Howdy Horse Owners,
My name is Troy Higgs, a Brand Inspector for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. I have been asked to
tell about the need for brands and brand inspections.
If you run cattle, sheep, or horses on public lands, forest permits etc. it is required by law that these animals be
branded. Animals carrying a brand can be linked back to the owner almost immediately. It discourages theft and
can be a great help in locating your animal if it is lost or stolen.
Freeze and hot iron branding are good methods and the brands are identifiable at a distance in most cases. If
freeze branding is the method you choose, please take into consideration when branding a light colored animal as it
will not show up as well as on a darker colored animal. If you elect to brand with a hot iron don’t burn the brand on
too long as this can make the brand “blotch” and be hard to read. Remember, never alter a brand. If the animal is
already branded in the position you have selected, simply brand above or below the old brand. Apply the hot brand
long enough to make the skin of the animal a rich salmon color. A hair brand is illegal, because when the hair
grows out in the winter the brand is gone.
Brand inspection certificates are proof of ownership for animals that you bought through a private party, auction or
other transaction. As brand inspectors, we need this title to allow you to sell this animal(s) that were purchased
from another party with their brand. The same process is required whether the animal is branded or not. The
brand inspection certificate or auction invoice is your proof of ownership. The law states that you need to re-brand
within 30 days after purchase. An example of this might be – you bought 20 head of Black Angus cattle from your
neighbor and you failed to re-brand with your brand. Then the animals escaped from your pasture and back into
the neighbors. The cattle are now mixed and you are left to decide which animals are yours and which are his. If
you had re-branded them there would not be a question of ownership. The same thing applies to horses. There
are many horses that are the same color and without them being branded, identification can be difficult.
TRAVELING WITH YOUR HORSES INSIDE UTAH
Anytime you transport a horse within the State of Utah, you must have proof of ownership with your. This can be
accomplished in a number of ways:
1st – Retain and use your brand inspection certificate you received at the time you purchased your horse.
(Whenever you buy or sell a horse, you will need a “change of ownership” inspection ($5.00) which the seller
should furnish to the buyer as title to the horse.
2nd – Retain and use your auction invoice or special sale invoice from the time you purchased the horse.
3rd – Obtain a yearly travel permit from your local brand inspector ($10.00: expires on December 31st of the year
issued.)
4th – Obtain a “Horse Permanent Travel Permit” (Lifetime - $25.00; good for the life of the horse).
5th – Use a breed “certificate of registration” paper showing your name as the owner. Does not count if only using
a signed transfer.
6th – Record a brand with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, brand your horse, carry your brand card
in your wallet. (Best method in trying to prevent theft).
7th – If transporting horses belonging to someone else, carry written permission from the owner.
No heath inspections are required as long as you travel within the state
TRAVELING WITH YOUR HORSES OUTSIDE UTAH
Brand Inspection
1. Obtain a one-way inspection ($5.00 – good for 72 hours) from your local brand inspector. If you are gone
longer than 72 hours you will need to look up an inspector in the state you are going to in order for him to write you
an inspection back to Utah.
2. Obtain a yearly travel permit ($10.00 – expires December 31st of the year issued) from the local inspector.
This will allow you to leave the state and return as many times as you like within a one year period. Note: This
annual permit is not accepted by Wyoming or Montana.
3. Obtain a “Horse Permanent Travel Permit” ($25.00; good for the life of the horse). This permit is honored
throughout America and Canada.
Health Inspection
1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (valid for 30 days) issued by your local veterinarian.
2. Negative Coggins test (Equine Infectious Anemia Laboratory test) usually also done by your local vet who will
pull blood, and send the test to a certified lab. This may need to be done every 6 months or yearly, depending on
the state you are gong to. (Coggins tests are valid for six months in California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon,
Washington and Wyoming. They are valid for one year in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North
Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.
STOPPING AT THE “PORT OF ENTRY”
The “Vehicles with Livestock Must Stop” signs at Ports of Entry apply not just to commercial haulers but to anyone
transporting horses as well as cattle, sheep, pigs, wildlife or fish. Take your paperwork into the office so you will
have all the required information to fill out the “Livestock and Fish Movement Report” paperwork.
If you have any questions about registering a brand or locating your local brand inspector you can go to the Utah
Department of Agriculture and Food web site at http://www.ag.utah.gov or call 801-538-7137.