County Laws
Research digest of county and parish hive rules within 100 miles of ZIP 77581 — not legal advice.
Research digest of county/parish hive rules within 100 miles of ZIP 77581 (Pearland area), not legal advice. Last reviewed 10 September 2026.
How to use this page
Read the binding duty first (who must do what), then the source. Prefer the official statute or code over a secondary summary. This page does not invent ordinance numbers. If a search found no dedicated hive-count, setback, water, swarm, or neighbor-notice rule, that absence is stated and the materials searched are named. No street addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, CAD account numbers, or homestead details.
Cities and HOAs overlay county silence
Confirm whether the hive site is inside city limits before treating county silence as controlling. Cities and homeowners’ associations can prohibit or limit hives even where this county/parish catalog found no dedicated ordinance. Pearland keepers should also read https://grampsbees.com/laws/ for City of Pearland materials and Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 131. This page is a county/parish catalog, not a city-by-city digest.
Scope
34 Texas counties and 2 Louisiana parishes whose territory intersects a 100-mile circle of the 77581 Census ZCTA centroid (29.5624130 N, 95.2798138 W). Method: Census TIGER/Line 2025 county polygons, azimuthal equidistant CRS centered on that centroid; a jurisdiction is in if any part of its polygon is at most 100 statute miles from the origin. Victoria County (98.954 miles) is inside and is included.
County and parish rules, if any, apply in unincorporated land. Cities and HOAs can overlay — see the callout below. Federal food/pesticide rules and Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 131 are digested at https://grampsbees.com/laws/. Louisiana keepers are subject to La. R.S. 3:2301–2311 (below), not Chapter 131. Chapter 131 sits in Title 6, Subtitle A, “Bees and Nonlivestock Animal Industry.” County stock-law materials searched address cattle, horses, mules, hogs, sheep, goats, and similar mammals. They do not treat honey bees as livestock. Silence is not a written authorization of unlimited hives.
National and pending-federal pointers (ABF advocacy, Honey Integrity Act bills, other-city ordinance examples) live on the main Laws page. They are not binding county rules. This County Laws page remains a catalog of local silence / overlays for the 100-mile ring.
Finding in brief
Dedicated county or parish hive-count / setback / water / swarm / neighbor-notice ordinances found: none of 36. Bees are not treated as livestock in the county stock-law materials. The real extra duties are statewide: Texas Chapter 131 (registration to keep hobby hives is voluntary) versus mandatory LDAF registration for every beekeeper who keeps one or more colonies in Louisiana, including hobby keepers in Cameron Parish and Calcasieu Parish. Parish silence does not waive those state duties.
Summary of 36 jurisdictions
| County / Parish | State | Miles from 77581 | Dedicated hive ordinance | Binding overlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazoria | TX | 0.000 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Harris | TX | 1.415 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Galveston | TX | 3.846 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Fort Bend | TX | 8.784 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Chambers | TX | 15.763 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Liberty | TX | 28.517 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Montgomery | TX | 32.061 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Waller | TX | 36.358 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Wharton | TX | 39.816 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Matagorda | TX | 42.048 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Austin | TX | 44.561 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| San Jacinto | TX | 52.245 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Colorado | TX | 54.134 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Jefferson | TX | 55.097 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Hardin | TX | 55.840 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Grimes | TX | 56.612 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Washington | TX | 62.016 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Walker | TX | 65.057 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Polk | TX | 68.862 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Brazos | TX | 74.363 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Jackson | TX | 74.613 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Lavaca | TX | 78.772 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Tyler | TX | 79.684 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Orange | TX | 79.776 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Fayette | TX | 82.255 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Cameron Parish | LA | 82.848 | None found | LA R.S. 3:2301–2311 |
| Burleson | TX | 82.901 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Jasper | TX | 83.980 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Trinity | TX | 87.071 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Calhoun | TX | 87.831 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Madison | TX | 94.370 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Newton | TX | 95.066 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Lee | TX | 96.007 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Houston | TX | 96.223 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Victoria | TX | 98.954 | None found | TX ch. 131 |
| Calcasieu Parish | LA | 99.514 | None found | LA R.S. 3:2301–2311 |
Louisiana statewide apiary law
Louisiana has a mandatory statewide apiary program. It is not on the Texas Laws page. It binds every beekeeper who keeps one or more colonies in Louisiana, including hobby keepers in Cameron Parish and Calcasieu Parish. This is the only place in this radius with real extra hive duties beyond Texas Chapter 131.
Who: A “beekeeper” owns one or more colonies. An “apiary” is one or more colonies at a single location. Source: La. R.S. 3:2302, https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/law.aspx?d=85977.
Must:
-
Register every colony and apiary annually. On or before October 1, or before bringing honeybees or equipment into the state, every beekeeper shall register every colony or apiary in his possession or under his control, stating number and location. Later-year acquisitions must be registered; after December 31 wait until the next October 1 unless the keeper lacks a current permit. Failure to register is a violation. Source: La. R.S. 3:2305(A), (E), https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/law.aspx?d=85980.
-
Pay the statutory fee. Class A is a person domiciled in Louisiana, or a person who has operated in the state, registered three consecutive years, been inspected, and demonstrated disease/pest control; Class B otherwise.
Colonies Class A Class B 1 to 10 $0 $16.00 11 to 25 $4.00 $16.00 26 to 100 $10.00 $40.00 101 to 300 $20.00 $80.00 301 to 500 $30.00 $120.00 501 or more $50.00 $200.00 Source: La. R.S. 3:2305(C)–(D). LDAF form AES-22-35 (rev. 01/26) reprints the table, requires application even if no fee is due, and states that all permits expire September 30. Sources: LDAF AES-22-35 (PDF); LDAF Bees and beekeeping.
-
Do not move bees or used equipment into Louisiana except as allowed. Class A may ship honeybees and used equipment in only with a 60-day origin-state inspection certificate. Class B may ship combless honeybees with a similar 60-day certificate. Colonies, nuclei, comb packages, and used equipment are otherwise prohibited. Source: La. R.S. 3:2306, https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/law.aspx?d=85981.
-
Certificate of inspection before moving bees or used equipment, with an intrastate exception. The statute requires a state-entomologist certificate for movement. Rules add: un-quarantined ordinary intrastate relocation does not require a certificate; source apiaries must have been inspected in the prior twelve months and be free of American foulbrood; all hives shall have removable tops and frames. Sources: La. R.S. 3:2307(A); LAC 7:XV.511, .513; Apiary Law master copy; Apiary Regulations master copy (Sept. 2021).
-
Class B two-mile note. Class B holders may keep or move bees in Louisiana only if established in-state and obtained from a registered beekeeper; may bring in certified combless packages and new (not used) equipment. A Class B holder must keep the yard a minimum of two miles from any other bee yard or apiary for three consecutive violation-free years, unless the holder owns the property or the existing apiary owner gives written permission; must file map and GPS annually; and must be inspected free of regulated pests for three consecutive years. Registration permits do not themselves authorize movement. Source: LAC 7:XV.507.
-
Report disease or pest; honor quarantines and AFB destruction. Known or suspected infestation must be reported immediately. AFB colonies shall be destroyed by burning in the presence of or by a department agent. Sources: LAC 7:XV.515, .517; La. R.S. 3:2304, 3:2308.
-
Do not interfere with inspection. Source: La. R.S. 3:2308; LAC 7:XV.509.
Penalties: civil penalty up to $500 per violation per day after an APA hearing. Source: La. R.S. 3:2310. Statewide law does not set a hobby hive-count cap, property-line setback, water, swarm, or neighbor-notice duty for a Class A keeper. The two-mile rule is a Class B operating condition, not a parish zoning setback. A 15¢/colony assessment may be levied on commercial apiaries (R.S. 3:2309); this digest does not assert it is presently collected.
Texas counties
Austin County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Austin County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Do not confuse with City of Austin (Travis County) Ch. 3-6 Beekeeping. Posted 1928/1999 stock law is named livestock at large, not bees. No county zoning.
Sources: Permits; Stock law PDF.
Materials searched
permits/OSSF/floodplain/subdivision; 1928/1999 stock-law PDF; Municode “Austin” is the city
Brazoria County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Brazoria County.
Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: County Engineer 30 January 2026 letter and Engineering FAQ: the county does not regulate land use and has not adopted zoning in unincorporated areas; cities, deed restrictions, and HOAs must be consulted separately. Environmental Health (food, OSSF, sanitation, public nuisance) does not mention apiaries. Recheck 2026-09-08 found no hive-count, setback, water, swarm, or neighbor-notice ordinance. Bees are not treated as livestock.
Sources: Engineering FAQs; Verification letter (30 Jan. 2026); Environmental Health.
Materials searched
Engineering FAQs and 30 Jan 2026 letter; Environmental Health page; Municode (no populated county code)
Brazos County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Brazos County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No hive ordinance. FAQ: no zoning in unincorporated Brazos County. Animal Control Ordinance (OCR of 17-page PDF) is dogs/cats/rabies; no bee/apiary/hive. “Farm Livestock” is cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, mules, horses, jacks, jennets, or poultry — not bees. Order 2002-011 wild animals does not list bees.
Sources: Animal Control; Ordinance PDF; No-zoning FAQ.
Materials searched
OCR of Animal Control Ordinance; Order 2002-011 wild-animal list; FAQ no-zoning
Burleson County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Burleson County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No hive-count, setback, water, swarm, or neighbor-notice order located. Published controls are subdivision, OSSF, and floodplain. A Dangerous/Wild Animal Order page returned HTTP 403; not treated as a bee ordinance. City of Burleson (Tarrant/Johnson Counties) bee rules are a different jurisdiction.
Sources: County site; Subdivision Regulations 2025.
Materials searched
county site; Dangerous/Wild Animal Order menu (HTTP 403); Subdivision Regulations 2025 (no bee chapter); City of Burleson eCode360 excluded; 2024 “Hive Subdivision” plat is a name, not an ordinance
Calhoun County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Calhoun County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Public Nuisance Ordinance covers trash, junked vehicles, and unsanitary buildings (Chapter 343-style) and does not mention bees. No county zoning.
Sources: County site; Public Nuisance Ordinance.
Materials searched
county home; codeordinance.pdf (no bees); no county code on Municode
Chambers County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Chambers County.
Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No comprehensive county code on Municode or American Legal. Public Nuisance Abatement Policy under Health and Safety Code Chapter 343 tracks § 343.011; bee/hive/apiary words do not appear. Livestock branding is Agriculture Code Chapter 144 species (cattle, horse, swine, sheep, goat), not bees. Subdivision regulations do not set hive rules.
Sources: Nuisance policy; Subdivision regulations; Livestock branding.
Materials searched
Nuisance Abatement Policy PDF; Subdivision Regulations PDF; Livestock Branding page
Colorado County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Colorado County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Posted 26 June 2006 subdivision regulations and clerk pages; no county zoning, animal-control, or apiary ordinance was located.
Sources: County site; Subdivision 2006.
Materials searched
county home and 2006 subdivision PDF; no county code on Municode
Fayette County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Fayette County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Order Prohibiting the Keeping of Wild Animals (23 May 2016) lists specified mammals and venomous snakes, not honey bees. Permits materials have no bee chapter.
Sources: Forms and permits; Wild-animal order 2016.
Materials searched
Forms & Permits page; OCR of 2016 wild-animal order (bees not listed)
Fort Bend County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Fort Bend County.
Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: Commissioners Court rabies/animal-control order (full OCR) is rabies, dog-and-cat restraint, dangerous dogs, and a wild-mammal list; no bee, bees, apiary, hive, honeybee, or Apis. Sheriff Livestock Unit enforces Agriculture Code Chapter 142 estrays, not bees. Bees are not treated as livestock or as prohibited wild animals.
Sources: Animal-control order; Animal Services; Livestock Unit.
Materials searched
animal-control PDF OCR; Animal Services pages; Sheriff Livestock Unit
Galveston County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Galveston County.
Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: Floodplain FAQ materials state there is no zoning in unincorporated areas. Nuisance Abatement is Health and Safety Code Chapter 343, not apiaries. GCHD Animal Control lists dog-and-cat rules, not beekeeping. The animal-nuisance definition names “any dog, livestock or fowl at large,” not bees.
Sources: GCHD Animal Control; Floodplain FAQs; Nuisance Abatement.
Materials searched
GCHD Animal Control (nuisance definition); Floodplain FAQs; Nuisance Abatement ch. 343
Grimes County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Grimes County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Clerk, permits, and health-services pages; no county zoning or apiary ordinance was located.
Sources: County site; Permits.
Materials searched
home, permits, clerk, health-services; no county code on Municode
Hardin County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Hardin County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. No published county code or zoning ordinance. Health services and permits pages list no animal-control or apiary chapter. A CAD no-zoning statement is appraisal, not a hive ordinance.
Sources: Health Services; Permits.
Materials searched
sitemap, Health Services, Permits (no animal/bee chapter); Clerk marks and brands (livestock)
Harris County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Harris County.
Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: Engineer 1 January 2026 letter: “There is no zoning regulation promulgated or administered by Harris County in the unincorporated area.” Animal Regulations (OCR) are dog/cat rabies, restraint, licensing, and dangerous dogs; no bee, apiary, hive, or honeybee. Wild-animal Appendix A is listed mammals; bees are not on it. Chapter 343 neighborhood nuisance does not mention hives.
Sources: Zoning letter (1 Jan. 2026); Animal Regulations PDF; Neighborhood Nuisance.
Materials searched
2026 zoning letter and platting FAQ; Animal Regulations OCR; VPH wild-animal Appendix A; Neighborhood Nuisance ch. 343
Houston County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Houston County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive-count, setback, water, swarm, neighbor-notice, or apiary ordinance located. Posted materials are subdivision, lake, mailbox/culvert, burn-ban, spay/neuter — none mention bees. Clerk brands Agric. Code ch. 144 livestock, not bees. No county zoning. City of Crockett is municipal overlay. Houston CAD Bee Guidelines are 1-d-1 appraisal only, not a keeping ordinance.
Sources: County News; County site; Brands; Clerk.
Materials searched
county home/News; Brands; Clerk; no Houston County TX code on Municode/American Legal; CAD bee guidelines appraisal-only; Crockett municipal excluded.
Jackson County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Jackson County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Clerk and permitting/floodplain pages; no county animal-control or apiary ordinance. City of Edna animal control is municipal.
Sources: County site; Permitting / floodplain.
Materials searched
home and Permitting/FloodPlain; City of Edna animal control is municipal
Jasper County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Jasper County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Subdivision/development and clerk pages; no county zoning, animal-control, or apiary ordinance was located.
Sources: County site; Subdivision / Development.
Materials searched
home and Subdivision.Development; Municode “Jasper” is the city
Jefferson County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Jefferson County.
Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No comprehensive county code. Precinct 1 states that “Counties are not authorized to make their own ordinances, as are home rule cities” (specified statutory orders remain possible). No Jefferson County bee, hive, or apiary order was located. City of Beaumont livestock-and-fowl article is a city overlay, not a county hive rule.
Sources: Precinct 1 authority; Commissioners Court records.
Materials searched
Precinct 1 authority page; County Clerk Commissioners Court page; Beaumont livestock/fowl article is city
Lavaca County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Lavaca County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Clerk and permits/applications pages; no county zoning, animal-control, or apiary ordinance was located.
Sources: County site; Permits.
Materials searched
home and Permits and Applications; no Lavaca County code on Municode
Lee County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Lee County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance located. Development/subdivision/floodplain/OSSF permits only — no animal-control or bee chapter. Clerk marks/brands livestock. No county zoning. Lee CAD bee tables are 1-d-1 appraisal only.
Sources: Permitting; Subdivision Development Regulations; Clerk; County site.
Materials searched
home; Permitting; Subdivision PDF; Clerk; Municode/American Legal (no Lee County TX); CAD appraisal-only.
Liberty County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Liberty County.
Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: Subdivision rules (revised January 2019) mention agricultural use only as a platting exemption and do not mention bees, hives, or apiaries. 2025 Commissioners Court animal-shelter discussion concerns dogs, not apiaries. Liberty County, Georgia Municode is a different jurisdiction. Bees are not treated as livestock.
Sources: Subdivision Rules 2019; 19 May 2025 agenda.
Materials searched
2019 Subdivision Rules; 2025.05.19 animal-shelter agenda; Liberty County GA Municode is a different jurisdiction
Madison County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Madison County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No hive ordinance located. No comprehensive county code; the county does not appear to zone unincorporated land. Sheriff materials address estray livestock (Agriculture Code Chapter 142). Clerk brand/mark recording (Chapter 144) is cattle/horses and similar species, not honey bees.
Sources: County site; Subdivision regulations; Estray notices.
Materials searched
subdivision PDF and permits page (no apiary permit); estray notices and mark-and-brand; no Madison County, Texas code on Municode
Matagorda County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Matagorda County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: Animal Regulations (5 October 2020) address rabies and dogs; honey bees, apiaries, and hives are not mentioned. Bee Keepers 24.pdf is a honeybee-removal referral list, not an ordinance. Neighborhood nuisance procedures (22 December 2025) implement Chapter 343 and do not mention bees. No county zoning.
Sources: Animal Regulations 2020; Bee Keepers 24.pdf; Nuisance procedures 2025.
Materials searched
Animal Regulations 2020 OCR (no bee rule); Bee Keepers 24.pdf referral list only; 2026 Ch. 343 procedures (no bees)
Montgomery County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Montgomery County.
Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: County Attorney ordinance list: dog/cat rabies-and-restraint, stock laws for named livestock, dangerous wild animals, and Chapter 343 nuisance — no beekeeping entry. Rabies ordinance purpose is “rabies control and restraint of dogs and cats.” Wild-animal list is mammals, venomous reptiles, and crocodilians, not honey bees. Bees are not a named stock-law class.
Sources: Ordinances list; Rabies ordinance PDF; Dangerous Wild Animals.
Materials searched
County Attorney ordinances list; rabies ordinance PDF; Dangerous Wild Animals page
Newton County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Newton County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Clerk and health-district pages; no county zoning, animal-control, or apiary ordinance was located.
Sources: County site; Health District.
Materials searched
home, Clerk, Health District (no animal/bee ordinance); no Newton County, Texas code on Municode
Orange County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Orange County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Environmental Health and Code Compliance posts food, OSSF, floodplain, game rooms, RV parks, and solid-waste siting — no animal-control or apiary chapter. Do not confuse with Orange County, Florida or California.
Sources: EHCC; County site.
Materials searched
EHCC page (no animal/bee chapter); Municode “Orange” is the city; not Orange County FL
Polk County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Polk County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: Sheriff Animal Control posts rabies, dog/cat bites, and loose livestock — not bees. Chapter 343 nuisance procedures do not mention bees. July 2025 wild-animal order as publicly described (primates and non-native reptiles) does not list honey bees; enrolled PDF not retrieved. Do not use Polk County, North Carolina PDFs.
Sources: Sheriff Animal Control; Nuisance procedures; 29 July 2025 agenda.
Materials searched
Sheriff Animal Control page; Ch. 343 nuisance PDF; 29 July 2025 agenda; enrolled 2025 PDF not retrieved; NC Polk County PDFs discarded
San Jacinto County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated San Jacinto County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Posted materials are subdivision/development, floodplain, fire-code, and permits. No county zoning, animal-control, or apiary ordinance was located.
Sources: County site; Permit Department.
Materials searched
home and Permit Department; subdivision/development PDFs (no apiary)
Trinity County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Trinity County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Sheriff Animal Control and Lost Pets/Livestock forms are estray/livestock reporting, not apiary regulation. Do not use Trinity County, California animal-control code.
Sources: Sheriff Animal Control; Lost Pets / Livestock.
Materials searched
Sheriff animal control and Lost Pets/Livestock; California Trinity County code discarded
Tyler County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Tyler County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Building-permit guidelines, game-room ordinance, and subdivision regulations; no animal-control or apiary ordinance. Do not confuse with the City of Tyler (Smith County).
Sources: County site.
Materials searched
county home (building permits, 2022 game-room, 2023 subdivision; no animal/bee chapter); no Tyler County code on Municode
Victoria County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Victoria County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance located. Animal Control Orders (dogs/cats/rabies/dangerous dogs) do not set bee keeping rules. Sanitation ch. 341/343 does not mention apiaries. Mosquito Control Apiarist contact is voluntary spray-route protection, not a hive ordinance. No county zoning. City of Victoria Municode is municipal only.
Sources: Animal Control; Orders; Index; Sanitation; Mosquito Control; County site; City of Victoria Municode (municipal only).
Materials searched
Animal Orders PDFs; Animal Services; sanitation; Mosquito; City Municode only.
Walker County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Walker County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. No unified code of ordinances or zoning ordinance. Commissioners-court minutes address subdivision plats, not apiaries. Do not confuse with Walker, Louisiana.
Sources: County site.
Materials searched
official site and Commissioners Court minutes (plats, not bees); no Walker County, Texas code (not Walker, Louisiana)
Waller County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Waller County.
Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: Published Regulations are subdivision, drainage, floodplain, and construction standards (amended 6 December 2023), not animal zoning. Clerk marks-and-brands follow Agriculture Code Chapter 144 for cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats, not bees. Attorney General opinion GA-0466 (2006) noted no Waller Chapter 826 animal-control ordinance then; no later beekeeping ordinance was located.
Sources: Regulations; Marks and Brands; GA-0466 (2006).
Materials searched
Regulations and Permits pages; Clerk Marks and Brands; GA-0466 (2006)
Washington County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Washington County. Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: No dedicated hive ordinance. Environmental Health administers OSSF, floodplain, prescribed burn, and enforcement for dumping, burning, junk vehicles, and dilapidated structures — not apiaries. The county states it does not enforce deed restrictions.
Sources: County site; Environmental Health.
Materials searched
home and Environmental Health page; no Washington County, Texas code on Municode
Wharton County, Texas
Who: Persons keeping Apis mellifera in unincorporated Wharton County.
Must: Comply with Tex. Agric. Code ch. 131.
Finding: Permits & Inspections posts a Master Subdivision Platting Policy, OSSF, floodplain/drainage, and 9-1-1 addressing — not hive rules. The posted platting policy does not use bee, hive, or apiary. Agriculture Code § 143.072 bars a countywide cattle stock-law election in Wharton; that is not a bee ordinance. City of Wharton municipal code is a city overlay.
Sources: Permits & Inspections; Platting Policy 2023; Agric. Code § 143.072.
Materials searched
Permits page and 2023 platting policy; Tex. Agric. Code § 143.072; City of Wharton code is municipal
Louisiana parishes
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Who: Persons keeping honey bees in unincorporated Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
Must: Comply with La. R.S. 3:2301–2311 (mandatory LDAF registration).
Finding: Police Jury Code (Municode Supplement 77, through Ordinance No. 8124, 20 November 2025) has no dedicated beekeeping, hive-count, setback, water, swarm, or neighbor-notice ordinance. Chapter 5 livestock is horses, mules, asses, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, ratites, and poultry — not honey bees. Chapter 26 zoning is real: A-1 permits farms and farm-related buildings; bee, hive, apiary, and honeybee do not appear in A-1 or in R-1/R-2/R-M permitted-use lists as retrieved. Confirm district on the zoning map. LDAF registration is mandatory. Cities may overlay.
Sources: Parish code; Ch. 5 Animals; Ch. 26 Zoning.
Materials searched
Municode Supp. 77; Chapter 5 livestock/nuisance/exotic definitions; Chapter 26 Chart A permitted uses
Cameron Parish, Louisiana
Who: Persons keeping honey bees in unincorporated Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
Must: Comply with La. R.S. 3:2301–2311 (mandatory LDAF registration).
Finding: Police Jury Code (Municode Supplement 46, through 2 June 2025) has no dedicated beekeeping, hive-count, setback, water, swarm, or neighbor-notice ordinance. Chapter 4 livestock is horses, mules, ass, cattle, swine, sheep or goat; honey bees are not named. No general residential/agricultural zoning table of the Calcasieu type; development controls located are building codes, flood, and coastal-zone permitting. Parish ordinances generally cover the territory. LDAF registration is mandatory.
Sources: Parish code; Ch. 4 Animals; Permitting.
Materials searched
Municode Supp. 46; Chapter 4 Articles I–III including livestock definition; permitting page (no apiary permit)
Practical notes
- Cities overlay. Municipal animal, zoning, and nuisance codes can be stricter inside city limits. Confirm the hive site is not inside a municipal limit before treating county silence as controlling. This digest is not a city-by-city catalog.
- HOAs and deed restrictions can prohibit hives even where public law is silent. They were not searched parcel-by-parcel. Sources: TAIS Regulations; Texas State Law Library Backyard Animals.
- Nuisance / Chapter 343 backstop. Several Texas counties administer Health and Safety Code Chapter 343 in unincorporated areas. Those texts do not single out managed hives. Aggressive or neglected colonies could still be addressed under general public-nuisance theories; those theories are untested in the materials reviewed. Silence is not a written “unlimited hives” authorization.
- Appraisal 1-d-1 is not a keeping ordinance. Open-space beekeeping-intensity tables are tax-valuation standards, not hive-count or setback ordinances, and are not restated here.
- City of Burleson ≠ Burleson County. eCode360 “Burleson, TX” bee rules are a North Texas city (Tarrant/Johnson Counties).
- City of Austin ≠ Austin County. Austin City Code Title 3, Chapter 3-6 does not apply in Austin County (seat Bellville).
- City of Victoria ≠ Victoria County. City animal/fowl rules are municipal only; Victoria County is included in this 100-mile ring at 98.954 miles.
Disclaimer
This document is a research digest for hobby keepers of county and parish hive rules within 100 miles of ZIP 77581 (Pearland area). It is not legal advice, not an ordinance, and not a substitute for reading the current text of the law or consulting counsel. Officials apply the current text of statutes, rules, and ordinances, which can change. Last reviewed 10 September 2026.