The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is being asked to decide whether South Charleston can ban beekeeping within city limits. The legal fight began when Alex Urban sought permission to keep bees on his property. South Charleston rejected his request and later adopted a complete ban, arguing that the city has authority to regulate animals and that beehives can create problems in densely populated neighborhoods. A Kanawha County judge ruled in 2025 that the city had exceeded its authority because state law gives the West Virginia Department of Agriculture power over beekeeping and does not define bees as animals for purposes of municipal regulation. However, the Intermediate Court of Appeals later reversed that decision, ruling that bees are animals under the ordinary meaning of the word and that state law does not prevent cities from regulating beekeeping.
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