Animal Disease Traceability Rule Changes: What Producers Need to Know

November 5, 2024, marked the implementation date for the updated federal animal disease traceability regulations requiring electronic identification tags in certain classes of cattle and bison crossing state lines.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service implemented the new rule to better pinpoint and respond to animal disease outbreaks in hopes to limit both the spread of disease and the economic impacts of disease on livestock producers.

It is important for producers to know that the classes of cattle required to be identified have not changed. The rule applies to all dairy cattle, sexually intact beef cattle and bison over 18 months of age, and all exhibition and rodeo stock moving interstate. The rule does not apply to stocker or feeder cattle.

In accordance with the new rule, any animal tagged after Nov. 5 will need an 840 electronic identification tag. The ear tags must be visually and electronically readable for official use. Cattle already identified with a sliver Brite metal tag or orange bangs metal tag prior to Nov. 5 will not need to be retagged with an electronic tag.

Producers can obtain 840 EID tags through the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. The tags are free of charge, but the producer must cover the cost of shipping.

Other options to obtain 840 EID tags include:

• Direct from the manufacturer (i.e. Allflex, DataMars and Y-Tex)
• Your current vet supply distributor
• Shearwell Data – Animal identification and management systems
• All Data Tags

A premises ID is required to order 840 EID tags regardless of source. A PIN application is available on the Animal Industry State Veterinarian page.