By Chris Clark, ISU Extension and Outreach beef specialist

The USDA’s new rule requiring the use of electronic identification (EID) tags as official identification for interstate movement of certain classes of cattle and bison went into effect on November 5, 2024. This new final rule is an update to the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rule published in 2013 and the major change is simply that moving forward, official identification tags must be both visually and electronically readable. The USDA has determined that the use of EID tags as official identification facilitates faster and more accurate data collection which improves the efficiency of response activities. The idea is that in the face of a disease outbreak, faster and more efficient traceability should result in less disruption of the national herd and less impact on producers and communities.

It is important to emphasize that nothing has changed regarding the classification of animals and whether they do or do not require official identification. The following animals require official identification for interstate movement:

Exemptions are still in place for cattle and bison under 18 months of age, steers and spayed heifers, and cattle going directly to slaughter.  Additionally, cattle moving from livestock markets directly to slaughter may use backtags and do not need official identification even if traveling interstate. Cattle may move across state lines directly to an approved tagging site to be tagged. Livestock auctions are often registered as approved tagging sites. The following are examples of animals that do not require official identification: 

The 2024 final rule still allows other means of official identification, if agreed upon between the shipping state and the receiving state or tribal animal health authority. Specifically, registered brands accompanied by an official brand inspection certificate, tattoos, and other identification methods acceptable to a breed association for registration purposes accompanied by registration papers could potentially be used as official identification if agreed upon by shipping and receiving states.

Animals identified with visual-only official identification tags before November 5, 2024, do not need to be tagged with an EID tag. The visual-only tag would be considered official identification for the remaining lifetime of the animal. However, if a producer would like to add an EID tag, an EID tag may be applied as a second tag. The original visual-only tag should not be removed and tag numbers should be documented to match the old and new tags to the animal of interest.

Distributors of official EID tags must keep records for a minimum of five years including names and addresses of anyone to whom devices were distributed. When applying official EID tags to their own animals, producers are not required to record or store this information as it is accounted for by records of tag distributors. USDA has made official EID tags available free of charge while supplies last through state veterinarians.  Producers can contact state veterinarian offices directly or inquire through regular veterinarians for more information. Producers must have premise identification numbers to obtain these free official EID tags.

Access more information about the 2024 ADT final rule, including a description of the final rule, USDA’s responses to public comments, and answers to frequently asked questions.