The USDA has updated specific federal traceability requirements for electronic identification in cattle and bison, effective November 5, 2024. Under the updated federal requirements, all official tags applied to cattle and bison must be both visually and electronically readable.
To support the use of official electronic identification in cattle, FREE tags have been made available for a limited time to veterinarians. These tags are available to veterinarians for redistribution to their clients and cannot be sold. Tags are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Because tag brands can vary, tag applicators will not be provided.
Veterinarians must maintain records of all official tags applied or distributed for 5 years. Additionally, these records of tag application and distribution must be submitted to BOAH on a monthly basis. Please use the online record-keeping sheet provided here to submit this information.
Delivery dates of tag orders cannot be determined at this time. Free USDA cattle tags are often backordered with deliveries taking weeks or months to arrive. If you need official ID tags urgently, please refer to the list of tag distributors here to place an order with a private company.
Before you begin the below application, you will need to know the Indiana Premises Identification Number for the veterinary practice’s physical location.
Please click the link below to fill out the Veterinarian Application for Official Electronic Cattle Tags.
Veterinarian Application for Official Electronic Cattle Tags
Find Your Indiana Premises ID Information
Registered but lost your Indiana premises ID number?
- To request your Indiana premises ID number, send an email to animalid@boah.in.gov
(Include your name, phone number, and physical address of the premises in the email.)
