United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

The National Animal

Identification System (NAIS)

Program Aid No. 1797

Why Animal Identification?

Why Now? What First?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and

activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political

beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all

programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET

Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326–

W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or

call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Cover photo credits: The images of the cows and pigs were taken by APHIS photographer

R. Anson Eaglin. The shot of the Jersey cow is a USDA Agricultural Research Service

photo by Peggy Greb.

Issued October 2004
Why Do We Need Animal Identification?

A rational, cost-effective animal identification program will

• Enhance foreign animal disease surveillance, control,

and eradication;

• Facilitate epidemiologic investigations;

• Improve biosecurity protection of the national livestock

population;

• Distinguish animals vaccinated or tested under official

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) disease-control

or -eradication programs from unvaccinated and untested

herdmates;

• Furnish official identification for animals in interstate or

international commerce;

• Accurately identify blood and tissue specimens used for

laboratory diagnostics;

• Track the health certification status of herds, States, and regions;

and

• Enable effective regionalization and risk assessment in support

of international trade.

3

Why Do We Need a National Animal

Identification System (NAIS)?

The increasing number of animal disease outbreaks that have

been reported around the globe over the past decade and the

single cow that tested positive for bovine spongiform

encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States in December 2003

have greatly intensified public interest in developing a national

animal identification program for the purpose of protecting animal

health. The European Union, Canada, and Australia already have

animal identification systems in place. A strong U.S. identification

system is in increasing demand as a necessary component of our

Nation’s agricultural infrastructure.
Some History

Animal identification is not a new concept in the United States.

Back in the 1940s, the predecessor agency of USDA’s Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) initiated an extensive

program to identify cattle vaccinated for brucellosis. The official

brucellosis vaccination tag with an ear tattoo provided the United

States with a highly successful animal identification program for

cattle for decades. However, since brucellosis is close to being

eradicated in the United States, that system of tagging and

identification is being phased out rapidly. Other animal health

programs also include an animal identification component, and

certain classes of livestock must be officially identified before

entering interstate commerce. So there are multiple systems in

place that exist for different purposes, but there is no uniform,

nationwide animal identification system for all animals of any

given species.

Figure 1—Animal identification is not a new concept. In the United States, many animals

are already identified through eartags, brands, or tattoos. However, methods vary from

breed to breed and State to State. The NAIS will help standardize animal identification at

the national level for all animals of a given species. (USDA photo by Bill Tarpenning.)

4
Animal identification is worthwhile to producers for various

reasons, including performance recording and marketing

opportunities. However, APHIS is focused on animal identification

for one reason alone: to establish the foundation the agency

needs to support its programs to control, eradicate, monitor, and

survey for animal diseases.

Most individuals associated with animal agriculture recognize that

finding potentially sick or exposed animals early in a disease

outbreak is essential to containing the disease quickly. The NAIS

would allow for rapid tracing of animals during an outbreak

situation, helping to limit the scope and expense of the outbreak

and allowing APHIS to minimize the impact on domestic and

foreign markets. The NAIS will also be critical as APHIS works to

complete disease eradication programs in which the Federal

Government, States, and industry have invested many years of

effort and millions of dollars.

5
NAIS: Goal and Objectives

The goal of the NAIS is to have the capability to identify all

animals and premises that have had direct contact with a foreign

animal disease or a domestic disease of concern within 48 hours

after discovery. USDA believes that this goal can best be achieved

by focusing on the following objectives.

First, USDA does not want to burden producers with multiple

identification numbers, processes, or requirements. What USDA,

together with its industry and State partners, has envisioned is

very simple: a system where every premises involved in livestock

commerce or animal movement in which exposure to other

animals could occur has a unique, seven-character identifier.

Every animal needing to be identified individually would have a

15-character number. Groups or lots of animals may be identified

with a 13-character number. Many producers already want to

Figure 2—Species that normally move through the production chain in large groups, such

as swine and the commercial turkeys shown here, may be identified through group or lot

identification. However, animals that leave the group—to go to a fair, for example—would

need to be individually identified under the NAIS. (USDA photo by Bill Tarpenning.)

6
make a move to this numbering system from the multiple systems

currently in use. As a result, APHIS is planning to pursue

rulemaking to recognize for official use the 7-character premises

identification number, the 13-character group/lot identification

number, and the 15-character animal identification number (AIN).

This process will allow producers who want to transition to the

NAIS numbering system to begin doing so while not requiring its

adoption for others who may not be ready.

Second, there is no “one-size-fits-all” technology. It is likely that

some technologies will work better for some species than for

others. Rather than focus on a specific technology, USDA will

focus on the design of the identification data system—what

information should be collected and when it should be collected

Figure 3—South American camelids, such as these llamas, are not considered food

animals by those who raise them in North America. Some llamas are raised for fiber, pets,

and as trained pack animals for use on trails. While South American camelids have not

been responsible for the transmission of any known infectious disease to domestic or wild

ruminants, they could be susceptible to some livestock diseases. Therefore, they are

included under the NAIS umbrella. (USDA file photo.)

7
and reported. Once the identification system is designed, the

market will determine which technologies will be the most

appropriate to meet the needs of the system.

Third, the NAIS should be built on national data standards to

ensure that a uniform and compatible system evolves. The system

also must not preclude producers from being able to use it in

coordination with production management systems that respond to

market incentives.

Fourth, the architecture for the system should be created without

unduly increasing the role and the size of the Government. Both

public and private funding will be required for the NAIS to become

fully operational. Database systems must be developed and

maintained, equipment must be purchased, animals must be

identified and tracked, programs must be monitored, and labor is

needed for all these activities.

8
Flexibility, Confidentiality, and Cost

Which Species Will Be Included in the NAIS?

The NAIS is being developed for all animals that will benefit from

having a system that will facilitate rapid tracing in the event of a

disease concern. Currently, working groups are developing plans

for camelids (llamas and alpacas), cattle and bison, cervids (deer

and elk), equine, goats, poultry, sheep, and swine.

Is the NAIS Mandatory?

While the NAIS is being developed and refined, producer

participation will be voluntary. As the system continues to take

shape and is tested for all affected species, USDA will reassess the

need for making some or all aspects of the program mandatory.

Eventually, USDA may move toward a requirement for premises

and animal identification for all species included in the system. If

USDA does decide to make all or parts of the NAIS mandatory,

APHIS will follow the normal rulemaking process. The public will

have the opportunity to comment upon any proposed regulations.

When Is the NAIS Going To Be Fully Implemented?

Right now, there is no set timeline for full implementation of the

NAIS. USDA is moving forward under a phased-in approach. The

first priority is to register animal premises and those premises

associated with animals, such as exhibitions and veterinary clinics.

This task will be accomplished at the State level. Assigning unique

premises identification numbers to geographic locations is a

fundamental component of the NAIS. In case of an animal disease

outbreak, animal health authorities need premises location data at

their fingertips to ensure disease investigations progress rapidly

and efficiently. As premises are registered, animal identification and

tracking systems will be tested and integrated under established

USDA data standards.

9
Figure 4—USDA is

including horses in the

NAIS because they are

susceptible to virulent

diseases, such as African

horse sickness, that can

spread quickly and cause

widescale industry

losses. Working groups

will determine the

identification method

most appropriate for each

species. Horses will not

be required to carry the

same type of

identification that cattle or

sheep carry. (USDA

photo by Tim McCabe.)

What Do Producers Need To Do First?

Producers should check with their State’s or Tribe’s animal health

authority to find out whether a premises registration system is

available in their area. Once a premises registration system is

operational, producers should work with the State or Tribal

authority to obtain unique premises identification numbers, as

appropriate. The premises registration system will record

information such as premises type, contact name, premises

address, and phone number of the person in charge of the

location. This system will be maintained at the State level. Key

pieces of information will then be sent to the national premises

information repository and may be accessed by animal health

authorities during a disease traceback or for other appropriate

animal-health-surveillance purposes.

10
Following premises registration, producers may participate in

animal identification and tracking programs as provided in their

State. As the NAIS progresses, producers will be able to contact

an animal identification number distributor to obtain official AINs.

These numbers will be issued to the premises and attached or

assigned to the animals in a way that is appropriate for the

species. The AIN distributor will submit to a national information

repository a record of the numbers provided to each premises. By

obtaining numbers from an AIN distributor, the producer will, in

effect, automatically provide the initial record for registering his or

her animals’ location. AIN distributors will be authorized by USDA

to distribute official devices. They could include breed

associations, Federal area offices, State departments of

agriculture, and tag manufacturers, among others. Producers

should check with their State or Tribal animal health authority

to determine whom they should be contacting about AINs.

They can also contact the APHIS Area Veterinarian-in-Charge for

their State.

Who’s Going To Have Access to the Information?

Federal, State, and Tribal animal-health officials will have access

to the national premises and animal identification information

repositories when they need data to administer animal health

programs at the State and national level. For example, they may

access the database if an APHIS–Veterinary Services program

disease—such as tuberculosis or brucellosis—or a suspected

foreign animal disease is reported and requires an epidemiologic

investigation. They may also access the database during

emergency-response simulations.

Animal health officials need access to this type of information to

carry out their responsibilities: retrieving this kind of data is a

critical part of their job. Every day, they conduct epidemiologic

11
investigations for a variety of reasons—to trace a tuberculosis or

brucellosis reactor or animal suspected of being infected, to

investigate the report of a suspected foreign animal disease, or to

assess the effectiveness of a surveillance and monitoring program.

In addition, public health officials may be provided access to this

information in the case of zoonotic disease outbreaks that could

affect both animals and humans.

Is the Information Going To Be Kept Confidential?

USDA is aware of producers’ concerns about the confidentiality of

information collected in the NAIS and is taking them very seriously

as APHIS explores the most effective means for collecting animal

identification information. Accordingly, USDA is investigating

various options for protecting the information in the NAIS from

public disclosure. It is important to note that the national

repositories will include information only for animal and disease

tracking purposes. Proprietary production data will not be retained

by USDA.

Will Livestock Producers Be Held Liable If Someone Develops

a Case of Food Poisoning?

APHIS’ goal for the NAIS is to enhance the agency’s ability to

trace and respond to diseases in animal populations. The key

objective is to achieve timely tracebacks and traceforwards to

minimize the detrimental effect of a disease on the national herd.

Accordingly, USDA will collect and retain only necessary

identification data in the preharvest production chain and through

final inspection at slaughter establishments. The NAIS will

increase the accuracy of animal health information and will not

expose producers to additional liability. Liability resulting from

one’s actions does not change as a result of the NAIS.

12
How Does This Relate to Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)?

The NAIS is not being implemented as a result of the COOL

initiative. The intent of the NAIS is to create the ability to track

animal disease to its source and other potentially exposed

premises within a 48-hour period after detection. However, animal

owners may be able to use information collected under the NAIS

for other purposes, including the COOL program.

What Kind of Technology Will Producers Have To Purchase

and Use?

USDA recognizes that there is no “one-size-fits-all” technology.

An identification system that works for cattle may not work for

goats. It is likely that some technologies will work better for some

Figure 5—Although this goat does not have an I.D. tag, sheep and goats enrolled in the

national scrapie eradication program do because that program has a mandatory

identification requirement. As it moves forward with the NAIS, USDA will work to incorporate

identification systems already in existence. (USDA Agricultural Research Service photo by

Scott Bauer.)

13
species than for others. Rather than focusing on a specific

technology, USDA will focus on the design of the identification

system—what information should be collected and when it should

be collected. Once the identification system is designed, the

market will determine which technologies will be most appropriate

to meet the needs of the system.

USDA will work to incorporate identification systems already in

existence, such as cattle brands and I.D. tags distributed as part

of the scrapie eradication program, as we move forward with

the NAIS.

What’s the Cost?

At this point, USDA does not have a fully defined budget for

implementing the NAIS. However, the size and scope of this

undertaking demand that it be a cooperative effort. Because it is

being developed as an industry–government partnership, it is

expected that industry and the government will share the cost

of the necessary elements. It is USDA’s intent to minimize

industry’s share of NAIS’ costs to individual producers as much

as possible, but there still may be some expenses associated

with participation.

How Can I Learn More?

Refer to the NAIS Web site at <http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/

issues/nais/nais.html>.

14