National Animal

Identification System:

Goal and Vision 

The goal of the National Animal Identification System

(NAIS) is to be able to identify all animals and 

premises that have had contact with a foreign or

domestic animal disease of concern within 48 hours

after discovery. As an information system that 

provides for rapid tracing of infected and exposed

animals during an outbreak situation, the NAIS will

help limit the scope of such outbreaks and ensure

that they are contained and eradicated as quickly as

possible.

Partnerships among all stakeholders are the

foundation for achieving this tremendously important

and extremely challenging goal.

The Key Components 

The NAIS will be established over time through

the integration of these key components:

• Premises Identification

To track animals, we must know where they are

born and where they are moved. Therefore, 

identifying locations that manage or hold animals—

referred to as premises—is the starting point of the

NAIS. Each premises will be identified with a unique

seven character identifier, or a premises identification

number.

• Animal Identification

To track animals as they move from premises to

premises, we must also have a standard way to 

identify them. Animals will be identified either 

individually with a unique animal identification 

number (AIN) or, if they are managed and moved

through the production chain as a group, with a

Group/Lot Identification Number (Group/Lot ID).

• Animal Tracking

As animals move from one premises to another, a

few basic pieces of information will be reported to the

national animal’s records repository: the AIN or

Group/Lot ID, the premises number of the receiving

location, and the date of the animal’s or animals’

arrival. Our ability to achieve the 48–hour traceback

objective will be directly affected by the percentage of

animal movements that we are able to record.

Collecting animal movement information is possibly

the most challenging component of the NAIS.

NAIS Guiding Principles

To achieve the 48–hour traceback goal, USDA

believes the system must follow several core guiding

principles that include the following:

• Uniformity—The NAIS will be based on national

data standards to ensure that a uniform and 

compatible system evolves throughout the United

States. The program will support all needs of official

identification, including animal disease programs and

interstate commerce.

• Flexibility—The NAIS must allow producers to

use NAIS in coordination with production 

management systems, marketing incentives, etc.,

allowing for the transition to a “one number–one 

animal” system for disease control programs and

other industry–administered programs. While animals must be identified prior to being moved from

their current premises, producers can decide whether

to identify their stock at birth or during other 

management practices.

The integration of animal identification technology

standards (electronic identification, retinal scan, DNA,

etc.) will be determined by industry to ensure the

most practical options are implemented and that new

ones can easily be incorporated into the NAIS.

• Inclusiveness—The NAIS is being developed to

identify animals and poultry and record their movements over the course of their lifespans. The ultimate

goal is to create an effective, uniform national animal

tracking system that will help maintain the health of

U.S. herds and flocks. Currently, working groups are

developing plans for camelids (llamas and alpacas),

cattle and bison, cervids (deer and elk), equine,

goats, poultry, sheep, and swine.

The NAIS is voluntary so producers and other

stakeholders can participate in the design, 

development, and testing of the system to ensure

practical solutions evolve. To achieve the goal of

48–hour tracebacks, all producers and affected

industry segments must eventually participate. [If the

market does not provide incentives for participation in

the NAIS, it may be necessary to establish 

requirements for identifying premises and animals

and for reporting animal movements. These requirements would ensure essential data are available for

animal health officials to carry out timely tracebacks.] 

• Cooperation—The NAIS is a joint effort.

Successful achievement of the 48–hour traceback

goal will occur through State, Federal, and industry

partnerships. While animal health authorities have

significant responsibilities, it is important to ensure

that this effort does not unduly increase the size and

scope of Federal or State governments.

Factsheet

Veterinary Services January 2005

APHIS
Both public and private funding will be required for

the NAIS to become fully operational. The Federal

government is providing the standards and the 

national databases and basic infrastructure. States

and Tribes will register premises within their areas.

They will also support the administration of animal

identification and tracking systems that will feed 

information into the national databases. Producers

will identify their animals and provide necessary

records to the databases. Marketers and processing

plants will provide animal location records. Service

providers and third parties will assist through their 

animal identification and management programs by

providing animal identification and movement records

to the NAIS on behalf of their producer clients. Labor

from all groups will be needed.

• Confidentiality—The NAIS will contain only 

information necessary for animal health officials to be

able to track suspect animals and identify any other

animals that may have been exposed to a disease. To

ensure that officials have immediate, reliable, and

uninterrupted access to this information in the event of

a disease concern, certain basic data must be readily

available to the Federal government.

Animal identification and tracking systems 

maintained by the States or regional alliances will be

an integral part of the overall NAIS information 

infrastructure. The State and regional systems will be

able to collect and maintain more information than is

required for the NAIS, yet only the required data need

to be available for the national animal records 

repository.

To help assure participants that the information

will be used only for animal health purposes, the 

information must be confidential. USDA and its State

partners will work to protect data confidentiality.

Additional Information

Learn more about the NAIS at

http://www.usda.gov/nais.

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, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.