How to Get an Agricultural Exemption in Collin County, Texas

If you own land in Collin County, you're probably familiar with high property taxes. That's the trade-off for living in one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas — great schools, solid infrastructure, and property values that keep climbing. But those rising values mean rising tax bills.

Here's something many Collin County landowners don't realize: if you have 10 or more acres, you may qualify for a 1-d-1 agricultural valuation that could slash your property taxes by thousands of dollars a year. And one of the easiest ways to qualify? Beekeeping.

What is a 1-d-1 Agricultural Valuation?

In Texas, land used for agricultural purposes gets taxed based on its productive capacity rather than its market value. This is called a 1-d-1 agricultural valuation (named after Section 1-d-1 of the Texas Constitution).

Instead of paying taxes on land worth $40,000+ per acre (common in Collin County), your land gets valued at its agricultural productivity rate — typically $100-200 per acre for beekeeping. That's a 95%+ reduction in taxable value.

Collin County Requirements

The Collin Central Appraisal District has specific requirements for beekeeping operations:

Minimum acreage: 10 acres Minimum hives: 6 hives for the first 10 acres Additional hives: 1 hive per 5 additional acres

So if you have 15 acres, you'd need 7 hives. Twenty acres would require 8 hives.

The CAD also requires that you demonstrate "degree of intensity" — basically, that you're actually managing the hives, not just leaving empty boxes in a field. Keep records of hive inspections, honey harvests, and any equipment purchases.

What You Could Save

Let's run some realistic numbers for Collin County:

• Property: 12 acres in Prosper or Celina area
• Current market value: $450,000 (land only)
• Current tax rate: ~2.2% (varies by district)
• Current annual taxes: ~$9,900

• Ag productivity value: ~$1,800 (12 acres × $150/acre)
• Taxes on ag value: ~$40
• Annual savings: ~$9,860

Even accounting for the cost of hive setup and maintenance, you're looking at serious savings — year after year.

How to Apply

Step 1: Get your hives established. The CAD wants to see actual beekeeping activity, not just equipment sitting in a barn.

Step 2: File a 1-d-1 Agricultural Appraisal Application (Form 50-129) with the Collin Central Appraisal District. The deadline is typically April 30 for the current tax year.

Step 3: Be prepared for an inspection. The CAD may send someone out to verify your operation.

Step 4: Maintain your operation. If you stop beekeeping, you'll lose the valuation and may owe rollback taxes.

Contact Information

Collin Central Appraisal District 250 Eldorado Pkwy McKinney, TX 75069 Phone: (469) 742-9200 Website: collincad.org

Getting Started with Beekeeping

You don't need beekeeping experience to get started. Honeybees are remarkably self-sufficient — they'll forage for their own food, build their own comb, and largely take care of themselves. Most beekeepers spend 15-30 minutes per hive per month during active season.

The investment pays for itself quickly. Figure roughly $400-500 per hive for equipment and bees, plus maybe $75 per hive annually for maintenance. With potential savings of $6,000-10,000 per year in Collin County, you're looking at a first-year ROI that most investments can't touch.

Plus, you get honey. Lots of honey.