A. Any person who distributes: (i) medicated feed; (ii) small package commercial feed; or (iii) specialty pet food shall register those commercial feeds with the Commissioner and pay to the Commissioner the registration fees specified in this section. It is unlawful for any person to distribute medicated feed, small package commercial feed, or specialty pet food in the Commonwealth without first obtaining a registration certificate from the Commissioner.

B. The registration year for medicated feed, small package commercial feed, and specialty pet food shall be January 1 through December 31. Each registration shall expire on December 31 of the year for which it is issued. Any registration shall be valid through January 31 of the next ensuing year or until the issuance of the renewal registration, whichever event occurs first, if the holder of the registration has filed a renewal application with the Commissioner on or before December 31 of the year for which the current registration was issued. Any person who fails to comply with registration renewal requirements shall pay a $50 late fee to the Commissioner in addition to the registration fee. The Commissioner may issue a stop sale, use, removal, or seizure order on any nonregistered commercial feed until such registration is issued.

C. Every manufacturer or guarantor of a medicated feed, except for customer-formula medicated feed, distributed in the Commonwealth shall: (i) apply for registration for each medicated feed on forms furnished or approved by the Commissioner; (ii) pay a registration fee of $50 per medicated feed to the Commissioner by January 1; and (iii) submit a copy of the proposed label for such medicated feed for approval with the registration form. The manufacturer or guarantor is not required to register additional package sizes of the same medicated feed.

D. Every manufacturer or guarantor of small package commercial feed shall: (i) apply for registration for each small package commercial feed on forms furnished or approved by the Commissioner; (ii) pay a registration fee of $50 to the Commissioner by January 1 per small package commercial feed, in lieu of an inspection fee for this size package; and (iii) submit a copy of any label, used or proposed to be used with the small package commercial feed for approval with the registration form.

E. Every manufacturer or guarantor of a specialty pet food distributed in the Commonwealth in individual packages of one pound or less shall: (i) apply for registration for each specialty pet food in individual packages of one pound or less only on forms furnished or approved by the Commissioner; (ii) pay a registration fee of $35 to the Commissioner by January 1 per specialty pet food to a maximum of $700 for this size package, in lieu of the inspection fee; and (iii) submit a copy of any label, used or proposed to be used with the specialty pet food, for approval with the registration form.

F. If the Commissioner, after examination and investigation, finds that the application and labeling of commercial feed comply with this chapter, the Commissioner shall issue a certificate of registration to the applicant upon payment of the specified registration fee. The granting of registration does not constitute the Commissioner's recommendation or endorsement of the product.

G. If the Commissioner identifies any unregistered commercial feed in commerce in the Commonwealth during the registration year, the Commissioner shall give the guarantor or manufacturer a grace period of 15 working days from issuance of notification of nonregistration to the guarantor or manufacturer within which to register the product. Any guarantor or manufacturer who fails to register the product within the grace period shall pay a $50 late fee to the Commissioner in addition to the registration fee. The Commissioner may issue a stop sale, use, removal, or seizure order upon any commercial feed until the registration is issued.

1994, c. 743, §3.1-828.7; 2008, c. 860.