No license is required to manufacture or sell animal remedies.
With the exception of medicated feeds registered under the Virginia Commercial Feed Law, all animal remedies marketed in Virginia must be registered by the manufacturer or distributor before the product is put in the channels of trade. The registrant shall pay an inspection fee of $25.00 per product for each registration year (January 1–December 31).
If an unregistered animal remedy is found in commerce in Virginia, the person required to register the product is given a grace period of 15 working days, after being notified that the product is not registered, within which to register the animal remedy. Any person who fails to register the product within the grace period shall pay a $50.00 late fee in addition to the $25.00 inspection fee.
Any person or firm who manufactures a commercial feed, or whose name appears on the product label as the guarantor, is required to obtain a commercial feed license before distributing, selling, offering or exposing for sale in Virginia any commercial feed, or before supplying feed to a contract feeder. The annual license fee is $50.00. Any person or firm with multiple manufacturing facilities is required to obtain a license for each facility. The license year is January 1–December 31.
If commercial feed products manufactured or guaranteed by an unlicensed person or firm are found in commerce in Virginia, the person or firm required to obtain the license is given a grace period of 15 working days, after being notified, within which to obtain the required license. Any person or firm who fails to obtain the required license within the grace period shall pay a $50.00 late fee in addition to the original license fee.
Any licensed person or firm who fails to comply with the annual license renewal requirements shall pay a $50.00 late fee in addition to the license fee.
All medicated feed, small package commercial feed, specialty pet feed and canned animal food products are required to be registered before being distributed in Virginia. Most homemade pet foods and treats are considered small package or canned feed products. For more information about at-home manufacture of pet treats, please see our guidance booklet.
The registration year is January 1–December 31. A label for each product must be submitted for review and approval prior to registration. Refer to the chart below for product registration fees.
Any person or firm who fails to comply with the registration renewal requirements shall pay a $50.00 per product late fee in addition to the registration fee. If an unregistered commercial feed product is found in commerce in Virginia, the person or firm required to register the product is given a grace period of 15 working days, after being notified that the product is not registered, within which to register the product. Any person or firm who fails to register the product within the grace period shall pay a $50.00 per product late fee in addition to the registration fee.
Any person whose name appears upon the label of any regulated product as a distributor shall obtain a license to distribute in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Any person who distributes regulated product shall obtain a license prior to distributing any regulated product. A license is required for each manufacturing location that distributes any regulated product within the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In addition to licensing requirements, any person whose name is on the label of and who distributes in the Commonwealth any specialty fertilizers, soil amendments or horticultural growing media shall apply for registration for such specialty fertilizer, soil amendment, or horticultural growing medium.
The Virginia Fertilizer Law requires any person who distributes or sells regulated products in Virginia to a non-licensee to pay an annual inspection fee of $0.25/ton or $35.00 whichever is greater.
The Virginia Fertilizer Law requires that any person who distributes or sells regulated products to a non-licensee shall complete an annual statistical tonnage report.
Virginia’s Seed Law regulates all seeds for agricultural crops, lawn grass, vegetables, flowers and trees. The Office of Plant Industry Services is responsible for ensuring the integrity of seeds sold in Virginia. This is accomplished by reviewing product labels to make sure seeds sold in Virginia are labeled properly. Samples of seeds are collected by inspectors and tested in the Office of Plant Industry Services’ Seed Laboratory. Seeds are tested for purity, trueness to variety, noxious weeds and germination. If laboratory tests find the product is misbranded or adulterated because it fails to meet its label guarantees or contains prohibited or restricted noxious weed seeds, the product is prohibited from further distribution in Virginia until it is brought into compliance with the law.
The Seed Laboratory tests seed for the enforcement of the Virginia Seed Law. It also tests Certified Seed for the Virginia Crop Improvement Association (VCIA) to determine if they meet minimum certification standards. In addition, seed analysts conduct service sample testing for farmers, seed dealers, processors and consumers. In carrying out its seed testing responsibilities, the laboratory works closely with VCIA and Foundation Seed Farm for the certification program and the Federal Seed Laboratory in Gastonia, N.C. for the enforcement of the Federal Seed Act.
Seed analysts perform several different tests to evaluate the various elements of seed quality:
- Purity test: Determines the percentages of pure seed, other crop seeds, weed seed or inert matter
- Noxious weed seed examination: Determines the rate of occurrence of noxious weed seeds
- Germination test: Determines germination percentage
- Tetrazolium chloride, a chemical test: Determines potential viability
- Trueness to variety: May be determined by visual examination of seed characteristics, a phenol chemical test (for wheat), or a field grow-out test
- GMO test: Determines the presence or absence of certain traits.
The laboratory maintains field test plots to conduct trueness to variety grow-out tests. Seeds are planted in a replicate test pattern and mature plant characteristics are compared to those of a control sample grown in close proximity. Lots of certified seeds may be planted if seed test analysis suggests deviation from varietal purity. In addition, seed lots from other samples may be planted for variety verification.
Contact
Click here for Office of Plant Industry Services contact information.
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files.