Do you need to file a bee exemption report every year?

There is no single statewide annual bee report required of every existing exemption holder. Some appraisal districts require a recurring survey or update, and others request evidence when reviewing a property. Keep annual records even when no annual report is due.

The first distinction is between an application for agricultural appraisal and a report about an operation that already has it.

An annual report is different from a new application

Form 50-129 is the application for 1-d-1 open-space agricultural appraisal. Once appraisal is allowed, state law generally does not require a new application every year while the qualifying conditions continue. Ownership provisions and a request from the chief appraiser can change what must be filed.³

A county bee survey serves a different purpose. It asks the owner to document the operation for a particular period. Completing last year's application does not answer a request for this year's hive records.

When a letter arrives, identify the document it asks for, the activity year it covers, and its due date. Keep those three details with the letter.

Counties use different reporting schedules

Bandera's published beekeeping guidelines require an annual update by April 30, accompanied by quarterly inspection logs. That makes a useful rhythm: keep the records through the year, then assemble the update from those existing notes.⁷

Travis has published a different deadline for its next survey: February 1, 2027, covering 2026 beekeeping activity for the 2027 tax year. Its notice asks for a completed survey and supporting documentation, including current beekeeper registration.⁵

Those dates describe specific local requirements. April 30 is also the general agricultural-appraisal application deadline, but it is not a universal due date for every bee report.

The hive count is only part of the record

County standards can address how long active colonies stay on the property, the land used, and how the bees are maintained. Hays' published guidance specifies nine months, while Gillespie's linked standards specify seven.⁹¹²

Save movement dates if a beekeeper relocates colonies. Keep a record of losses and replacements. An opening and closing hive count may be the same even though the operation changed during the year.

The records should explain those changes in plain language. Do not fill missing months with assumed visits or reconstruct evidence that never existed.

Use the district's actual form

Start from the form or notice issued by the appraisal district. A wildlife management annual report is not automatically the right form for beekeeping. A beekeeper's invoice can support a submission, but it is not necessarily the requested report.

Make sure the account number and acreage match the property being reported. Answer each applicable question, include the requested attachments, and sign where required. If you manage more than one property, keep the evidence identifiable by property.

Registration and older permit wording

Some older county documents still refer to apiary registration or intrastate movement permits. Texas Apiary Inspection Service changed those programs in September 2023: the registration is now called beekeeper registration, and intrastate permits were discontinued. Interstate permits concern movement across state lines.¹⁶

Keep the current registration document when your district requests it. A registration record and an agricultural appraisal approval serve different purposes.

Before you send the report

Use the requested delivery method and save a complete copy of the submission. Keep the email confirmation, upload receipt, or other proof of delivery beside it. If the district later asks for an attachment, you can see exactly what was sent.

If you have received a dated request, work from that request. A general guide should not replace the instructions addressed to your property.

Sources & district resources

3. Texas Tax Code §23.54 · Comptroller Form 50-129
7. Bandera CAD: Beekeeping Guidelines · District agricultural-use page
5. Travis CAD: Beekeeping Annual Survey Deadline
9. Hays CAD: Agricultural Guidelines and Standards
12. Gillespie CAD: Agricultural Use Standards and Guidelines 2020 · district Forms
16. Texas Apiary Inspection Service: Agricultural Exemption