; CDFA urges beekeepers to have colonies inspected and certified to expedite entry. What it earns at the border (CDFA, same page): if no actionable ants are found, the certified shipment may enter under quarantine and be off-loaded at the final destination prior to inspection by the County Agricultural Commissioner; if five or fewer worker actionable ants are found, it may enter under quarantine but may not be off-loaded without prior authorization from the County Agricultural Commissioner; if more than five worker actionable ants, or any other life stage, are found, the shipment is rejected. For shipments NOT accompanied by the certificate, if any number or life stage of actionable ants are found, the shipment is rejected; rejected shipments must be cleaned and/or reconditioned and re-inspected prior to entry.
One conflict inside California's own published material — the registration fee at 50 colonies
What the filed rule says. The registration fee above is the filed text of 3 CCR § 2951: 1–9 colonies $10.00; 10–49 colonies $100.00; 50+ colonies $250.00; broker $250.00, based on the total number of colonies. It was filed and took effect Mar 20, 2025, and it is recorded here from the Final Approval document: Source: CDFA - Final Approval (OAL Notice of Approval of Regulatory Action, OAL Matter Number 2025-0303-01) with the filed text of 3 CCR Sections 2950-2954 attached, Section 2951 (source dated Mar 20, 2025).
What county material in circulation says. The San Diego County apiary registration letter, the UC ANR San Diego County registration page, and the Kings County schedule each print 10–50 colonies at $100 and 51+ colonies at $250. Those documents follow an earlier proposed revision, not the filed text.
The one point where they differ: an operator with exactly 50 colonies owes $250 under the filed § 2951, not the $100 the county material prints. Checked Oct 20, 2026 during the re-verification recorded in this build's source log (K2a-fix).
Moving bees — the rules around the instruments
Passing throughNo pass-through / through-transit exemption is published in FAC Article 9. Section 29120 bars importing or transporting into the state any comb, bees on comb, queen bees, package bees, bee semen, or any used hive or used appliance unless each separate load, lot, or shipment is accompanied by a valid certificate under Article 9. Section 29121 exempts only: packaged comb honey, empty package bee cages, moving screens, bee smokers, bee veils, and hive tools — and no importation is allowed if it would violate a quarantine regulation adopted under Section 29110.
Border and destination inspectionHoneybee shipments entering California are subject to two inspections: a cursory inspection at the border (Border Protection) station and a more detailed inspection at destination. Border inspectors check exterior colonies and pallets (bee nets may be lifted; making the shipment ready is the driver's responsibility). If no pests of concern are detected, the shipment is placed under a Quarantine Hold Notice and proceeds to destination, where it is subject to inspection by the County Agricultural Department; it may not be offloaded until the county inspector gives permission, unless accompanied by a valid ant-free certificate. If a pest of concern or excessive soil/debris is found, the colonies and pallets must be cleaned (typically pressure washing) before entering; contaminated shipments must return out of state for cleaning, at the driver's arrangement and expense.
County layerCounty layer is published and load-bearing in two places. (1) The Section 29120 certificate must be delivered to the commissioner of the destination county (or to the Secretary, if the county has no commissioner) within 72 hours after arrival. (2) County small hive beetle (SHB) acceptance policies, surveyed county by county and published by CDFA in its Border Station Operating Guide § 1.6.3 (revised October 12, 2023): if SHB is found and confirmed and the destination county's policy is 'Will Not Accept SHB,' the shipment is rejected with the options of returning out of state or diverting to a county that will accept the beetle; if the county 'Will Accept SHB,' the shipment goes to destination under a Warning Hold Notice (66-008) noting SHB was found. The published chart lists an accept / will-not-accept position for each California county. Apiary registration is also per-county (see the registration instrument).
Recognition of other states' certificatesNo general reciprocity or equal-standards recognition rule is published in Article 9. California accepts a certificate signed by the origin state's State Entomologist, State Apiary Inspector, or comparable officer in charge of apiary inspection only if it certifies the Section 29122 facts, including freedom from pests denoted as pests by the State of California. Separately, Section 29123 provides a California-certificate return route for stock previously inspected in California (see the california-return-certificate instrument).
Consequences, as publishedAs published in Article 9: a shipment of bees on comb, used hives, or used appliances arriving without a valid certificate where one is required 'shall be refused entry and returned to the shipper or destroyed, at the option and expense of the owner or person in charge of the shipment' (§ 29124). If bees, comb, hives, or appliances entering California are found diseased on inspection in this state within 30 days after arrival, the inspector may hold the apiary, lot, or shipment (§ 29126(a)); if more than 2 percent American foulbrood is found, the load 'shall be removed from the state and returned to the shipper' (§ 29126(b)). Disease found is abated under Article 14 (§ 29127); after abatement, if the hold cannot be released without menace or harm to the bee industry of this state, the remaining bees, comb, hives, and appliances 'shall be destroyed or shipped out of this state within 72 hours after the expiration of the abatement notice, at the option and expense of the owner or bailee' (§ 29128).
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