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Import Requirements for Animals Entering Utah


General Import Requirements

Utah is a class free state for brucellosis, tuberculosis, Salmonella pullorum and scabies, and Stage V pseudorabies.

All animals entering Utah must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate), except for animals consigned directly to an inspected slaughter establishment or approved auction market, which need only a Brand Inspection Certificate. A Brand Inspection Certificate is required on all cattle, equines, and elk.

Entry permits obtained prior to shipment are required on all cattle, swine, sheet and goats, poultry, game and furbearing animals, zoo animals, birds (including Ratites), and other exotic or wild animals (including Elk and Bison), unless consigned directly to an inspected slaughter establishment or approved auction market.

Entry permits and other current information may be obtained by calling (801) 538-7164 between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM current Mountain Time, Monday thru Thursday.

After hours, weekends, and holidays call (801) 870-0500 or (435) 528-5368 or (801) 520-4309 or (801) 520-4311 or (801) 541-1908 or (801) 870-7818.

Other Agencies

The following agencies may also have requirements for holding, selling, breeding, or importing wildlife and exotic species.

Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
USDA APHIS Veterinary Services

Aquatic Animals or Aquaculture Products

An entry permit is required to import live aquatic animals or their eggs into Utah from any location outside the state. This permit is in addition to the COR for operation of the facility. Entry permits may be obtained by contacting the UDAF Fish Health Program at (801) 538-7029 and providing the following information:

  • Name, address, phone number and COR number of importer.
  • Species, size and/or number of aquatic animals or eggs to be imported.
  • Name and health approval number of sources, origin of aquatic animals/eggs, transfer history, and approximate date of shipment.
  • For international shipments, a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate) from the source must be obtained by the importer indicating that known nuisance species are not found in the water source.

All shipments of live aquatic animals must originate from sources that have been health approved by UDAF and assigned a fish health approval number. A list of approved sources is maintained by UDAF, and may be obtained by contacting the UDAF Fish Health Program at (801) 538-7029.

For more detailed information about importation of aquatic animals, see the full text of Administrative Rule R58-17, Aquaculture and Aquatic Animal Health.

Cats, Dogs and Ferrets

All dogs, cats and ferrets over four months of age shall be accompanied by an official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate), showing a current vaccination against rabies. The date of vaccination, name of product used, and expiration date must be given.

Cattle and Bison

All cattle entering Utah, except those going directly to an inspected slaughter establishment or approved auction market, require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. Entry permit
  3. Brand inspection certificate
  4. Cattle entering Utah must be official calfhood vaccinated for brucellosis and have legible tattoos.
  5. Negative Brucellosis test within 30 days on bulls 12 months or older and females 24 months or older unless from a certified free herd or born in the herd of origin.
  6. Negative tuberculosis test is required within 60 days prior to shipment for dairy cattle two months or older, rodeo bulls, roping steers, and cattle coming from an area that is not declared free of tuberculosis.
  7. Brucellosis tested cattle may be subject to a 45 to 120 day retest.
  8. Bulls over 9 months of age entering Utah require a negative trichomoniasis test (three (3) culture or 1 PCR) within 30 days prior to entry except for bulls for slaughter, rodeo, exhibition, and those kept in confinement.

Bison entering Utah require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. Entry permit
  3. A negative Tuberculosis test within 60 days prior to entry
  4. A negative Brucellosis test within 30 days prior to entry
  5. Ivomec injection
  6. Females over 12 months of age must be official calfhood vaccinated for Brucellosis and have legible tattoos.
  7. Bulls over 9 months of age entering Utah require a negative trichomoniasis test (three (3) culture or 1 PCR) prior to entry.

All cattle and bison must carry some form of individual identification, such as a brand registered with an official brand agency, or an ear tag or registration tattoo. Identification must be listed on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Official individual identification used for testing purposes must be shown on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. The import permit number must be listed on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. This includes exhibition cattle.

For more detailed information about importation of cattle and bison, see the full text of Administrative Rule R58-1, section 5, Admission and Inspection of Livestock, Poultry and Other Animals.

Cervidae (elk and deer)

All elk imported into Utah shall originate from states which have implemented a Program for Surveillance, Control, and Eradication of CWD in Domestic Elk. All elk imported into Utah must originate from herds that have been participating in a verified CWD surveillance program for a minimum of 5 years.

Privately owned elk entering Utah require the following:

  1. A prior Elk Farming or Elk Hunting Park license with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
  2. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  3. Entry permit
  4. Proof of ownership or brand inspection certificate
  5. Two negative Tuberculosis tests conducted not less than 90 days apart except elk under six months of age accompanied by a negative testing dam, or elk originating from an accredited, qualified, or monitored herd, in which case a single negative test within 60 days of entry into the state is acceptable.
  6. A negative Brucellosis test run by at least two types of official brucellosis testing is required on all animals six months of age or older within thirty (30) days prior to entry.
  7. The following signed statement must appear on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection:
    "To the best of my knowledge the elk listed herein are not infected with Johne's disease (Paratuberculosis), Chronic Wasting Disease, or Malignant Catarrhal Fever and have never been east of the 100 degree meridian."
  8. The herd of origin must have performed monitoring for Chronic Wasting Disease at least equal to the Utah herd.

Elk semen, eggs, or gametes imported to Utah require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection stating:

"The source animal(s) have been tested for genetic purity for Rocky Mountain Elk genes and have never resided on a premise where CWD has been identified".

For more detailed information about importation of deer and elk, see the full text of Administrative Rule R58-18, Elk Farming, and Administrative Rule R58-20, Domesticated Elk Hunting Parks.

Equidae (Horses, Mules, Donkeys and Asses)

All equids entering Utah require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. A negative EIA (Coggins) test within 12 months
  3. Proof of ownership, or brand inspection certificate
  4. An entry permit is required for breeding stallions that are carriers of Equine Viral Arteritis.

Horses, mules and asses may be imported into the State of Utah when accompanied by an official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. The certificate must state that the equine animals described were examined on the date indicated and found free from symptoms of any infectious or communicable disease such as CEM, Contagious Equine Metritis, and EIA, Equine Infectious Anemia. The Certificate of Veterinary Inspection must show a negative coggins test within one year previous to the time the certificate was issued. Utah horses returning to Utah as part of a commuter livestock shipment are exempted from the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection requirements; however, a valid Utah horse travel permit is required for re-entering Utah.

Game and Fur-Bearing Animals

Game and fur bearing animals entering Utah require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. Entry Permit
  3. Certificate of Registration from the Division of Wildlife Resources

Goats and Camelids (camels, llamas, alpacas, vicunas, guanacos)

Llamas and other camelids entering Utah require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. A negative brucellosis test within 30 days
  3. A negative tuberculosis test within 60 days

Meat goats require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. Compliance with Federal Scrapie identification requirements

Dairy goats require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. Entry permit
  3. Negative brucellosis test within 30 days
  4. Negative tuberculosis test within 60 days
  5. Compliance with Federal Scrapie identification requirements

Dairy goats and camelids entering Utah for exhibition purposes only are exempt from the testing requirements.

For more detailed information about importation of goats and camelids, see the full text of Administrative Rule R58-1, section 10, Admission and Inspection of Livestock, Poultry and Other Animals.

Poultry and Game Birds

Poultry means all domesticated fowl, including chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, ratites, and game birds, except doves and pigeons, which are bred for the primary purpose of producing eggs or meat.

All poultry entering Utah require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. Entry permit
  3. Current NPIP number
  4. If no NPIP number, then negative blood tests for salmonella pullorum, mycoplasma gallisepticum, mycoplasma synoviae, mycoplasma melegridis, within the last 30 days

For more detailed information about importation of poultry and game birds, see the full text of Administrative Rule R58-6, Poultry.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources individuals who desire to hold live game birds for more than 60 days to apply for and receive a Certificate of Registration (COR) for an aviculture installation prior to receiving the birds.

Psittacine and Passerine Birds and Raptors

Psittacine and passerine birds and raptors entering Utah require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. Entry permit

No Psittacine and passerine birds and raptors shall be shipped into the State of Utah unless a permit is obtained from the Department prior to importation. Request for a permit must be made by an accredited veterinarian certifying that the birds are free from any symptoms of any infectious, contagious or communicable disease. The request must also state the number and kinds of birds to be shipped into Utah, their origin, date to be shipped and destination, all listed on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection.

Ratites (ostriches, emu and rheas)

Ratites entering Utah require the following unless consigned directly to a slaughter establishment:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. Entry permit
  3. A current NPIP number, or
  4. If no NPIP number, then negative blood tests for Salmonella pullorum, Mycoplasma synoviae, Mycoplasma melegridis, and Mycoplasma gallisepticum within the last 30 days
  5. Ivomec injection

For more detailed information about importation of ratites, see the full text of Administrative Rule R58-6, Poultry.

Sheep

Sheep entering Utah must have:

  • Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  • Entry permit
  • Compliance with Federal Scrapie identification requirements
  • Breeding rams six months of age or older shall test negative for Brucella ovis within 30 days of entry. Rams entering for exhibition purposes are exempt from testing

Contact the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for requirements for holding or breeding non-domestic breeds of sheep and goats.

For more detailed information about importation of domestic sheep, see the full text of Administrative Rule R58-1, section 8, Admission and Inspection of Livestock, Poultry and Other Animals.

Swine

Breeding and Exhibition swine over three months of age entering Utah require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate) stating that the swine have not been fed raw garbage and show individual identification.
  2. Entry permit

Feeder swine and swine under 3 months of age from Brucellosis Free states and Pseudorabies Stage III, IV, or V states do not require testing for brucellosis or pseudorabies, or vaccination for Leptospirosis and Erysipelas.

All swine entering the state are subject to an 18 day quarantine beginning on the day of arrival, prior to being added to the herd. The owner shall notify the Department of the day of arrival by calling (801) 538-7161.

For more detailed information about importation of swine, see the full text of Administrative Rule R58-1, section 7, Admission and Inspection of Livestock, Poultry and Other Animals.

Wildlife

Wildlife and Raptors entering Utah require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. Entry permit
  3. Certificate of Registration from the Division of Wildlife Resources

It is unlawful for any person to import into or export from the state of Utah any species of live native or exotic wildlife or to possess or release from captivity any such imported live wildlife except as shown below, or by the rules and regulations of the Utah Wildlife Board without first securing written permission from the Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Natural Resources, 1596 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116, (801) 538-4887.

All wildlife imports shall meet the same Department requirements as domestic animals.

Coyote and Raccoon Permits

It is unlawful to import, distribute, relocate or possess live raccoons or coyotes except as provided by R58-14, Holding Live Coyotes or Raccoons in Captivity.

Upon filing an application for registration with the Department of Agriculture and Food, upon a form provided by the department, a permit may be issued by the department authorizing the applicant to hold in live captivity raccoons or coyotes for research, educational, zoos, circuses, or other purposes authorized by the Department of Agriculture and Food.

Zoo Animals

Zoo animals entering Utah require the following:

  1. Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)
  2. Entry permit

The entry of common zoo animals, as monkeys, apes, baboons, rhinoceros, giraffes, zebras, elephants, to be kept in zoos, or shown at exhibitions is authorized when a permit has been obtained from the Department.

Movement of zoo animals must also be in compliance with the Federal Animal Welfare Act.

Semen and Embryos

Please contact the State Veterinarian's Office for more specific information concerining various species.

  1. Elk semen, eggs, or gametes imported to Utah require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection stating: "The source animals have been tested for genetic purity for Rocky Mountain Elk genes and have never resided on premises where CWD has been identified."
  2. Semen from stallions that are carriers of Equine Viral Arteritis requires an entry permit.