District of Columbia Code Division I. Government of District. § 8-1825.04. Responsibilities of beekeepers.

(a) A colony kept in the District shall be registered annually with the Department.

(b) No person shall bring into the District a colony or portion of a colony, bees on combs, empty used combs, used hives, or other used apiary appliances without complying with the procedures established by the Department in accordance with this subchapter.

(c) A colony may not be established in a multi-unit building without written permission from the property manager or owner.

(d) A hive must be kept and maintained to prevent overcrowding and deter swarming according to procedures established by the Department through rulemaking.

(e) A beekeeper shall be responsible for the remediation of bee swarms and nuisance conditions. If a beekeeper fails to fulfill this obligation, the owner of the property on which a hive is located shall be responsible for remediating these conditions, and the beekeeper shall reimburse the property owner for the costs incurred by the remediation.