They are relatively permanent even though they can fade with time. Tattoos are useful because they cannot easily be removed and no special device is needed to see them and identify the animal. Placing a tattoo is more involved than other forms of permanent identification. Other drawbacks to tattoos may be the coloring of the llama or the llama's unwillingness to allow its ears to be handled enough to visualize the tattoo. Seeing the tattoo well enough to read it could be difficult with older tattoos in darkly colored ears.
Ear tags are the least common form of permanent identification found in llamas.
The majority of llamas in the United States with ear tags were imported and received their ear tag in another country. Ear tags are quick and easy to put in and remain in place fairly well. After several years ear tags can fall out, be ripped out or be removed easily. Llamas tend to be viewed as companion animals instead of livestock and often live longer than the functional lifetime of the ear tag. Most llama breeders do not use ear tags for aesthetic reasons.