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Earmarking and branding consultation

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Consultation on a proposal to make earmarking and branding for sheep and cattle optional in Western Australia has closed.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) thanks the wide range of Western Australian livestock owners, industry and community members who provided feedback on a proposal to make earmarking and branding of stock optional.

The proposal involved amending the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013 to remove the mandatory requirements for earmarking sheep and earmarking or branding cattle.

Consultation on the proposal opened on 17 November and closed on 22 December 2020. A wide range of views were received through the consultation survey from 574 respondents. Please see the consultation report to read more about the background to the proposal, the consultation process, the breakdown of results and the main reasons given in submissions for why people supported or opposed the proposal.

Consultation outcome

From 1 January 2022, livestock owners can choose whether to earmark their sheep, and earmark and/or brand their cattle and buffalo.

These changes have been introduced through amendments to the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013.

The Minister for Agriculture and Food approved the drafting of the amendment regulations following finalisation of the consultation report, which showed the majority (64%) of respondents to the consultation survey supported the proposal for both sheep and cattle.

Branding and earmarking: Your livestock. Your choice.

National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) tagging requirements

From 1 January 2022 cattle and buffalo owners will be required to apply an NLIS device to their cattle by six months of age in the southwest land division, or 18 months of age in the pastoral region, or before leaving the property; whichever occurs first.

Please note that:

  • NLIS tagging of sheep and cattle on property of birth remains mandatory: an accredited year of birth coloured tag for sheep, or an accredited white electronic device for cattle and buffalo
  • NLIS tagging with an additional pink NLIS tag in the earmark ear of brought in sheep is still required prior to leaving a property they were not born on
  • If cattle are on a property they were not born on and do not already have an NLIS device, an orange NLIS device must be applied as soon as practical.

What do I do if I want to continue earmarking and/or branding?

You can earmark your sheep and earmark and/or brand your cattle and buffalo if you wish to. DPIRD will continue to maintain the stock owner registration system and every registered owner will still be given their own unique brand and earmark.

Please note that:

  • Owners who earmark and/or brand will still be required to use the registered earmark and brand allocated to them as listed on their PIC card
  • It remains an offence to use someone else’s registered earmark or brand, or to create identification marks that will cause confusion with registered identifiers.

More information

For more information on these changes, please refer to the webpage changes to earmarking and branding requirements.

Information on current identification requirements for sheep and cattle is available via:


Consultation on a proposal to make earmarking and branding for sheep and cattle optional in Western Australia has closed.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) thanks the wide range of Western Australian livestock owners, industry and community members who provided feedback on a proposal to make earmarking and branding of stock optional.

The proposal involved amending the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013 to remove the mandatory requirements for earmarking sheep and earmarking or branding cattle.

Consultation on the proposal opened on 17 November and closed on 22 December 2020. A wide range of views were received through the consultation survey from 574 respondents. Please see the consultation report to read more about the background to the proposal, the consultation process, the breakdown of results and the main reasons given in submissions for why people supported or opposed the proposal.

Consultation outcome

From 1 January 2022, livestock owners can choose whether to earmark their sheep, and earmark and/or brand their cattle and buffalo.

These changes have been introduced through amendments to the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013.

The Minister for Agriculture and Food approved the drafting of the amendment regulations following finalisation of the consultation report, which showed the majority (64%) of respondents to the consultation survey supported the proposal for both sheep and cattle.

Branding and earmarking: Your livestock. Your choice.

National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) tagging requirements

From 1 January 2022 cattle and buffalo owners will be required to apply an NLIS device to their cattle by six months of age in the southwest land division, or 18 months of age in the pastoral region, or before leaving the property; whichever occurs first.

Please note that:

  • NLIS tagging of sheep and cattle on property of birth remains mandatory: an accredited year of birth coloured tag for sheep, or an accredited white electronic device for cattle and buffalo
  • NLIS tagging with an additional pink NLIS tag in the earmark ear of brought in sheep is still required prior to leaving a property they were not born on
  • If cattle are on a property they were not born on and do not already have an NLIS device, an orange NLIS device must be applied as soon as practical.

What do I do if I want to continue earmarking and/or branding?

You can earmark your sheep and earmark and/or brand your cattle and buffalo if you wish to. DPIRD will continue to maintain the stock owner registration system and every registered owner will still be given their own unique brand and earmark.

Please note that:

  • Owners who earmark and/or brand will still be required to use the registered earmark and brand allocated to them as listed on their PIC card
  • It remains an offence to use someone else’s registered earmark or brand, or to create identification marks that will cause confusion with registered identifiers.

More information

For more information on these changes, please refer to the webpage changes to earmarking and branding requirements.

Information on current identification requirements for sheep and cattle is available via:


Page last updated: 18 May 2022, 10:34 AM