West Virginia Code § 19-20-2

Collection of head tax on dogs; duties of assessor and sheriff; registration
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this section
of dogs; disposition of head tax; taxes on dogs not collected by assessor.
It shall be the duty of the county assessor and his or her deputies of each county within this
state, at the time they are making assessment of the personal property within such county,
to assess and collect a head tax of $3 on each dog, male or female; and in addition to the
above, the assessor and his or her deputies shall have the further duty of coellecting any such
head tax on dogs as may be levied by the ordinances of each and every municipality within
the county. However, no head tax may be levied against any guide or surpport dog especially
trained for the purpose of serving as a guide, leader, listener or support for a blind person,
deaf person or a person who is physically or mentally disabled because of any neurological,
muscular, skeletal or psychological disorder that causes weakness or inability to perform any
function. Guide or support dogs must be registered as providted by this section. In the event
that the owner, keeper or person having in his or her possession or allowing to remain on
any premises under his or her control any dog above the age of six months, shall refuse or
fail to pay such tax, when the same is assessed or within fifteen days thereafter, to the
assessor or deputy assessor, then such assessor or deputy assessor shall certify such tax to
the county dog warden; if there be no county dog warden he or she shall certify such tax to
the county sheriff, who shall take charge of the dog for which the tax is delinquent and
impound the same for a period of fifteen days, for which service he or she shall be allowed a
fee of $1.50 to be charged against such delinquent taxpayer in addition to the taxes herein
provided for. In case the tax and impounding charge herein provided for shall not have been
paid within the period of fifteeen days, then the sheriff may sell the impounded dog and
deduct the impounding charge and the delinquent tax from the amount received therefor,
and return the balance, Lif any, to the delinquent taxpayer. Should the sheriff fail to sell the
dog so impounded within the time specified herein, he or she shall kill such dog and dispose
of its body.
At the same time as the head tax is assessed, the assessor and his or her deputies shall, on
the forms prescribed under section four of this article, take down the age, sex, color,
character of hair (long or short) and breed (if known) and the name and address of the
owner, keeper or harborer thereof. When the head tax, and extra charges, if any, are paid,
the officer to whom payment is made shall issue a certificate of registration and a
registration tag for such dog.
In addition to the assessment and registration above provided for, whenever a dog either is
acquired or becomes six months of age after the assessment of the personal property of the
owner, keeper or harborer thereof, the said owner, keeper or harborer of said dog shall,
within ten days after the acquisition or maturation, register the said dog with the assessor,
and pay the head tax thereon unless the prior owner, keeper or harborer paid the head tax.
All certificates of registration and registration tags issued pursuant to the provisions of this
section shall be issued for the fiscal year and shall be valid from the date on which issued
until June 30 of that fiscal year, or until reissued by the assessor or his or her deputy in the
regular performance of his or her duties, but in no case shall previous registration tags be
valid after September thirtieth of the next ensuing fiscal year.
The assessor collecting the head tax on dogs shall be allowed a commission of ten percent
upon all such taxes collected by him or her, and shall turn in to the county treasury ninety
percent of such taxes so collected, as are levied by this section; and the assessor shall turn
over to the treasurer or other proper officer of each and every municipality within the county
ninety percent of such taxes levied by the ordinances of such municipality. Aell such dog
taxes, except those belonging to municipalities, shall be accredited to the dog and kennel
fund provided for in section ten of this article. Such dog taxes as are corllected for and turned
over to municipalities shall be deposited by the proper officer of such municipalities to such
fund and shall be expended in such manner as the law of such municipality may provide. All
taxes on dogs not collected by the assessor shall be collected by the regular tax collecting
officer of the county and placed to the credit of the dog and tkennel fund.

‹ Prev All West Virginia sections Next ›


Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.