(a) Approved official identification devices or methods for cattle and bison required to be officially identified for movement are as follows:
(1) An official eartag; or
(2) Brands registered with a state's official brand recording authority and accompanied by an official Brand Inspection Certificate when agreed to by the Department and animal health officials in the shipping state; or
(3) Tattoos and other identification methods acceptable to a breed association for registration purposes, accompanied by a breed registration certificate when agreed to by the Department and animal health officials in the shipping state; or
(4) Group/lot identification when a group/lot identification number may be used.
(b) No more than one official eartag may be applied to an animal, except when:
(1) Another official eartag bears the same official identification number as an existing one.
(2) Approved by the Department or USDA for intensified purposes. The person applying the additional official eartag must record the following information about the event and maintain the record for five (5) years:
(A) Date the additional official eartag is added;
(B) Reason for the additional official eartag device;
(C) Official identification numbers of both the new official eartag and the one(s) already attached to the animal.
(3) An eartag with an animal identification number (AIN) beginning with the 840 prefix (either Electronic Identification Device or visual-only tag) may be applied to an animal that is already officially identified with one or more National Uniform Eartagging System tags and/or an official vaccination eartag used for brucellosis. The person applying the AIN eartag must record the following information about the event and maintain the record for five (5) years:
(A) Date the AIN tag is added; and
(B) Official identification numbers of all official eartags.
(4) A brucellosis vaccination eartag with a National Uniform Eartagging System number pursuant to Title 3, California Code of Regulations, section 752(c) may be applied to an animal that is already officially identified with one or more official eartags under this article. The person applying the vaccination eartag must record the following information about the event and maintain the record for five (5) years:
(A) Date the tag is added and
(B) Official identification numbers of all the existing official eartag(s) and the vaccination eartag.
(c) Removal or loss of official identification devices.
(1) Removal of official identification devices, including devices applied to imported animals in their countries of origin and recognized by the Department or USDA as official, is prohibited except at the time of slaughter, at any other location upon the death of the animal, or as otherwise approved by the Department or USDA when a device needs to be replaced.
(2) If diagnostic samples are taken at State Licensed Custom Slaughter Plants, pursuant to Food and Agricultural Code sections 19010-19017, the identification devices must be packaged with the samples and be correlated with the carcasses through final inspection or condemnation. Devices collected at slaughter must be made available to the Department and USDA by the slaughter plant.
(3) All official identification devices affixed to livestock carcasses moved for rendering must be removed at the rendering facility and made available to the Department and USDA.
(4) If an animal loses an official identification device and needs a new one:
(A) A replacement tag with a different official identification number may be applied. The person applying a new official identification device with a different official identification number must record the following information about the event and maintain the record for five (5) years:
1. Date the new official identification device was added;
2. Official identification number on the device;
3. Official identification number on the old device if known.
(B) Replacement of a temporary identification device with a new official identification device is considered to be a retagging event, and all applicable information must be maintained in accordance with (c)(4)(A) above.
(C) A duplicate replacement eartag with the official number of the lost tag may be applied in accordance with the USDA's protocol for the issuance of duplicate official identification eartags.
(d) The Department or USDA may authorize the replacement of an official identification device for reasons other than loss, including but not limited to, when:
(1) Deterioration of the device such that loss of the device appears likely or the number can no longer be read;
(2) Infection at the site where the device is attached, necessitating application of a device at another location in the ear;
(3) Malfunction of the electronic component of an Electronic Identification Device (EID) device; or
(4) Incompatibility or inoperability of the electronic component of an EID device with the management system or unacceptable functionality of the management system due to use of an EID device; and
(5) The person replacing an official identification device for reasons other than loss must record the following information about the event and maintain the record for five (5) years:
(A) The date on which the device was removed;
(B) Contact information for the location where the device was removed;
(C) The official identification number (to the extent possible) on the device removed;
(D) The type of device removed (e.g., metal eartag, EID eartag);
(E) The reason for the removal of the device;
(F) The new official identification number on the replacement device; and
(G) The type of replacement device applied.
(e) USDA-accredited and state-licensed veterinarians or other persons or entities distributing official eartags or any person applying official eartags to animals on behalf of the owner must record the following information about the event and maintain the record for five (5) years:
(1) The names and addresses of anyone to whom the eartags were distributed or the owner of the animals;
(2) Official identification numbers of the eartags distributed or applied; and
(3) The date of distribution or application.
(f) The distribution or application of official eartags must be reported to the Department's Animal Health Branch within seven (7) calendar days following the end of each reporting quarter, even if no tags were distributed or applied. USDA-accredited and state-licensed veterinarians or other persons or entities distributing official eartags, or any person applying official eartags to animals on behalf of the owner, may use the Report of Official Ear Tags Distributed or Applied, AHB Form 76-210, as provided by the Department, or another form or method, to report the distribution or application of tags, which at minimum must contain the following information:
(1) Name and address of the veterinary clinic or facility distributing or applying tags;
(2) Name of veterinarian or person distributing or applying tags; and veterinary license number, if applicable;
(3) Reporting year and reporting quarter (March, June September, or December);
(4) Starting and ending tag numbers;
(5) The date of distribution or application; and
(6) Premises or owner name; physical address, city, zip and telephone number where tags were distributed to or location of animals when tagged.
(7) Official eartags distributed to a livestock facility must only be used on animals maintained on that facility.
(8) The Department may only distribute additional official eartags upon receipt of the record as described in subsections (f)(1) through (f)(6) above documenting use and/or distribution of official ear tags provided by the Department.
(g) Official identification devices are not to be sold or otherwise transferred from the premises to which they were originally issued to another premises without authorization by the Department or USDA.
(h) The Department or USDA may authorize the use of additional devices or methods if such additional devices or methods will provide for adequate traceability.
Credits
Note: Authority cited: Sections 407 and 10610, Food and Agricultural Code. Reference: Sections 9561, 9562, 9932, 10324, 10325, 10326 and 10610, Food and Agricultural Code.
