National Scrapie Eradication Program: Animal Identification and 

Recordkeeping Guide for Sheep and Goats

Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and 

goats. There is no cure or treatment for scrapie.

The National Scrapie Eradication Program, coordinated by the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has reduced 

the prevalence of scrapie in adult sheep sampled at slaughter by over 99 percent. 

However, the cooperation of sheep and goat producers is needed to find and eliminate the 

last few cases in the United States.

Producers are required to follow Federal and State regulations for officially identifying 

their sheep and goats. Producers must also keep herd records, showing what new animals 

were added and what animals left the herd/flock. This guide helps producers follow the 

regulations.

Animals Requiring Identification

The animals listed below are required by Federal* and/or State regulations to be 

identified as part of the National Scrapie Eradication Program when they move between 

states as part of interstate commerce or if ownership changes. Some states have ID 

requirements which are stricter than the federal requirements, so the exceptions listed 

below do not apply in all states. For information on each State’s identification and 

movement requirements, contact the State Veterinarian’s office.

Sheep

• All sheep, EXCEPT

o Sheep under 18 months of age in slaughter channels 

o Castrated sheep under 18 months of age

Goats

• All goats, EXCEPT

o Low-risk commercial goats** exempted by the State in which they reside

o Goats in slaughter channels

o Castrated goats

*For more details on exemptions to the Federal sheep and goat identification requirements, review the regulation at 

www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-health/scrapie

**The definition of a low-risk commercial goat is: a goat that is raised for fiber and/or meat; is not registered or 

exhibited; has not been exposed to sheep; is not scrapie-positive, scrapie-exposed, or high-risk for scrapie; is not from a 

scrapie-infected or source herd; and does not reside in California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, or Michigan.

Animal and Plant

Health Inspection 

Service

September 2017
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Official Identification

Official identification devices, including eartags and injectable transponders, must be 

approved by APHIS as being sufficiently tamper-resistant for the intended use, have good 

retention, and provide a unique identification number for each animal. 

An owner may substitute tattooing for an official identification device under certain 

criteria, which are explained in the “Tattooing” section on the next page.

Obtaining Official Tags

APHIS provides official metal eartags free of charge to producers. Producers may 

request free tags by calling 866-USDA-TAG (873-2824). For registered herds, please 

provide the herd’s registration prefix and ask that it be used as your scrapie flock/herd 

identification number, along with your postal abbreviation. In addition, producers may 

purchase tags directly from approved manufacturers to fit their needs. See the “Approved 

Tag Manufacturers” section below for more information. 

All official National Scrapie Eradication Program identification tags have the U.S. shield 

printed on them.

Tips for Tagging

• Sheep and goats only need to be officially identified when leaving the premises or 

when being sold to another owner.

• Do not buy or sell animals of any age that may be used for breeding or animals 

over 18 months of age for any purpose unless they are officially identified.

• The preferred placement for eartags is in the left ear to aid in shearing.

Official tags may not be sold or given to another person. If you no longer need the tags, 

they should be destroyed or returned to the APHIS Veterinary Services District Field 

Office for your State. Locations for field offices can be found online at: 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/contact-us

Approved Tag Manufacturers

APHIS has approved several companies to manufacture and sell official devices, 

including tags and injectable transponders. Producers should consider the different 

devices available—including metal or plastic tags, radio frequency identification (RFID) 

tags, RFID implants (allowed only for use in Scrapie Flock Certification Program or in 

registered animals) —and choose what works best for them. For the list of approved tag 

manufacturers, visit www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-health/scrapie (click on “Sheep and 

Goat Identification”). 

Tattooing

Registered animals may be identified with a registration tattoo instead of a tag, as long as 

the animal is accompanied by a copy of the registration certificate listing the current 

owner or the registration certificate and a completed transfer of ownership form dated 

within 30 days that lists the current owner.
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In addition, the flock identification number assigned by APHIS may be tattooed (along 

with an individual animal number) to officially identify sheep or goats that are not 

registered. If you have a registered herd prefix, you may request that APHIS assign it as 

part of your flock identification number.

Owners must ensure the legibility of tattoos. Owners should also be prepared to assist 

with the tattoo reading process, including using a flashlight or other light source to assist 

with reading when animals are inspected.

Recordkeeping

Records must be kept for 5 years after the animal is sold or otherwise disposed. Ideally, 

producers should keep records in an electronic format, such as a Microsoft Excel 

spreadsheet. You must record the following information:

• official identification number***

• breed

• sex

• date official identification was applied

• date animal was acquired or year of birth if natural addition

• name/address of previous owner (if applicable)

• date sold

• name/address of buyer

***The official identification number is the complete number on the official USDA 

sheep/goat tag, official tattoo, or approved RFID device. If selling a group of animals that 

are tagged with sequential numbers, it is acceptable to list the first and last number in the 

series, rather than each individual number.

More Information

For more information about scrapie or the National Scrapie Eradication Program, please

visit the following Web sites:

• USDA APHIS www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-health/scrapie

• National Institute for Animal Agriculture www.eradicatescrapie.org

• American Sheep Industry Association www.sheepusa.org

• American Goat Federation Web site www.americangoatfederation.org

If you have questions, contact the APHIS Veterinary Services District Field Office for 

your State (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/contact-us) or your 

State animal health office 

(http://www.usaha.org/upload/Federal%20and%20State%20Health/StateAnimalHealthOf

ficials_rev.pdf).