Pet Sitting Business Permit Requirements in Morgantown, WV

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. West Virginia State Tax Department — Business Registration

   Before engaging in business activity in West Virginia every individual or business entity must obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the WV Tax Division (WV Code §11-12-1 et seq.), applied for through the Business for West Virginia portal at business4.wv.gov or on form BUS-APP. A separate certificate is needed for each business name and each location. The certificate is permanent — it does not expire — until the legal name, location or ownership changes, and it must be surrendered when the business stops operating in West Virginia. It also authorises you to collect the 6% state sales tax plus any municipal sales tax of up to 1%.

   Official government source

   $30 one-time Business Registration Certificate fee, per business name and location·1–5 business days when filed online through the Business for West Virginia portal (business4.wv.gov); longer by paper BUS-APP

   $30 one-time Business Registration Certificate fee, per business name and location

   1–5 business days when filed online through the Business for West Virginia portal (business4.wv.gov); longer by paper BUS-APP

1. City of Morgantown Finance Department — Municipal Business License

   Every business operating inside Morgantown city limits must hold a Municipal Business License issued by the city Finance Department (304-284-7408) and applied for through the Morgantown Access Portal. You must first hold a WV State Business Registration Certificate, and if you have a physical location in the city you must also obtain a Certificate of Occupancy ($65) before the license will issue. Licenses run on the city fiscal year and expire June 30, so renew on or before July 1. The license is separate from the city's Business & Occupation (B&O) gross-receipts tax and its municipal service fee on employees and self-employed owners working in the city.

   Official government source

   $20 flat Municipal License Fee (also $20 for non-profits), printed on the city's Municipal Business License Application; B&O tax and the municipal service fee are billed separately·1–3 weeks

   $20 flat Municipal License Fee (also $20 for non-profits), printed on the city's Municipal Business License Application; B&O tax and the municipal service fee are billed separately

   1–3 weeks

2. City of Morgantown Home Occupation Approval (pet boarding)

   Monongalia County has no Animal Services department and issues no kennel or boarding permit — the county runs a Canine Adoption Center for lost and found pets, and its only animal ordinances are Dogs Running at Large (2012-01) and Vicious Dog (2017-01). Boarding pets overnight in a Morgantown residence requires Home Occupation approval from the city Planning Department (304-284-7431): with clients dropping off and collecting animals this is normally a Class 2 conditional use decided by the Board of Zoning Appeals, and home occupations may not be conducted in an accessory building or outdoors. A commercial boarding facility needs a Certificate of Occupancy ($65) instead.

   Official government source

   No county kennel permit fee exists. The Home Occupation Application packet prints no fee for Class 1 administrative approval; a Class 2 conditional use carries the Board of Zoning Appeals filing fee. Commercial premises: $65 Certificate of Occupancy plus the $20 Municipal Business License.·1–3 weeks for administrative review; longer for a Class 2 case that must be scheduled onto a Board of Zoning Appeals agenda

   No county kennel permit fee exists. The Home Occupation Application packet prints no fee for Class 1 administrative approval; a Class 2 conditional use carries the Board of Zoning Appeals filing fee. Commercial premises: $65 Certificate of Occupancy plus the $20 Municipal Business License.

   1–3 weeks for administrative review; longer for a Class 2 case that must be scheduled onto a Board of Zoning Appeals agenda

Official Sources

• City of Morgantown City Clerk
• Monongalia County Animal Services

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