Beekeeper registration

Any person who keeps honey bees must register as a beekeeper every 12 months. This is required under the Livestock Act 1997, regardless of the:

  • number of hives
  • type of hives (including observation hives, nucleus hives, top bar hives, warre hives, and flow hives)
  • purpose for keeping honey bees.

Registration enables PIRSA to contact beekeepers and track bee pests and diseases. This is essential to protect the apiary industry, even if you only keep one hive in your backyard.

New beekeepers

Complete the below steps to register as a beekeeper.

Submit registration forms

  1. Complete a registration and hive identification code form (PDF 733.9 KB).
  2. Complete a Change of ownership form if purchasing hives.

Processing new registrations can take several business days, or longer during peak seasons.

Manage your hives

  1. Learn and comply with all legislative requirements for hive management.
  2. Keep specified biosecurity management records from when you first place out swarm catch boxes or purchase hives. This includes inspecting and testing for notifiable conditions.

Renewing beekeepers

A renewal notice is sent 6 weeks before your annual beekeeper registration expiry. You must submit the completed form, with the correct payment, prior to your registration expiring.

You also need to demonstrate compliance with the following biosecurity measures, according to how many hives you keep.

All hive owners

Renewing beekeepers with one or more hives must meet these regulations:

  1. Acknowledge you have read and understood the latest PIRSA information on identifying notifiable honey bee pests and diseases (PDF 1.1 MB).
  2. Provide all biosecurity management records detailed in the Determination of beekeeper information and records (PDF 285.2 KB).
  3. Submit a copy of either of the following with your registration form:
    • a re-certification certificate and re-certification audit report undertaken on hives you own. These must be completed in the 24 months preceding your registration expiry date.
      This option is for beekeepers participating in an approved quality assurance program (e.g. BQUAL).
    • completed Chief Inspector of Stock approved biosecurity records. This includes specified practices undertaken on hives you own, within the 6 months preceding your registration expiry date.

20 or more hives

Renewing beekeepers with 20 or more hives must:

  1. Complete the biosecurity records requirements listed above for all hive owners.
  2. Test their honey for American foulbrood (AFB) and submit a copy of the laboratory test result with the registration renewal form.

AFB honey testing process

Honey testing must be conducted on samples:

  • from a number of hives you own, as approved by the Chief Inspector of Stock
  • collected within the 6 months before your registration expiry date.

Collect 100g of honey in a secure jar, after extraction. Make sure there are no comb scrapings or other debris.

If you use a barrier system, collect a separate sample from each barrier unit and label them. This will determine which unit is infected if you have a positive AFB test result.

Submit your samples to a Chief Inspector of Stock approved laboratory, per the honey testing requirements.

AFB honey testing and smear testing submission forms are available through Gribbles VETLAB:

50 or more hives

Renewing beekeepers with 50 or more hives must:

  1. Complete the biosecurity records requirements listed for all hive owners.
  2. Complete the AFB testing requirements for beekeepers with 20 or more hives.
  3. Complete an approved course in bee pest and disease management (PDF 274.4 KB) and submit a copy of the course certificate with the registration renewal form.
    • If your certificate will expire before your registration renewal date, you need to complete the course again.
Beekeeping courses approved by the Chief Inspector of Stock
Course nameProviderCertificate validityCourse details
Plant Health Australia
36 months from completion
90-minute online course:
Certificate III in beekeeping
Registered training organisations
72 months from completion
Qualification
Pests and diseases of honeybees
Registered training organisations
72 months from completion
Comprises 2 units from the
Certificate III in beekeeping
qualification:
  • manage pests and diseases within a honey bee colony
  • apply sampling procedures

Changes to your registration

As a registered beekeeper, you need to notify PIRSA if you have:

  • purchased hives
  • sold or disposed of any of your hives
  • changed your address or other contact details – this must be submitted in writing to the Chief inspector of Stock within 14 days.

Compete the Change of ownership or address form (PDF 147.1 KB) and email it to pirsa.picregistrations@sa.gov.au.

Cancel your registration

To cancel your beekeeper registration, submit either:

  • the above Change of ownership form – tick the cancel registration box.
  • the registration renewal form – tick the cancel registration box on page 1.

Include in the relevant form your details relating to the bees and beekeeping equipment, for example:

  • any hives and equipment sold
  • if bees died, what was the cause
  • equipment destroyed
  • bees swarmed or absconded.

Annual beekeeping fees

Registration fees and mandatory contributions to the Apiary Industry Fund are based on the number of hives you keep.

Number of hives

Registration feeHive contribution
1 to 4 hivesNot applicableNot applicable
5 or more hives$49.75
Registration renewals paid after the expiry date will also be charged a late fee  
$1 per hive owned
(including the first 4 hives)
Page last reviewed: 22 Mar 2024

 


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