Selling homemade dog treats in West Virginia: license, registration and fees (2026)

No published rule found on selling pet treats made in a home kitchen; ask the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Product registration: $75–$175/yr. License: none. Tonnage report: no.

Calculate your West Virginia fees West Virginia pet food registration

Can you make dog treats in a home kitchen in West Virginia?

No published rule No published rule found on selling pet treats made in a home kitchen; ask the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Agency page.Source: agriculture.wv.gov · We read the agency's pet food and feed pages, its law and rules, and the state's cottage food rules, and found no statement either way on making pet treats in a home kitchen.

Checked October 3, 2026 against West Virginia Department of Agriculture's published pages and West Virginia's law. We don't judge whether any particular product or kitchen qualifies; that's for the agency, West Virginia Department of Agriculture.

West Virginia registration and license for dog treats

Product registration: $75–$175/yr. License: none.

What's registered	Per product: each dog or cat food and treat, and each specialty pet food, is registered every year. Packages of 10 lb or less and packages over 10 lb (or bulk) are separate registrations. No firm permit is needed to make or distribute only pet food.Source: code.wvlegislature.gov · W. Va. Code §19-14-5(c), (d), (f), (g) and (h). “Pet” means a dog or cat (§19-14-2(u)). Specialty pets include rodents, ornamental birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, ferrets, hedgehogs, marsupials, and rabbits not raised for food or fur (§19-14-2(aa)). WVDA: “Pet food includes treats, biscuits, training foods, samples sizes as well as traditional pet foods.”
Product registration fee	Dog and cat food: $75 per product per year for packages of 10 lb or less; $100 per product per year for packages over 10 lb or bulk. Specialty pet food: $40 per product per year.Source: agriculture.wv.gov · The $75 is a $40 registration fee plus $35 for the WV Spay Neuter Assistance Fund; the $100 is $50 plus $50 for the fund (W. Va. Code §19-14-5(f) and (g); 61CSR5 Appendix 1). The 2025 amendment (HB 3000) removed the sunset date on the spay neuter amounts. The application forms show the same $75, $100 and $40.
Package-size rule	Dog and cat food is registered by package size: 10 lb or less ($75/yr, expires December 31) and over 10 lb or bulk ($100/yr, expires August 31). A product sold in both sizes is registered in both categories ($175/yr). Specialty pet food has one $40 registration whatever the size.Source: agriculture.wv.gov · WVDA's FAQ: “Commercial Feed that is packaged in such weights as to apply to several categories shall be registered in each applicable category.” A product sold in 3 lb and 5 lb bags needs only one small-package registration. Each biscuit or rawhide chew size (small, medium, large) and each form (pellets, crumbles, mash) is a separate product (61CSR5 §5.4.c).
License / firm fee	None for a firm that makes or distributes only pet foodSource: code.wvlegislature.gov · W. Va. Code §19-14-5(c) exempts “those producing pet food” from the manufacturing permit, and §19-14-5(d)(1) exempts “Persons distributing pet food exclusively” from the distributor permit. WVDA's pet treat guide lists only the product registrations. The $500 guarantor permit in §19-14-5(e) does not expressly exempt pet food; ask WVDA if your name is on the label of pet food only.
Registration period	10 lb or less and specialty pet food: calendar year, January 1 to December 31. Over 10 lb or bulk: September 1 to August 31.Source: code.wvlegislature.gov · W. Va. Code §19-14-5(f), (g) and (h). The large-package form says “For registration period of September 1, 20__ - August 31, 20__”.
Renewal due	Apply at least 30 days before expiration: by December 1 for 10 lb-or-less and specialty pet food, and by August 1 for over 10 lb or bulk. New products: at least 30 days before you start selling.Source: code.wvlegislature.gov · W. Va. Code §19-14-5(b). WVDA's pages and forms say 15 days before expiration (or before you start selling) to avoid the $100 late fee. The statute's 30 days is shown here because it is stricter.
Form or portal	https://agriculture.wv.gov/application-for-small-package-pet-food-10-lbs-and-under/Source: agriculture.wv.gov · Application for Small Package (10 lb./under) Pet Food Registration ($75 per product). Packages over 10 lb or bulk: https://agriculture.wv.gov/application-for-large-packaged-pet-food-registration/ ($100 per product). Specialty pet food: https://agriculture.wv.gov/specialty-pet-food-application/ ($40 per product). Paper forms by mail with a check or money order. Registered users can renew online in WVPlants (https://wvplants.wvda.us/Index.aspx) with the WVPlants ID and PIN on the renewal notice.
License / firm form	None. No permit is needed to make or distribute only pet food in West Virginia.Source: code.wvlegislature.gov · No permit is needed to make or distribute only pet food in West Virginia.
What to send	The right application for each size category, listing each product's brand name, product name and guaranteed analysis (protein, fat, fiber), a label for each product (numbered to match the form), and a check or money order to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.Source: agriculture.wv.gov · The application can't be processed until the labels arrive; without labels it is returned and becomes subject to the late fee. Mail: WVDA Administrative Services Division, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, WV 25305. Foreign checks need an extra $35; returned checks cost $15.

Tonnage report

Tonnage report required?	No. Pet food and specialty pet food are exempt from the inspection fee, and firms that only make or distribute pet food don't file the semiannual tonnage report.Source: code.wvlegislature.gov · W. Va. Code §19-14-9(a)(5) and (c).
How often	Not applicableSource: code.wvlegislature.gov
Due	Not applicableSource: code.wvlegislature.gov

We show who files and when, not the fee: tonnage fees depend on how much you sell. What a tonnage report is, state by state.

Due dates

December 1: West Virginia small-package (10 lb or less) and specialty pet food registrations expire December 31; apply by December 1 (30 days before) to avoid the $100 late fee (if you register products)Source: code.wvlegislature.gov
August 1: West Virginia large-package (over 10 lb or bulk) pet food registrations expire August 31; apply by August 1 (30 days before) to avoid the $100 late fee (if you register products)Source: code.wvlegislature.gov

Steps

Ask about home kitchens first. We found no published rule on pet treats made in a home kitchen in West Virginia. Ask the agency, West Virginia Department of Agriculture, before you start.Source: agriculture.wv.gov · We read the agency's pet food and feed pages, its law and rules, and the state's cottage food rules, and found no statement either way on making pet treats in a home kitchen.
Register each product. Dog and cat food: $75 per product per year for packages of 10 lb or less; $100 per product per year for packages over 10 lb or bulk. Specialty pet food: $40 per product per year.. Registration form or portal.Source: agriculture.wv.gov · The $75 is a $40 registration fee plus $35 for the WV Spay Neuter Assistance Fund; the $100 is $50 plus $50 for the fund (W. Va. Code §19-14-5(f) and (g); 61CSR5 Appendix 1). The 2025 amendment (HB 3000) removed the sunset date on the spay neuter amounts. The application forms show the same $75, $100 and $40.
What to send. The right application for each size category, listing each product's brand name, product name and guaranteed analysis (protein, fat, fiber), a label for each product (numbered to match the form), and a check or money order to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.Source: agriculture.wv.gov · The application can't be processed until the labels arrive; without labels it is returned and becomes subject to the late fee. Mail: WVDA Administrative Services Division, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, WV 25305. Foreign checks need an extra $35; returned checks cost $15.
Labels. Moving to AAFCO's new label format? The Pet Nutrition Facts box generator formats the box from your own numbers. We don't review labels.
Renew. Apply at least 30 days before expiration: by December 1 for 10 lb-or-less and specialty pet food, and by August 1 for over 10 lb or bulk. New products: at least 30 days before you start selling.Source: code.wvlegislature.gov · W. Va. Code §19-14-5(b). WVDA's pages and forms say 15 days before expiration (or before you start selling) to avoid the $100 late fee. The statute's 30 days is shown here because it is stricter.
Shipping to other states? Each state you sell into has its own rules. Selling dog treats online · fee calculator.

Every West Virginia fact, with sources: West Virginia pet food & treat registration. Selling in several states? The free calculator adds up the fees, and the $49 Registration Pack turns them into a checklist and renewal calendar.

Other states

Nearby: Selling dog treats in Pennsylvania · Selling dog treats in Maryland · Selling dog treats in Virginia · Selling dog treats in Kentucky · Selling dog treats in Ohio

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