Washington (WA)
On the runs: Pacific Northwest / Intermountain to California
Record held: 16 fields — 11 published, 4 not published / not yet checked, 1 conflicting (both sides shown).
Regulator
StateWashington
RegulatorWashington State Department of Agriculture
Regulator typeDepartment of agriculture division (dept-of-agriculture-division)
Regulator contactWashington State Department of Agriculture — Apiary program: 1111 Washington Street SE, PO Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560 • pollinators@agr.wa.gov • 1 (800) 443-6684 • fax (360) 902-2094 (WSDA Apiary Reg and Laws page). Registration is administered by the WSDA Plant Protection Division, PO Box 42591, Olympia, WA 98504-2591 (WSDA apiary registration summary).
Instruments
Registration (registration · issued by the destination side)
Fee$5 (per-year) — WAC 16-602-025 — apiary registration fee schedule, payable on or before April 1, for resident and nonresident beekeepers operating colonies in Washington (including colonies offered for pollination rental): 1–5 colonies $5.00; 6–25 colonies $10.00; 26–100 colonies $25.00; 101–300 colonies $50.00; 301–500 colonies $100.00; 501–1,000 colonies $200.00; 1,001 or more colonies $300.00. WAC 16-602-026 — apiary broker fee $100 per year; a person registered as both broker and apiarist owes only one fee, the lesser being waived. WSDA's registration summary describes the cost as 'Between $5 and $300 depending on number of hives owned and broker status.'
Validity windowUntil March 31 following your application (WSDA apiary registration summary, 'How long is it valid?').The other published figure: WSDA's Apiary Reg and Laws page states that the registration expires December 31.
Notice deadlineRegistration is due by April 1 each year (RCW 15.60.021). Fees received after April 1 accrue a late fee of 1.5% per month; first-time registrants owe no late fee (RCW 15.60.031; WSDA Apiary Reg and Laws page).
Lead timeWSDA publishes that the registration is received approximately two weeks after the department receives the application and fee; applications submitted in March and April may take up to a month to process due to the high volume of renewals (WSDA apiary registration summary).
What the certificate must stateThe registration application includes: the name, address, and phone number of the apiarist or broker; the number of colonies of bees to be owned, brokered, or operated in Washington that year; the registration fee as prescribed in rule; and any other information required by the department by rule. The director issues to each registered apiarist or broker an apiarist identification number (RCW 15.60.021).
Origin history requiredNot published / not yet checked
Who applies / who signsEach person owning one or more hives with bees, brokers renting hives, and apiarists resident in other states who operate hives in Washington shall register with the director by April 1 each year (RCW 15.60.021). The beekeeper or broker applies on the WSDA apiary registration form, returned with payment to the WSDA Plant Protection Division (WSDA apiary registration summary).
Moving bees — the rules around the instruments
Passing throughNot published / not yet checked
Border and destination inspectionNot published / not yet checked
County layerRCW 15.60.065–.095 provide for apiary coordinated areas: a county legislative authority may, after public hearing and notice, designate coordinated areas and within them set the maximum number of hives per apiary site, minimum distances between apiary sites, and setbacks. The chapter publishes no county filing duty for beekeepers.
Recognition of other states' certificatesNot published / not yet checked
Consequences, as publishedA violation of RCW 15.60 is a misdemeanor; a second or subsequent violation is a gross misdemeanor. The director may instead impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation (RCW 15.60.055). WAC 16-602-050 lists offenses — including failure to register as a resident or nonresident apiarist, failure to register as a broker, and failure to remit fees — with civil penalty levels of $100 for a first offense, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for a third and subsequent offenses. Registration fees received after April 1 accrue a late fee of 1.5% per month (RCW 15.60.031).
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