How to Start a Campground or RV Park in West Virginia: Health Department Permit and Zoning

If you want to start a campground business in West Virginia, the approval that decides whether you can open is the health department permit. It runs through a plan review that comes before you build, so the order you do things in matters as much as the paperwork. Zoning is a separate local question, and many counties have no zoning at all, which means you have to ask rather than assume. This guide lays out the steps in the order that prevents the most rework, with the fees and deadlines we could verify against official sources.

This article is informational, not legal or tax advice. Fees, deadlines and rules change. Confirm every figure with the agency named before you commit money. For help choosing an entity, buying land or structuring taxes, talk to a West Virginia attorney and a CPA.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before your first call to a state or county office. Most delays come from a missing document, not from the rules themselves.

• Proof of site control: a recorded deed, a signed purchase contract with a permit contingency, or a signed long-term lease
• A survey or site plan showing parcel lines, roads, campsite locations, water sources, buildings and setbacks
• Soil information and a sewage design from a qualified designer, if the site will use an on-site system
• A written description of your water source and how you plan to test it
• Entity papers: Articles of Organization (Form LLD-1) for an LLC, or Articles of Incorporation (Form CD-1) for a corporation
• A written list of every service you plan to offer, such as tent sites, RV sites, cabins, a bathhouse, a camp store, food service, a pool or alcohol sales
• A budget that covers construction, permits, insurance and several months of operating cash
• Contact details for the county health department, the county commission, the planning office, the city if the parcel is inside one, the State Tax Division and the Secretary of State

Step 1: Confirm Zoning and Land Use With the County

Zoning in West Virginia is local. The state does not impose a campground zoning rule that applies everywhere, and many counties have no zoning ordinance. That can sound like good news, but it also means there is no written protection for your use, and neighbors can object without a formal process. Ask the county commission and the planning office, in writing, whether the parcel can be used for a campground or RV park and whether any setback, density or seasonal occupancy limits apply.

West Virginia has 230 incorporated places, including towns, cities and villages. If your parcel sits inside one, city rules apply on top of county rules, so put the same questions to city hall. Also ask whether the parcel sits in a mapped floodplain. Floodplain requirements depend on the site, and they can change what you can build and where.

Step 2: Choose Your Entity and File With the Secretary of State

Most campground owners form an LLC, though a corporation is also an option. The filings are similar and the annual costs match, so the choice usually comes down to ownership and tax goals. That is a question for your CPA and attorney.

For an LLC, file Articles of Organization (Form LLD-1) with the West Virginia Secretary of State. The filing fee is $100. File through the WV One Stop Business Portal at business4.wv.gov, or check the Secretary of State's business page at sos.wv.gov/business. Standard processing takes 5 to 10 business days. Expedited options cost extra: $25 for same-day or next-business-day in-person filing, $250 for a 2 hour filing and $500 for a 1 hour filing, each on top of the filing fee. Online filings add a $1.00 portal processing fee.

The name must contain limited liability company, limited company, or an accepted abbreviation such as LLC or L.L.C., as WV Code 31B-1-105 requires. It also must be distinguishable from every other name already registered or reserved. If you need time to decide, reserve the name for 120 days for $15 at sos.wv.gov/reserveregister-business-name.

A registered agent is optional. Form LLD-1 asks for an agent for service of process if any, and the instructions say you may wish to keep one. The Secretary of State can accept service on the company's behalf either way. Many owners name an agent so legal papers reach a person at a known address. Changing the agent later requires Form AAO, which costs $15.00.

If you will operate under a name different from the legal name of the company, register a trade name (DBA) with the Secretary of State, not a county clerk. Entities file Form NR-3 for $25.00, plus a $1.00 processing fee through the portal.

A corporation files Articles of Incorporation (Form CD-1) for the same $100 filing fee and carries the same $25 annual report.

Step 3: Register With the State Tax Division

West Virginia has no general statewide business license. The closest equivalent is the Business Registration Certificate from the State Tax Division. Every individual or business entity must hold one before engaging in business. The one-time fee is $30.00. The certificate is permanent until the business name, location or ownership changes, and each fixed business location needs its own certificate. Apply on Form WV/BUS-APP or online at business4.wv.gov, and find more at tax.wv.gov.

Registering your LLC with the Secretary of State is a filing, not a license, and it does not replace this certificate. Occupational, professional and municipal licenses may apply on top of it, which is why the city question in Step 1 matters.

Step 4: Start the Health Department Plan Review

This step sets your timeline. A campground or organized camp needs a permit from the county or regional health department under the General Sanitation rule, 64 CSR 18. For a new campground, plan review comes first, before construction. Your application must go in at least 15 days before operation begins, or before an existing permit expires, so work backward from your planned opening date.

Ask the department for its plan checklist and its fee table. Permit fees are set by the state fee rule and collected locally, so the amount depends on your county. As an example of scale only, the Grafton-Taylor County Health Department's published schedule as of 2026 charges $60 for 1 to 10 sites plus $6 for each additional site, with a 25% late fee. Your department may charge differently, so ask for its own table. Also ask whether it inspects before the first permit issues and what it expects to see at that visit.

Step 5: Plan Water, Sewage and Layout Together

Water and sewage approvals depend on the site, and they are the most common reason a layout changes after purchase. Ask the health department which approvals your parcel needs: a private well, a connection to a public water system, an on-site septic system or another treatment method. Ask whether another agency must also approve a water or sewage system. Settle these answers before you finalize the site plan, because moving a bathhouse or dump station after design costs more than planning for it at the start.

Lay out campsites with the health department's requirements and your operating needs in mind. Consider road widths for large RVs, drainage and the spacing between sites. Have a qualified designer prepare the sewage design if the site needs one.

Step 6: Confirm Who Can Build and Wire Each Part

West Virginia licenses many trades at the state level, and each has its own threshold or scope. Confirm these with the named agency before you sign any contract:

• Contractors: the Contractor Licensing Board regulates work above $5,000 for residential projects and above $25,000 for commercial projects. Ask the Board which threshold applies to each cabin, bathhouse or office you plan to build.
• Electricians: licensed through the State Fire Marshal. Campsite hookups and pedestals involve electrical work, so confirm the scope with the Fire Marshal.
• Plumbers and HVAC technicians: licensed through the Division of Labor. Restrooms, showers and dump stations usually involve plumbing, so confirm the scope with the Division.

Step 7: Set Up Sales Tax, Hotel Occupancy Tax and City Charges

A campground must collect state sales tax on site fees. The state rate is 6%. Some cities also add a municipal sales tax of 1% on top of the state rate. As of today, 101 municipalities charge it, and 107 will from January 1, 2027. The State Tax Division's publication TSD-316 explains how campgrounds apply these taxes. Read it before you set your rate sheet, and confirm whether your city has adopted the tax through the Tax Division's business registration page.

Many counties and some cities also levy a hotel occupancy tax. Where one applies, the base rate is 3% and the maximum is 6% (West Virginia Code 7-18). Ask the county commission and the Tax Division whether it reaches campsites and cabins in your location, since the tax was written with rooms in mind.

If the parcel is inside a city, ask about the city's gross receipts business and occupation (B&O) tax and its business license. The state B&O tax applies only to utilities, so a campground inside a city faces city-level charges. Those can include a weekly per-worker city service fee. Confirm the rates and filing schedule with the city before you open.

Step 8: Add Separate Permits for Food, Pools and Alcohol

Each of these services runs through its own process, so plan for them separately:

• Food service, such as a camp kitchen, snack bar or restaurant, needs its own plan review and permits from the health department.
• Pools and spas need their own plan review and permits.
• Bathing beaches need their own plan review and permits.
• Alcohol: check with the ABCA before selling beer, wine or liquor, because licensing depends on the product and the sale.
• Regulated store products: the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) oversees cottage food, hemp, kratom and pesticides. Check with WVDA before stocking any of them.

Step 9: Submit, Track and Calendar the Recurring Filings

Assemble the complete package in one place and submit it to the health department with copies of everything. Keep a log of who you spoke to, what they said and when. If the department asks for changes, answer in writing and send the revised plan with a cover letter that lists each change.

Then build a recurring calendar: the LLC annual report due June 30 each year, the expiration date on your health permit, any city or county tax filings, and the Business Registration Certificate events that require an update, which are a change in name, location or ownership.

What to Expect

The corporate filings are the fast part. Standard Secretary of State processing for an LLC runs 5 to 10 business days, and expedited options can finish within the same day or the next business day. The slower part is usually plan review and construction, and the health department sets its own pace. A complete site plan and a clear answer on water and sewage may help a file move through review with fewer rounds of comments, though no timeline is guaranteed. Plan your opening date with room for at least one round of revisions.

Tips and Common Mistakes

• Starting construction before plan review. Work done before plan review may need to be redone if the department requires changes.
• Assuming there is no zoning. Many counties have none, but get that answer in writing, and remember that a city may have its own rules.
• Buying land without a permit contingency. Make the purchase contract conditional on the site approvals you need.
• Looking for a statewide business license. There is none. The state filing you need is the $30 Business Registration Certificate, one per fixed location.
• Filing a DBA with the county clerk. Trade names are filed with the Secretary of State.
• Missing the annual report deadline. An LLC filing after June 30 costs $75.
• Treating an example fee as your fee. The Grafton-Taylor schedule shows scale only. Ask your own health department for its table and its late fee rules.
• Skipping the city. A parcel inside a city can carry city B&O tax, a city license and a weekly per-worker fee.
• Collecting sales tax before registering. Get your Business Registration Certificate and tax registration in place before your first booking.
• Assuming the campground permit covers food or a pool. Each needs its own plan review and permit.

Fees and Deadlines at a Glance

Item	Amount or deadline	Agency	Notes
LLC Articles of Organization (Form LLD-1)	$100 filing fee	Secretary of State	Standard processing 5 to 10 business days
Corporation Articles of Incorporation (Form CD-1)	$100 filing fee	Secretary of State	Nonprofits use Form CD-1NP
Name reservation	$15 for 120 days	Secretary of State	Optional
Trade name (DBA)	$25.00 for entities, plus $1.00 if filed online	Secretary of State	Form NR-3 for LLCs and corporations
Annual report	$25, filed January 1 to June 30	Secretary of State	An LLC filing after June 30 pays $75
Change of registered agent (Form AAO)	$15.00	Secretary of State	Only if you name an agent
Business Registration Certificate	$30.00, one time per location	State Tax Division	Permanent until name, location or ownership changes
Health department campground permit	Set locally; example of $60 for 1 to 10 sites plus $6 each additional site	County or regional health department	Application at least 15 days before operation; confirm your own table
State sales tax on site fees	6%	State Tax Division	Publication TSD-316
Municipal sales tax	1% where adopted	City and State Tax Division	Confirm whether your city has adopted it
Hotel occupancy tax	Base 3%, up to 6%, where levied	County or city	Confirm whether it applies to campsites and cabins

Confirm every figure with the agency named before you rely on it.

Official Resources

• West Virginia Secretary of State business services: sos.wv.gov/business
• WV One Stop Business Portal: business4.wv.gov
• West Virginia State Tax Division: tax.wv.gov
• West Virginia Small Business Development Center: wvsbdc.com
• SBA resources for West Virginia: sba.gov/district/west-virginia

Next Steps

1. Confirm zoning and floodplain status with the county and city in writing.
2. File your entity with the Secretary of State and reserve the name if you need time.
3. Apply for the Business Registration Certificate before you do business.
4. Request the health department's checklist and fee table, then submit plans before construction.
5. Confirm licensed trades, sales tax, hotel occupancy tax and city charges before you sign contracts.

A campground touches land use, health, tax and construction at once. Use a West Virginia attorney for the purchase and entity setup, a CPA for tax planning, and the West Virginia Small Business Development Center for help with the business plan. Nothing in this guide replaces advice tailored to your site and your plans.