Seal of the Louisiana Secretary of State.
A website to help new businesses. Image: LA Secretary of State.
Michael is a responsible beekeeper and asked, “This year I have had a lot of people inquire with me about removals. I just wanted to reach out and ask if permits or certifications are required to conduct removals in LA.”
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) only requires beekeepers to register their hives. LDAF has legal authority to inspect hives for diseases and pests. The most serious of these hive threats is American Foulbrood (AFB) for which LDAF may destroy infected hives. However, the LDAF does not regulate the business of beekeeping.
The state agency that regulates any business is the Louisiana Secretary of State, and its website provides this guidance, “An important step in forming a new business is to determine the type of business structure that you will use. There are several business structures to choose from, including sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability company and limited liability partnership. Each has advantages and disadvantages as well as tax consequences of which you should be aware. You must decide which of these structures best suits your business objectives and needs. The Secretary of State cannot advise you on choosing a business structure. For help in making this decision, you may wish to consult a tax practitioner, accountant, or attorney.”
The Secretary of State has a website to guide a beekeeper or any aspiring business owner in starting a new enterprise, Louisiana geauxBIZ.
This webpage summarizes the steps to start a business:
If you want to contact Beehive Buzz, please send your questions and pictures to Keith Hawkins, Area Horticulture Agent (AHA), 337-463-7006 or khawkins@agcenter.lsu.edu. Also, you can be on the “beemail” email list by emailing your request to the address above.
“This work has been supported, in part, by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Renewable Resources Extension Act Award, Accession Number 1011417.”
The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture