State guide
West Virginia
West Virginia's directory entry rests on a fetched page. The issuer it supports is County assessor, who assesses and collects the dog head tax and issues the registration tag. West Virginia's code makes the county assessor responsible for assessing and collecting a head tax of $3 on each dog. A fee from the official page: Statute: head tax of $3 on each dog. The assessor also collects any additional dog tax a municipality levies. Read the linked page before you pay, because a form can change.
Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Who sets the license rule
- County assessor
- Who sells the license
- County assessor, who assesses and collects the dog head tax and issues the registration tag
- Official page
- Official page →
The statute says no head tax may be levied against a guide or support dog trained to serve a person who is blind or deaf or a person with a disability, in the section's wording. Charleston's city site did not add a separate license price in the text used. This record is sourced to the official page linked here.
Registration tags are prescribed by the commissioner of agriculture and recorded by the assessor. The $3 figure is the state head tax, not a statement that a city adds nothing. Use the linked page rather than a third-party summary. Read the linked page before you pay, because a form can change. This entry does not add a phone number or a penalty that the page does not show.
A duplicate tag fee of 25 cents is stated in section 19-20-4. Dog wardens may be appointed by the county commission under section 19-20-6. Rules for a neighboring city are not automatically yours. Read the linked page before you pay, because a form can change. This entry does not add a phone number or a penalty that the page does not show.
Official resources in West Virginia
Assessor collects a $3 head tax and may collect a municipal dog tax.
Assessor keeps registration records and issues tags.
Key facts for West Virginia
- West Virginia's code makes the county assessor responsible for assessing and collecting a head tax of $3 on each dog.
- The assessor also collects any additional dog tax a municipality levies.
- The statute says no head tax may be levied against a guide or support dog trained to serve a person who is blind or deaf or a person with a disability, in the section's wording.
- Registration tags are prescribed by the commissioner of agriculture and recorded by the assessor.
- A duplicate tag fee of 25 cents is stated in section 19-20-4.
- Charleston's city site did not add a separate license price in the text used.
- The $3 figure is the state head tax, not a statement that a city adds nothing.
What to do next
- Open the official page for West Virginia before you pay.
- Match the office to the address where the dog lives.
- Bring the rabies certificate if the page says it is required.
- Do not use another state's fee table.
Looking for your city or county in West Virginia?
We haven't found official city-level pages for West Virginia we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across West Virginia, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data (distance from West Virginia's population center, for comparison only):
- Pittsburgh dog license, Pennsylvania · about 117 miles
- Altoona dog license, Pennsylvania · about 166 miles
- Cleveland dog license, Ohio · about 192 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.County assessor
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the West Virginia page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.