11-7-201. Apiary registration; procedure; information; conditions; penalties.

(a) Any person who owns or possesses any class of apiary in this state shall register that apiary with the department before April 1 of each year.

(b) Application for registration shall be made to the department on forms it prescribes and furnishes and shall include:

(i) The applicant's name and address;

(ii) The total number of colonies of bees the beekeeper owns;

(iii) The location of the apiary, setting forth specifically the location by sectional division to the nearest quarter section, the township and range and the latitude and longitude coordinates, or if within the corporate limits of a municipality, the number of the lot and block in the municipality including street address and the latitude and longitude coordinates determined using GPS. All new registrations shall include latitude and longitude coordinates. Effective July 1, 2012, latitude and longitude coordinates shall be required for all apiary registrations;

(iv) The name of the owner, renter or occupant of the land on which the apiary is located and, if the application is for an apiary being registered for the first time, it shall also show that the owner, renter or occupant of the land has consented to the apiary being located on his land;

(v) The date the apiary was first established which shall be included for each location on yearly apiary renewal applications; and

(vi) The class of apiary registration for which application is being made.

(c) Upon receipt of the application and payment of the fees, the department may issue a certificate of registration for an apiary, setting forth:

(i) The name of the owner;

(ii) The specific location of the apiary; and

(iii) The class of apiary authorized.

(d) In issuing certificates of registration for apiaries, if there is a conflict between applicants with respect to location, the department shall give preference to the applicant having the oldest, continuous apiary registration.

(e) Certificates of registration shall not be issued for new apiaries which are within such close proximity to established registered apiaries that there is danger of spread of bee diseases, bee parasites or bee pests or that the proximity may interfere with the proper feeding and honey flow of established apiaries.

(f) Each apiary registrant shall post in a conspicuous location at or near each apiary he owns legible evidence of registration, including his name and telephone number.

(g) The department shall notify each registrant of his delinquency, if that registrant fails to reregister by April 1 of each year. The notification shall be by certified mail and is sufficient if deposited in a United States post office or mail box at least ten (10) days before May 1 and addressed to the registrant at his last address appearing in the department's apiary registration files. Any apiary registration which has not been received by May 1 of each year is forfeited and all rights under the registration terminate.

(h) Any person who owns or possesses any bees, hives, colonies or beekeeping equipment in this state or who owns or possesses an apiary in this state and who fails or refuses to register that apiary as provided in this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof is subject to the penalties set forth in W.S. 11-7-133.

(j) Repealed By Laws 2010, Ch. 14, § 3.