The Department was established in 1877, is responsible for over 60 laws and more than 70 regulations relating to consumer protection and the promotion of agriculture.

The Department is located within the Governor’s Secretariat of Agriculture and Forestry and has both economic development and regulatory responsibilities under state law.

The Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services is appointed by the Governor and serves on a number of state boards and councils.

VDACS is organized into four units – the Commissioner’s Office, Division of Animal and Food Industry Services (AFIS), Division of Consumer Protection, and Division of Marketing.

The agency employs about 498 employees who work in and out of the Department’s several field offices; in the agency’s five regional diagnostic animal health laboratories located in Warrenton, Lynchburg, Ivor, Harrisonburg, and Wytheville; at an international office in Hong Kong and at the VDACS headquarters in Richmond.

In carrying out its responsibility for representing the concerns and interests of agriculture, VDACS works in cooperation with Virginia State University, Virginia Tech, and the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service on research, education, and marketing projects.

Preserving and enhancing the quality of human and animal life through veterinary medicine.
Responding to the needs of a diverse veterinary community while promoting collegiality and professionalism.