agr.wa.gov

What is the Washington State Department of Agriculture?

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is the state agency that regulates and supports agriculture in Washington. Its work spans food safety and recalls, animal health, plant and seed inspection, weights and measures, livestock identification, and business resources for farmers and food producers.

Washington State Department of Agriculture

H3 Practical uses

• Check recalls and health alerts affecting food or agricultural products.
• Look up animal import requirements, reportable diseases, or livestock brand information.
• Find licensing, inspection, and compliance guidance for feed, fertilizer, seed, or food businesses.
• Use marketing, grant, and small-farm resources if you sell directly to consumers.

H3 Who it serves

A useful next step: if you have a specific product or animal situation, start with the "I need to" navigation or the relevant program page rather than browsing the full site.

How can I check if a food product has been recalled in Washington state?

Use the Washington State Department of Agriculture's Recalls and Health Alerts page as your starting point, then verify the recall against the company or the federal agency that issued it. WSDA publishes food and agricultural recalls and health alerts affecting Washington state, so it is the right first stop for products sold or distributed there.

Washington State Department of Agriculture

A practical check, in order

1. Identify the product precisely. Write down the brand, product name, package size, lot or batch code, UPC, and any date codes printed on the package. Recalls are usually limited to specific lots, not an entire brand.
2. Search the WSDA recalls page for the product name or company. If it appears, read the notice for the affected lot codes and the reason (for example, undeclared allergens, Listeria, or mislabeling).
3. Cross-check the manufacturer. Most food recalls are announced voluntarily by the company, which will list exactly which lots are affected and what to do — refund, return, or discard.
4. Check the federal source when relevant. Recalls of meat, poultry, and processed egg products are handled by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, while most other foods, drugs, and cosmetics fall to the FDA. Both maintain searchable recall databases and issue their own alerts.
5. If you already ate the product and feel ill, contact your health care provider and your local health department. A recall notice is not proof your particular package is contaminated, but it is a reason to stop eating it.

What the notice will tell you

A useful recall notice answers four questions: which lots are affected, why the product is being recalled, what illness or hazard is possible, and what you should do with the product. If a notice is vague about lot codes, treat that as a gap and look for the company's own announcement.

Decide by product type

A concrete scenario

You find a tub of hummus in your fridge and see a news story about a recall. Check the brand and lot code on the lid against the WSDA notice. If your code matches, follow the notice's instruction — usually discard or return for a refund — and do not rely on smell or taste, since contamination such as Listeria is not detectable that way. If your code does not match, the product is not part of that recall.

Next step: bookmark the WSDA recalls page and check it whenever you hear about a food safety issue in the state, rather than waiting for a store to contact you.

What do I need to do to import livestock or animals into Washington?

Importing livestock or animals into Washington generally requires advance permission from the state veterinarian, health documentation for the animals, and compliance with federal rules. The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is the state authority, and its animal import requirements page is the practical starting point: Washington State Department of Agriculture.

The basic steps

1. Identify the species and the exact import category. WSDA publishes separate requirements for cattle, horses, donkeys and mules, swine, goats, sheep, llamas and alpacas, birds and poultry, small animals, and exotic or wild animals. A pet dog or cat moving with its owner is a different case from a herd of cattle entering for sale.
2. Check the import requirements before you travel or ship. WSDA's import pages state what each species needs, including health certificates, tests, identification and any permit.
3. Obtain a permit where required. Some species and situations require a permit before entry. Apply early enough that paperwork is issued before the animals move.
4. Arrange an official health certificate. This is normally issued by an accredited veterinarian in the state or country of origin, often within a limited number of days before movement, and may need endorsement by the origin state's animal health official.
5. Meet identification and traceability rules. Cattle, for example, may need official identification tied to the animal disease traceability system; horses may need brand inspection or an equivalent certificate depending on origin.
6. Check federal entry rules if crossing an international border. USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service requirements apply in addition to Washington's, and live animal imports also involve U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
7. Keep records and present them on arrival. Inspectors, auction markets, fairs and shows may ask to see the certificate and permit.

What differs by species

Practical scenario

Suppose you buy three bred heifers in another state and plan to move them to a farm in Yakima County. Before the truck leaves, you would confirm the current Washington cattle import requirements, ask the seller's veterinarian to issue a certificate of veterinary inspection within the valid window, make sure each animal carries acceptable official identification, complete any required test, and carry the permit and certificate in the vehicle. At a sale yard or fair, staff may check those documents at unloading.

Where to verify

• Species-specific import requirements: Washington State Department of Agriculture
• Federal live animal import rules: USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
• Border crossing procedures for live animals: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Requirements change with disease outbreaks, so confirm the current rules for your species and origin immediately before moving animals rather than relying on an older certificate or a neighbor's experience. If your situation is unusual, such as a temporary stay, a show circuit or a rescue placement, contact WSDA's animal health program directly and describe the movement in writing.

How can I get my pet food product registered in Washington?

Pet food registration in Washington is handled by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), and the process starts with determining whether your product actually requires registration. WSDA's site groups pet food under its animal feed regulatory work, alongside commercial feed and specialty pet food. In practice, most commercially distributed pet foods and specialty pet foods sold in the state need to be registered before sale, while some products (for example, certain treats or single-ingredient items) may fall under different requirements. Confirm your product's classification first, because that determines which forms and fees apply.

What the process generally involves

• Identify the product type (pet food vs. specialty pet food) and whether it is already registered in another state.
• Complete the WSDA registration application and submit product labels for review.
• Pay the applicable registration fee; registrations are typically renewed annually.
• Keep labels compliant with Washington's labeling requirements, including guaranteed analysis, ingredient statement, and net quantity.
• If you manufacture out of state, you may need a commercial feed license or to work through a registered distributor.

WSDA also provides a Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food Product Look Up tool, which is useful for checking whether a similar product is already registered and for seeing how competitors describe their products. That can save time when you are drafting your own label.

Practical next step

Before submitting anything, gather your current label, guaranteed analysis, and ingredient list, then contact WSDA's feed program directly to confirm your product category and the current fee schedule. Fees and forms change, so verify them at the source rather than relying on older guidance.

A concrete scenario: a small Seattle-based maker of freeze-dried dog treats wants to sell through local pet stores. The owner checks the product look-up tool, confirms the treats need registration, submits the label and application, and renews each year. If the same maker later adds a supplement-style product, the specialty pet food rules may apply instead, which is a different path.

For official forms, fees, and label requirements, start with Washington State Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's pet food guidance at FDA is also worth reviewing for federal labeling and safety expectations that apply alongside state registration.

What resources are available for farmers affected by wildfire?

The Washington State Department of Agriculture's "Recalls and Health Alerts" page includes a dedicated notice for farmers and residents: "Impacted by wildfire? Recovery resources are available." This banner points to recovery assistance for those dealing with wildfire effects, alongside the agency's latest news releases and food-safety alerts.

Who this is for: Washington farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses recovering from wildfire damage — including crop losses, livestock displacement, and infrastructure impacts.

What to expect from the page

• A direct entry point to wildfire recovery resources, distinct from the recall and health-alert listings.
• Access to the department's latest news releases, which often carry time-sensitive updates on disaster declarations or aid programs.
• Navigation to related programs (animal health, livestock identification, grants) that may be relevant when documenting losses or replacing livestock.

Practical next step: If your operation was affected, start with the wildfire recovery notice on the Washington State Department of Agriculture page, then check the "Latest News Releases" section for current announcements. For federal disaster assistance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency at FSA administers emergency loans and programs like the Emergency Conservation Program; the Farmers.gov disaster assistance discovery tool can help match your situation to specific programs.

How do I report missing or stolen livestock in Washington?

To report missing or stolen livestock in Washington, start with the Washington State Department of Agriculture's Livestock Identification program, which handles brand information and missing/stolen livestock reporting. The department publishes a dedicated "Reporting Missing and Stolen Livestock" page and a "Who to Contact" page under its Livestock Identification section, so that is the correct first stop rather than a general consumer complaint line.

What to do, in order

1. Contact law enforcement first if you suspect theft. A stolen animal is a crime, so file a report with your local sheriff's office or police department. Ask for the report or case number — you will likely need it for the agriculture side of the process.
2. Notify the WSDA Livestock Identification program. Use the contact details on the department's "Reporting Missing and Stolen Livestock" and "Who to Contact" pages. Provide the case number, your premises identification number if you have one, and full animal details.
3. Report through the brand system if your animals are branded. WSDA maintains Brand Information and Brand Book resources plus a Brand FAQ. A recorded brand is the main way animals are traced at auction yards, feedlots and inspection points, so report the brand, its registration, and where the animals were last seen.
4. Check animal ID and traceability records. If your operation uses Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) tools — premises identification numbers, RFID tags, or electronic certificates of veterinary inspection — those records can help establish ownership and movement history.
5. Alert likely points of sale. Washington's livestock identification rules apply at sale time at auction yards and licensed certified feedlots/public markets. Notifying auction markets, neighbors, and your county brand inspector gives you more eyes on the ground.

What information to have ready

• Species, breed, sex, age, and number of animals
• Brand(s), tag numbers (including RFID), tattoos, or other permanent ID
• Premises identification number
• Date, time, and location last seen; how they may have left the property
• Your law enforcement case number
• Photos and any bills of sale or ownership records

Practical notes

• Timing matters. Report immediately. Animals moved through an auction or feedlot can change hands within days, and brand inspection at sale time is the checkpoint most likely to catch them.
• Brand registration is the strongest safeguard. If you run cattle or other branded livestock in Washington, keeping your brand current and your records complete is the single most useful preventive step. The department's brand book and FAQ explain how brands are recorded and searched.
• Missing is not always stolen. Fences, gates, weather, and disease can all explain an absence. Check your own boundaries and talk to neighbors before assuming theft, but do not delay the law enforcement report while you investigate.
• Use the right contact. WSDA's livestock identification staff handle brand and missing/stolen livestock matters; animal health concerns such as reportable diseases go through the State Veterinarian and Reportable Diseases contacts instead.

Next step

Go to the department's Livestock Identification pages and open "Reporting Missing and Stolen Livestock" and "Who to Contact" to get the current phone number, email, and any required form. You can reach those from the main site: Washington State Department of Agriculture.

If you also need to check whether a brand is already registered before you report, the same site's Brand Information and Brand Book and Brand FAQ pages cover searches and registration.