Most of the bigger cities here in NWA have ordinances related to the keeping of bees. The map below lets you click on the icon for each city and see what the specific ordinances are for that municipality. If you live in an area of NWA that has a beekeeping related ordinance or regulations, even if it is neighborhood specific, and we don't have it on the map please email us a copy of the ordinance or regulation and we will get it added to the map.
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service has published several free publications regarding beekeeping and honey sales. These publications are practical, research based, and written by Extension professionals and experts. They make these publications available for download as PDF files, to print out or view on your computer or mobile device. You can also order printed copies for a fee of any of their documents on their Extension Publications page.
The Arkansas Food Freedom Act and Hobbyist Beekeeper Operations
FSPPC320
Act 1040 of 2021 has replaced the Arkansas Cottage Food Act of 2016. Find out how this affects beekeepers and honey producers in the Natural State.
MP-419
An introduction to honey bees and beekeeping in Arkansas.
(This publication is out of print, but is available for download.)
MP-518
A simplified, illustrated manual explaining the essential how and why of raising high-quality queens for your honey bee colonies. Detailed, but easy to understand, and suitable for raising new queen bees on any scale.
FSA 7075
The small hive beetle is an aggressive pest of bee colonies in the south. Impossible to eradicate, and here to stay, but by using an integrated approach, beekeepers can help to keep their numbers low, and minimize their impact and stress on honey bee colonies.
MP-547
An illustrated guide to identification of honey bee diseases and bee hive pests, with recommendations for treatments and prevention, presented with an emphasis on Integrated Pest Management.
This information is also available in a format optimized for viewing on your mobile device at beehealth.uada.edu.
2019 Farm Animal Veterinarian Directory
Recent changes in federal law require that animal antibiotics (including those for honey bees) can only be obtained with a valid veterinary feed directive (similar to a prescription). To find veterinarians willing to inspect and treat honey bees, look up your county in the Arkansas Veterinary Directory
Apiary Registration -- IT'S THE LAW
Arkansas State Law requires ALL beekeepers to register their apiaries. This is a free process and can be done using the form at the button below. You will need to supply the county; quarter section, section, township, and range; and the latitude/longitude of the apriary. We can help you determine these if you are a club member. By registering your apiaries the state agriculture department can notify you if there are any bee diseases discovered in your area.
It is also required by Arkansas state law to keep honey bees in hives that have movable frames/top bars so they may be inspected. A certificate of health issued by one of the state apiary inspectors allows honey bee colonies to be moved about the state for the period of one (1) year, it also allows honey bee colonies, honey bees, and/or queen bees to be sold within six (6) months of the issuance of the certificate.
For the registration form you will need to know the quarter section, section number, township/range numbers, and the latitude/longitude in degrees decimal format. These can be found by clicking here. Enter the address of your apiary in the search bar. This will zoom in on your apiary's location and it will populate across the top of the map your section number, Township/Range numbers, and at the far right will be your latitude/longitude in degrees decimal format. You will then need to zoom out to be able to see the whole section (1-mile square, red box) to determine if you are in the NE, NW, SE, or SW quarter of that section.
