Minimum active hives: 6on the first 5
qualifying acres

Hive figures and time on property: Texas Beekeepers Association, 2024.

Qualifying bee acreage: 5–20 acres

Land used for qualifying beekeeping, with the approved acreage shown separately.

Time on the property: 7 months

Reported by the association, 2024.

A “bee exemption” is usually 1-d-1 open-space agricultural appraisal of qualifying land. Your records support the actual beekeeping taking place there.

Association-reported schedule

Qualifying acreage.
Active colonies.

Association reports one additional hive per additional 2.5 acres.

The table shows whole-step examples. Keep the actual qualifying acreage in your records.

Sutton County reported acreage and active-hive schedule
Qualifying acres (examples)	Active hives (reported)
5	6
7.5	7
10	8
12.5	9
15	10
17.5	11
20	12

Keep the property identifiable

Useful for your Sutton records.

District resource: Property search & map

Identify the account and land covered by the bee records.

Paperwork delivery: Current office details

Use the district’s current contact page for in-person delivery.

Use Sutton's property map to identify the bee acreage.

Sutton CAD links a property search and interactive map that can help identify the account and land covered by your bee records.³⁹ Save a clearly labelled map with the hive locations rather than relying on an address alone when the property has multiple accounts.

For in-person paperwork, use the delivery location on the district’s current contact page. Keep those instructions with the requested form.

Keep with the year’s records

Records for your Sutton property

Account number and labelled hive-location map
Qualifying acreage and colony counts
Current district delivery instructions

Visit the appraisal district

Records and reporting support

Already have your bee exemption?

We help organize your beekeeping records and prepare county-requested documentation for $99 a year. Tell us about your Sutton County property to get started.

Get started now$99/year · Support by email

A few Sutton County questions.

What belongs on a Sutton hive-location map?

Identify the relevant account, qualifying land, and hive locations so the map can be read alongside the district's property record.

Can my beekeeper’s records be part of the packet?

Yes. Keep dated service notes that identify your Sutton County property, the active-colony count, and the work completed. Add the relevant agreement or lease.