Bee Ag Exemption in Kaufman County, TX
To qualify for a bee ag exemption in Kaufman County, you need 5–20 acres of open land and 6 hives on the first 5 acres plus 1 per additional 2.5 acres (about 12 at 20 acres), kept on site at least 7 months of the year. Timber Creek Bees places, manages, and documents the hives — you file Kaufman CAD's own 1-d-1 application by April 30.
Reviewed by Hayden - Timber Creek Bees
Commercial beekeeper - 2,000 hives across 40+ Texas Counties.
What does Kaufman County require for a bee ag exemption?
Kaufman County's intensity standard: 6 hives on the first 5 acres, plus 1 hive for each additional 2.5 acres (about 12 hives at 20 acres). Applications should include at least 3 current receipts (bees, boxes, sugar, seeds or honey products), current hive photos, and a landscape/foraging-plant plan — plus a signed lease if the land is leased for beekeeping. Kaufman uses its own 1-d-1 application, Ag Supplement and History Affidavit. Requirements are set by the Kaufman Central Appraisal District (KCAD) and can change — we verify the current standard before every installation, and our hive plans are built to meet it exactly.
✓ Verified directly with Kaufman Central Appraisal District (KCAD) — August 4, 2026.
We re-confirm every county's standard each season
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hives we manage in Kaufman County
7
Kaufman County properties under our care
What would your land need — and save?
How honey bees qualify your land
The land qualifies — not you. Texas Property TaxCode §23.51 recognizes beekeeping as agricultural use. You don't have to become a beekeeper; you hire one. We own and manage the colonies on your property, and your land still qualifies.
Instead of taxing your land at market value, the county taxes its agricultural productivity value— commonly cutting the taxable value of qualifying land by 90% or more.
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Acreage: 5–20 acres of open land. A homestead typically carves out about an acre, so plan on 6–21 total if your house is on the tract.
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History: qualifying use for 5 of the past 7 years — savings usually start in Year 6. Already have an ag valuation from cattle or hay? Switch to bees immediately and keep it. No waiting.
How to get started
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Contact us for a Free assessment on your property
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We design a hive plan that meets your county's standard for your acreage.
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We place and manage the bees, and provide your documentation.
4. File Kaufman CAD's 1-d-1 application (plus Ag Supplement / History Affidavit as needed) with Kaufman Central Appraisal District (KCAD) by April 30. We give you everything you need.
Late applications accepted until the appraisal roll is certified (typically mid-July) with a 10% penalty on the tax savings.
Why landowners choose Timber Creek Bees
Full Service Program
Completely hands-off for you — we provide the bees, place the hives, maintain them all season, replace any dead-outs, and hand you a detailed packet to submit at the end of the year.
Loss Protection
We replace losses at no extra cost — if a colony fails, we make it right, so your hive count and your valuation stay protected.
2,000+ Hives Managed
Local and experienced — based in Greenville, caring for over 2,000 hives across 40+ Texas counties in the Dallas, Austin, and Houston regions.
Filing Assistance
We walk you through the filing process, provide everything your county asks for, and stand behind you if a denial ever needs to be protested.
Appraisal District Compliance
We keep you compliant — proper hive counts, healthy colonies, and the documentation your appraisal district wants to see.
Hundreds of Properties Qualified Yearly
We've been at this a while. We know the counties, we know what they want, and we'll guide you through the whole process from first hive to approved valuation.
"Timber Creek Bees has also been an invaluable resource in helping me navigate Texas agricultural valuation requirements for beekeeping. Their expertise… saved me countless hours." — Aaron Bennis, Google review
Your appraisal district
Kaufman Central Appraisal District (KCAD)
Phone:
(972) 932-6081
Email:
Address:
3950 S. Houston St., Kaufman, TX 75142-3718
Changing to non-agricultural use triggers a rollback: Kaufman County recaptures 3 years of tax savings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hives do I need for an ag exemption in Kaufman County?
Kaufman County's standard (verified directly with the county appraisal district, August 2026): 6 hives on the first 5 acres, plus 1 hive for each additional 2.5 acres (about 12 hives at 20 acres). Standards can change, so confirm with Kaufman Central Appraisal District (KCAD) at (972) 932-6081 — or let us place hives to spec and keep the records.
How many acres qualify for a beekeeping ag valuation in Kaufman County?
Texas Tax Code limits beekeeping ag valuation to 5-20 acres of qualified open-space land. If your home sits on the tract, most districts carve out about 1 acre for the homestead, so plan on at least 6 total acres.
How long do the bees have to stay on my Kaufman County property?
Kaufman County requires colonies on site at least 7 months of the year. We place and manage your hives to that standard and a minimum of seven months out of the year, and we document every visit — so there's a dated record if the district asks for one.
When is the deadline to apply?
File Form 50-129 with Kaufman Central Appraisal District (KCAD) by April 30. Late applications are generally accepted until the appraisal roll is certified (typically mid-July) with a 10% penalty on the tax savings.
Do I have to keep the bees myself?
No. The land qualifies - not the landowner. You can hire a professional service to place, manage, and document the hives. That turnkey management is exactly what Timber Creek Bees does for Kaufman County landowners.
What happens if I stop the agricultural use?
If land under 1-d-1 valuation changes to non-agricultural use, Kaufman County can recapture 3 years of tax savings - the rollback tax. Keeping qualifying use continuous is what protects you.
What documentation does Kaufman County want with a beekeeping application?
Kaufman CAD uses its own 1-d-1 application (updated September 2025) plus an Ag Supplement and an Ag History Affidavit rather than Form 50-129 alone. Its guidelines, revised February 10, 2026, ask for at least three current receipts (bees, boxes, sugar, seed, or honey products), current photos of the hives, and a landscape plan showing forage plantings. Note that homestead-exempt acreage is excluded from the history calculation.
Do you service Kaufman, Forney and the rest of Kaufman County?
Yes. Timber Creek Bees places and manages hives on qualifying land throughout Kaufman County — Kaufman, Forney, Terrell, Crandall, Mabank, Kemp, Talty, Combine, Scurry, Oak Ridge, Oak Grove, Rosser, Grays Prairie, Cottonwood, Poetry, Elmo, College Mound, Lawrence, Seagoville, Mesquite and Heath. Your application is filed with Kaufman Central Appraisal District (KCAD) wherever in the county your tract sits, and we handle the hive placement, the management and the records the same way across all of it. We are based in Greenville, Texas, and Kaufman County is inside our regular service area.
Nearby counties we serve
Also serving nearby: Dallas County, Hunt County, Van Zandt County, Henderson County, Ellis County.
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