The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rule establishes general regulations for improving the traceability of U.S. livestock moving interstate.
The rule went into effect March 11, 2013, but included a 24-month phase-out period during which producers could continue to use various identification tags, such as those using a “900” numeric prefix, as official identification, according to Drovers CattleNetwork.
Effective March 11, 2015, only tags beginning with the 840 prefix—with the program’s official Animal Identification Number (AIN) system and the U.S. shield—will be in compliance with the program for non-exempt cattle moving across state lines. Others, such as 900 tags, remain acceptable only if the animal was tagged prior to March 11.
Click here for additional information on the ADT rule. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provides details on ID devices that comply with the ADT rule.