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Welcome to the Maryland Animal Identification & Movement requirements page. Below, you will find information regarding Federal regulations and Maryland State entry requirements. Please note that if you are moving animals out of Maryland, please consult the destination state or country’s animal health agency to ensure you meet all import regulations, testing protocols, and documentation standards.
The federal government issued final regulations in January 2013 that require most animals moving interstate (unless going directly to slaughter) to have official identification. States are required by this rule to implement and oversee individual official animal identification for animals moving in interstate commerce.
Import Requirements
Except where more stringent requirements are adopted herein, all animals being imported into Maryland from a high-risk area must meet the requirements for the prevention of disease located in MD Code, Agriculture, Title 3, Regulation of Livestock and Poultry.
All warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, and birds originating from Texas must be accompanied by an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI) issued within 72 hours of movement. Hatching and table eggs are exempt from these requirements.
The OCVI must document that all animals listed on the OCVI have been inspected and found free of contagious and infectious disease and pests, including New World Screwworm (NWS).
No alternative movement documents, such as an NPIP 9-3, will be accepted in lieu of an OCVI.
The OCVI must contain a statement from the accredited veterinarian attesting that:
“All animals listed on the OCVI have been examined within 72 hours of movement and none have been found to have a wound infested, or potentially infested, with New World Screwworm.”
All warm-blooded animals that have wounds that are not infested with NWS larvae can be imported into Maryland provided that the following requirements are met:
Any animal with a wound must be treated with a product listed as having an approved, conditionally approved, or emergency use authorization (EUA) for NWS by FDA.
The effective treatment for NWS must be administered in accordance with the following:
Oral or injected treatments must be administered no less than five days prior to entry into Maryland.
Topical treatments must be administered no less than five days prior to entry into Maryland.
The wound location and treatment must be documented on the OCVI.
No warm-blooded animals with NWS infestation are allowed to be imported into Maryland.
Maryland import requirements will be amended or lifted as appropriate. To ensure compliance with all applicable regulations, please verify Maryland's current import requirements prior to the movement of animals into the state.
Please note that many states may be implementing movement restrictions or new import requirements for animals during this outbreak. Always verify the destination state's import requirements to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture, Animal Health Program may be reached at 410-841-5810 or via email at [email protected].
Mandatory Reporting
Prompt reporting of any suspected or potential NWS cases to the State Veterinarian is required. Licensed veterinarians, livestock producers, livestock dealers, livestock markets, wildlife rehabilitators, municipal animal control officers, animal shelters, animal rescue organizations, fairs, shows, exhibitions, commercial animal exhibits (e.g., animal experiences such as goat yoga) and pet stores must immediately report any evidence of maggot infestation in a warm-blooded animal to the MDA Animal Health Program.
MDA Animal Health personnel will coordinate the collection of larval samples for submission to the Maryland Animal Health laboratories or another USDA-approved laboratory for identification. Prompt reporting and laboratory confirmation are critical to ensuring a rapid response and preventing the establishment and spread of New World Screwworm.
As of May 5, 2026: Lactating dairy cattle moving interstate from states classified as Unaffected under the National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) are no longer required to be tested for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 prior to movement.
Maryland was granted Unaffected State Status (Stage 4) under NMTS in November 2025. This means:
Premises registration is key to help respond to and minimize the impact of an animal disease outbreak. The first step in implementing an animal identification system is identifying and registering premises where livestock is congregated.
Animal Health officials work with federal and state partners along with producers to establish a successful identification program that will enable rapid traces to disease suspects and therefore rapid and more effective disease control.
As part of the Federal Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) program, the Maryland Department of Agriculture provides official RFID tags to producers upon request, subject to availability. Learn more by clicking on a link below.
If you would like to request tags, or have any questions regarding official identification or premises registration, please contact us via email [email protected] or call 410-841-5810.
