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Cattle & Bison

Moving Cattle & Bison Under Indiana's Animal Disease Traceability Rule

What is Official Cattle ID in Indiana?
The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) recognizes three forms of identification as official for cattle and bison.  All are approved by USDA for interstate movements of livestock.

All ear tags for cattle and bison must be visually and electronically readable, whether bangle, button or clip-style, beginning November 5, 2024. (FAQ sheet is available here.) Tags must have:

  • 15-digit visual number beginning with "840"
  • Bear the US shield, and
  • electronic interface technology (may or may not be RFID/radio frequency device)

(NOTE: Cattle breed registry tattoos are not recognized as official ID.)

USDA Program Tags
- Such as orange calfhood vaccination tags available through a veterinarian must meet USDA requirements

(NOTE: USDA backtags are considered official within slaughter channels.)

Guide to Moving Cattle and Bison Under ADT


Movements of Cattle & Bison

Cattle entering Indiana must be accompanied by documentation and bear official ID (as recognized by BOAH). For other cattle entry requirements: Click Here

Official ID required for:

  • All sexually intact, 18 months or older
  • All dairy, including crosses
  • Cattle and bison of any age used for rodeo, exhibition, or recreational events

Exceptions: 

  • Animals moving directly to a slaughter facility
  • Animal moving directly to an approved market, where the animal will be ID'ed

Documentation required:

  • Pre-entry permit from BOAH when traveling on a paper CVI
  • Certificate of Veterinary Inspection written within 30 days of entry
    • (If official ID is required, the official ID for each animal must be recorded on the certificate of veterinary inspection.)

Exceptions:

  • Direct-to-slaughter
  • Direct to an approved market
  • Veterinary care (no ownership change) Does not include embryo transplants
  • Passing through the state


Upon change of ownership, and for exhibitions and rodeos, Indiana cattle must have official ID and may need documentation.

Official ID required at change of ownership:

  • All sexually intact, 18 months or older
  • All dairy, including crosses
  • Cattle and bison of any age used for rodeo, exhibition, or recreational events

Exceptions:

  • Animals moving directly to a slaughter facility
  • Animal moving directly to an approved market,  where the animal will be ID'ed

Documentation required:

  • Owners, sellers, lessors and purchasers must keep records of all cattle
    and bison sold, purchased, leased, bartered, or exchanged for 5 years.
  • Records include:
    • ID
    • Name and address of: seller, lessor, owner, purchaser

Always call ahead to the state-of-destination for cattle moving out of Indiana.

Official ID:  Cattle and bison that meet Indiana's ID requirements will meet the ID  requirements for all states, based on USDA's ADT rules.

  • USDA-approved 840s
  • USDA program tags

Documentation:

  • Call ahead to ask for specific details about required documentation. USDA recognizes Certificates of Veterinary Inspection for inter-state movements.

Obtaining ID Tags

Hoosiers have several options for obtaining official ID: 

Veterinarians: Some practitioners will supply tags. This is especially useful to producers who need only a few, such as 4-Hers. Note: Producers may apply the tags themselves; a veterinarian is not required to administer non-program tags.

Tag Suppliers: Producers may purchase tags directly from distributors. Click here for a list of suppliers serving IndianaNote: Be sure to specify tags that bear the US shield when ordering; all other forms are not considered official.

Official Tagging Sites: In Indiana, all licensed livestock markets are considered tagging sites. However, the market may or may not provide this service on animals not moving through the facility. Likewise, all animals that move through a given market must be tagged in some manner upon arrival, if the animal does not already bear official ID.

(NOTE: A state-issued premises ID number is required to order official identification.)

More information about federal standards for official ID is available on the USDA Traceability webpage.

Important Notes About Tags

Obtaining Tags
A premises ID number issued by BOAH is required to order official ID tags. The premID is necessary to link the tags to a specific location--usually the animals' point-of-origin. Once assigned to a specific premise, the tags CANNOT be transferred to another farm or operation. Those who have cattle in multiple locations should request different tags for each premise.

Tag Removal/Loss
Under federal law, 840 tags can only be used in American-born livestock. Removal of tags is unlawful once they have been placed in an animal, because they are official U.S. government identification.

If an animal loses an official ID tag, another official ID may be applied. The producer should note the date and reason the new tag was placed, as well as the ear tag number(s) of the old and new ID in the farm's records.  This is important information, should an animal/farm be involved in a disease trace.

Tag Placement
Official identification for cattle can come in several different forms. Beginning November 5, 2024, under new federal requirements, Indiana allows the use of USDA-approved electronic (EID) tags that can be read both visually and electronically. (Some producers may choose to use tattoos; however, Indiana does not recognize them as official ID since 2015.)  Additionally, some producers choose to add identification for their own farm's record-keeping system.