# Texas bee ag exemptions: state rules, county standards, and records Canonical: https://txbeeexemption.com/resources/texas-bee-ag-exemption Author: TX Bee Exemption (https://txbeeexemption.com/about) Published: 2026-09-14 Reviewed: 2026-09-14 Editorial policy: https://txbeeexemption.com/sources A Texas “bee exemption” usually means agricultural productivity appraisal for land used in qualifying beekeeping. It changes how qualifying land is valued for property-tax purposes. It does not remove the property from taxation. State law sets the framework; your appraisal district applies local standards and determines whether the property qualifies.[^1][^2] ## What does Texas law say about bee acreage? Texas Tax Code §23.51(2) includes keeping bees for pollination or for producing food or other commercially valuable products within agricultural use. The beekeeping provision applies to at least 5 and no more than 20 acres of qualifying land. Principal use, the accepted local degree of intensity, and the land’s use history are also relevant to open-space agricultural appraisal. Five acres and a few empty boxes are not an automatic approval.[^1][^4] Keep the acreage receiving bee valuation distinct from the parcel’s gross acreage. For an existing exemption, save the approval and account information showing the land covered. A homesite, a separate use, or a boundary change can make the relevant acreage different from the number in a property listing. ## How many hives are required? There is no single statewide hive count for every property. Local standards may use different starting colony counts, acreage increments, time-on-property requirements, and supporting records. A rule from a neighboring county should not be substituted for the rule that applies to your land.[^4][^23] Our county directory labels district-published figures separately from the Texas Beekeepers Association’s reported figures. Where a current schedule has not been verified, the entry points to the official district without assigning a default hive count. Missing online guidance does not establish that a county prohibits beekeeping appraisal.[^42] ## Does an existing exemption require a new application every year? An application, a county survey, and an inspection log serve different purposes. Under §23.54, approved land generally does not need a fresh application every year while eligibility and ownership remain unchanged, though the chief appraiser may require a new application. A district can also request records or a recurring survey. Follow the form and deadline addressed to your property rather than treating every document as the same filing.[^3] Keep three dates separate: the year when the beekeeping occurred, the tax year named on the form, and the deadline for delivering it. Our annual-report guide explains those distinctions and gives dated district examples. ## What records support the actual beekeeping? A useful record connects the property, active colonies, dates, and work performed. Start with these categories and follow any additional district request: - Property account number, approved acreage, and relevant CAD correspondence. - Hive-location map and dated photographs identifying the property and colonies. - Inspection notes, colony counts, replacements, and time on the property. - Beekeeper agreements, service notes, receipts, and relevant production or use records. - The exact survey or request received, attachments supplied, and delivery confirmation. These are practical recordkeeping categories, not a claim that every district requires every item. A beekeeper’s records can help, but the records still need to identify the property and activity being documented. ## Is an Ag/Timber Number the same thing? No. Agricultural appraisal concerns the property’s taxable valuation and is administered locally. An Ag/Timber Number relates to qualifying purchases under the Comptroller’s agricultural and timber sales-tax rules. Obtaining one does not by itself establish a bee agricultural valuation for land.[^2][^17] ## What about bee registration and older permits? TAIS explains current beekeeper registration and movement-permit terminology. Its guidance identifies changes to older apiary-registration and intrastate-permit language. If an older county document uses those terms, read the current TAIS explanation and ask the district which supporting document it expects. A registration document and an agricultural-appraisal approval have different purposes.[^16] ## Where should you start if your exemption is already in place? Start with your county page, the actual approval, and the latest request from your district. Keep the year’s evidence together while the work is fresh. Use the recordkeeping checklist for an organized file and the report guide to distinguish routine records from a requested filing. TX Bee Exemption is based in Fredericksburg, Texas. Our $99/year service helps owners with an existing bee exemption organize records and prepare county-requested documentation. Email us with your county and acreage for help with your situation. ## Sources [^1]: [Texas Tax Code, Chapter 23](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/docs/TX/htm/TX.23.htm) [^2]: [Texas Comptroller: Agricultural, Timberland and Wildlife Management Use Special Appraisal](https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/ag-timber/index.php) [^3]: [Texas Tax Code §23.54](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/docs/TX/htm/TX.23.htm#23.54) [^4]: [Comptroller: Manual for the Appraisal of Agricultural Land](https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/docs/96-300.pdf) [^16]: [Texas Apiary Inspection Service: Agricultural Exemption](https://txbeeinspection.tamu.edu/public/agricultural-exemption/) [^17]: [Texas Comptroller: Agricultural and Timber Exemptions](https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/ag-timber/) [^23]: [Texas Beekeepers Association: County Agricultural Valuation Guidelines, June 24, 2024](https://texasbeekeepers.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Ag-Valuation-County-Guidelines-Master-List-2024-06-24.pdf) [^42]: [Texas Comptroller: County Appraisal District Directory](https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/county-directory/) ## Related guidance - [County directory](https://txbeeexemption.com/counties) - [What records should you keep for a Texas bee exemption?](https://txbeeexemption.com/resources/texas-bee-exemption-recordkeeping) - [Do you need to file a bee exemption report every year?](https://txbeeexemption.com/resources/texas-bee-exemption-annual-reports)