What is the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)?

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• What is the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)?

  
  The NAIS is a national program to identify all premises and agricultural animals and track them through the production chain for disease traceback capability within 48 hours of discovery should either premises or animal come into direct contact with a foreign or domestic disease concern.
  
  

• Why is a national identification system needed?

  
  A national system is needed to help protect American animal agriculture from foreign or domestic disease threats. Fast and efficient identification is fundamental to contain or eradicate a disease quickly, which reduces the social impacts and the financial impacts on domestic and foreign markets. That ability will help uphold the reputation of the United States as having healthy animals and promote continued confidence in American agricultural and animal products.
  
  

• Who is responsible for NAIS?

  
  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in conjunction with state agencies and in cooperation with industry, have developed the program and will jointly oversee the administration of the three key components: premises identification, animal identification, and animal tracking.
  
  

• What is a premises and a premises identification number (PIN)?

  
  A premises is any location where animals are managed or held. This includes all locations where livestock is born, raised, handled, housed, managed, marketed, processed, or exhibited. Examples include farms and hobby farms, veterinary clinics, stables, livestock markets, slaughter and rendering facilities, livestock exhibitions, and any other location where livestock is kept. The USDA premises number allocator assigns the premises identification number (PIN), a unique seven-character alphanumeric ID, when a premises is being identified.
  
  

• What species are included in NAIS?

  
  Cattle, bison, swine, sheep, goats, poultry (including captive game birds), equine, cervids (deer, elk), camelids (llama, alpacas), and aquaculture are species that are considered livestock for this program.
  
  

• Why is it important to have a 48-hour traceback capability?

  
  USDA's long-term goal of 48-hour traceback will give local and state health officials the information they need to contain a disease quickly by staying ahead of it and limiting the physical and financial scope of a disease outbreak.
  
  

• Is NAIS a mandatory program?

  
  NAIS is voluntary. At this time, participation in NAIS and all phases of the program, premises identification, animal identification, and reporting animal movement, is voluntary.
  
  

• Is NAIS part of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)?

  
  NAIS is not part of the COOL program. NAIS is an animal health program under the auspices of USDA APHIS; COOL, an initiative that requires country of origin labeling for beef, lamb, pork, fish, and perishable agricultural commodities and peanuts, originally was signed into law under the 2002 Farm Bill. Public laws signed by President Bush in January 2004 and November 2005 delay the implementation for all covered commodities except wild and farm-raised shellfish until September 30, 2008.
  
  

• Why isn't branding a suitable national identification system?

  
  Brands denote ownership of an animal and are to help protect cattle owners from loss of animals due to theft, straying, or misappropriation. Premises and animal identification through NAIS is to help protect animal agriculture from devastating disease. Not all states have brand or brand inspection laws; not all livestock species are branded, and brands are not nationally unique. Brands have not shown too timely and/or effectively identify all individual animals or trace a diseased or exposed animal through multiple animal movements.
  
  

What does NAIS premises identification involve?

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• How do I identify my premises?

  
  There are two basic ways to identify your premises in Colorado:
  
  Download the registration form, complete it, and return it by mail or fax (303) 239-4164.
  Call the Colorado Department of Agriculture toll free at 1-877-842-0102 to register by phone.
  
  

• How much will it cost me to identify my premises?

  
  Identifying/registering your premises costs nothing.
  
  

• What information do I need to provide to identify my premises?

  
  Required information for premises identification is: name of the entity, owner or contact person, both mailing and physical address, telephone numbers of the owner and contact person (if different) type of operation, and type of livestock on premises. If you can provide GPS coordinates, they are helpful.
  
  

• What is GPS, and why is it important? How do I find out my GPS coordinates?

  
  GPS stands for Global Positioning System. As a worldwide satellite navigational system, GPS can calculate the longitude and latitude of a physical location. Your brand inspector or local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office can provide the GPS coordinates from its mapping system. This information is not required, but it is useful.
  
  

• Will the information I share about my premises be kept confidential?

  
  Only federal and state animal health and public health officials may access the data in the event of an animal disease outbreak or a public safety emergency. Other governmental agencies such as the IRS, EPA, or Colorado DEQ will not have access to the data.
  
  

• How do I identify a premises that does not have a physical address?

  
  When completing the forms, you will need to provide driving directions to the premises from the nearest town. When providing the driving directions, use directional indicators (East, West, South, and North), give number of miles from turns, and indicate on which side of the road the premises is located. The GPS coordinates are recommended for the premises in decimal degrees format. Brand inspectors or FSA can assist in obtaining these coordinates.
  
  

• What if I lease a property? Do I identify the premises?

  
  If you lease a premises and want to identify it, you will need the permission of the landowner. Verbal permission is sufficient. The premises identification number (PIN) identifies that physical location, and the property owner will receive the PIN.
  
  

• Do I need multiple premises identification numbers (PINs) if I operate on more than one premises?

  
  If you have animals on multiple premises and all or part of the animals are moved between the premises, such as holding bulls on one premises until they are moved to another premises for the breeding season, you can identify all the premises under one premises identification number. Use the physical address for the main premises when registering. However, if you require a brand inspection to move between the two properties (greater than 75 miles) you must obtain a premises ID for both properties.
  
  

• Do I have to identify a premises separately if it is located in a different county than my main premises?

  
  No, you do not have to register a premises under a different premises identification number if it is in another county from your main premises. When completing the form, list the Farm Service Agency farm numbers, if available, for each premises and indicate the county in which each is located. However, if you require a brand inspection to move between the two properties (greater than 75 miles) you must obtain a premises ID for both properties.
  
  

• If my cattle graze on my property that crosses state lines, do I need to register twice?

  
  No, if the property is contiguous, only one premises identification number is needed. The property owner/manager should contact both states and explain the situation to determine how best to identify the premises. Rule of thumb has been for the premises to be identified in the state where the physical address for the property in question is located.
  
  

• What is commingling?

  
  Commingling may be defined as an animal having contact with, or being intermixed with, animals other than herd mates from that animal's premises of origin. Livestock breaking through fence lines or other accidental contact is not considered commingling.
  
  

• Does identifying a premises require me to individually identify or tag my animals?

  
  No, obtaining a premises ID does not require you to individually tag your animals.
  
  

What are the benefits for producers to participate in NAIS?

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• What are the benefits to me for participating?

  
  The driving benefit of this program is disease control. If an outbreak can be contained quickly, the losses that you may suffer will be minimized. The program will also help increase consumer confidence in the nation's food supply. Because animal disease outbreaks can be quickly contained and eradicated through the NAIS, domestic foodstuffs will be more protected from the threat of disease. This consumer confidence stretches to other borders allows the United States to remain competitive in the global marketplace. Buyers worldwide, including some domestic customers, are beginning to demand product traceability for disease and health concerns.
  
  

• Can I use the premises identification number to source verify my cattle for marketing purposes?

  
  Premises identification does not automatically make your cattle source or age verified. USDA's Quality System Assessment (QSA) and Processed Verified Program (PVP) programs may require some of the same information, but these are separate programs under a separate sector of USDA.
  
  

• Will I be able to sell my livestock if the animals are not officially identified?

  
  Species currently required to be identified must continue to be identified prior to entering commerce (e.g., sheep and goats under the National Scrapie Eradication Program). As the program is phased in, USDA will encourage individual or group identification prior to sale. For animal owners who lack facilities to apply ID devices at the premises of birth, there will be provisions for initiating the process at the point of sale.
  
  

How will NAIS involve other animal health programs?

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• What will happen with the National Scrapie Eradication Program's identification system?

  
  USDA and animal industry are working to incorporate official identification systems already in existence, such as the Scrapie eradication program. Since consistency is a key objective of NAIS, animal identification numbers (AINs) will eventually become the official numbers for sheep and goats. Those animals currently identified through other official programs will be grandfathered into the NAIS program. USDA has laid plans for the current flock IDs to be cross-referenced with the new NAIS PINs.
  
  

• With the phase-out of existing official animal identification devices, what will happen with brucellosis vaccination tags? Will they still be used?

  
  It is likely that brucellosis vaccination tags will be phased out gradually as individual vaccination records are included in the database linked to each NAIS animal identification number (AIN).
  
  

And if I still have questions?

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• Will this system increase my liability as an animal owner?

  
  NAIS does not change your liability as an animal owner. You are equally liable for your animal whether you participate in NAIS or not.
  
  

• Do horse owners have to eartag their horses?

  
  No. Species-specific working groups, which are providing input to USDA, are aware of traditional methods of identifying animals and will not recommend methods that are contrary to current practices. The goal is to provide valid identification without compromising other needs of a given species.
  
  

• Will animal owners need to have a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader?

  
  It is not necessary for animal owners to have an RFID reader. As the CDA is exploring the possibilities of RFID technology and working on employing these identifying devices for state based programs. Animal owners that use RFID for official identification may not need to have an RFID reader in their possession. A producer may be able record the RFID number before it is applied to an animal without having to use a reader.
  
  

• Where can I go to get additional information?

  
  Information about NAIS is available at www.usda.gov/nais. Staff at the Colorado Department of Agriculture are available to answer additional questions by calling toll free 1-877-842-0102. You can also email PremiseReg@ag.state.co.us.