Guidance

Get new or replacement official ear tags for cattle

How to order official cattle ear tags, what to do if your animal is untagged, its tags have been damaged or it has been tagged incorrectly.

From:
British Cattle Movement Service and Rural Payments Agency
Published
6 May 2014
Last updated
8 November 2022 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

All cattle must have official ear tags to help identify each animal. This is a legal requirement to prevent and control the outbreak of disease.

If you do not follow the ear tagging rules, you could have movement restrictions placed on your herd, get reduced subsidy payments or be prosecuted.

Ear tagging rules

Ear tags must be bought from an approved supplier.

For all cattle born in England and Wales or imported from outside the EU, ear tags must clearly display a:

  • crown logo
  • country code (UK)
  • herd mark
  • 6-digit official ear tag number

For cattle imported from the EU or moved from Northern Ireland there are different rules for ear tags.

If you are exporting cattle to the EU or moving them to Northern Ireland, you need to follow additional ear tagging rules.

You cannot move animals off your holding without official ear tags. You must not reuse ear tags or official ear tag numbers on different animals.

Each animal must keep the same official ear tag number for life, unless they were either:

You’ll need a stock of approved ear tags to use when calves are born on your holding. Read the tagging guidance on what to do after a calf is born.

Get new ear tags

You must order ear tags from approved suppliers registered with the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS).

Find approved cattle ear tag suppliers.

You’ll need to tell the supplier your:

The supplier will use this information to create official ear tag numbers for your tags.

The supplier will then send the printed tags to you to attach to your animals.

Try to order the number of ear tags you think you’ll need in one year. Store any unused ear tags securely.

Replace lost, damaged, missing or incorrect ear tags

If you need to replace lost or damaged tags, contact an approved ear tag supplier to order a replacement.

You must order and fit replacement tags within 28 days of noticing the tag loss or damage.

If an animal you buy arrives with one missing tag, contact an approved supplier to get a replacement.

You must not move the animal from your holding until the replacement tag has been fitted.

Do not accept any animal onto your holding if it arrives without any tags or you think there is something wrong with the tags. Contact BCMS for advice.

British Cattle Movement Service
Email: bcmsenquiries@rpa.gov.uk
Telephone (England): 0345 050 1234
Telephone (Wales): 0345 050 3456
Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges.

Animals born or imported before 1998

If you need to replace a lost, damaged, or missing official ear tag for an animal born or imported before 1998, you must get a replacement tag from an approved supplier.

You can get either a:

  • single tag showing the original official ear tag number
  • single tag showing a new official ear tag number
  • set of 2 tags showing a new official ear tag number

If you get a new official ear tag number

You must record the new official ear tag number in your holding register within 36 hours of tagging

Within 14 days of tagging you must send to BCMS:

  • the animal’s passport, if it has one
  • the animal’s certificate of registration, if it has one
  • the new official ear tag number

BCMS will change the details and issue a new passport.

Ear tagging rules for cattle imported, moved or exported

You must have the relevant cattle passport and ear tags for each animal. Follow the guidance on:

Give feedback about ear tags

You can provide feedback to BCMS on approved ear tags and suppliers.

Feedback includes any problems you have with ear tags such as:

  • infection to cattle
  • loss rates
  • performance
  • breakages
  • legibility

BCMS will check this feedback and may act on it. Complete the feedback form or get a form from your supplier.

Updates to this page

Published 6 May 2014
Last updated 8 November 2022 + show all updates

  1. Consolidated 2 pages of ear tagging guidance into one and clarified the rules. Moved information about ear tagging rules when importing and exporting cattle onto the GOV.UK pages about importing and exporting cattle.

  2. This guidance has been updated to show it no longer applies to Scotland.

  3. Updated with guidance on how to comply with rules from 1 January.

  4. Changed the layout of approved eartags

  5. The list of approved cattle ear tag manufacturers has been updated.

  6. Updated version of cattle eartag list added

  7. Updated the BCMS email address on the eartag feedback form.

  8. New Ear Tag manufacturer list added.

  9. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  10. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  11. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  12. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  13. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  14. New cattle ear tag list added

  15. Version 51 of cattle list added

  16. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  17. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  18. updated eartag list added

  19. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  20. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  21. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  22. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  23. Updated ear tag suppliers

  24. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  25. Updated cattle ear tag manufacturers list

  26. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  27. The list of approved cattle ear tag manufactures has been updated

  28. Updated list of suppliers and the official tags they supply

  29. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  30. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  31. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  32. The approved list of suppliers of cattle ear tags has been updated.

  33. The approved Cattle Ear tag supplier list has been updated.

  34. Updated list of new or replacement official ear tags for cattle

  35. New version of Cattle Ear tag list added.

  36. Updated list of cattle ear tag suppliers

  37. Updated list of cattle ear tags

  38. Update to list for official ear tags suppliers

  39. Updated list of cattle ear tag suppliers

  40. Updated the eartag feedback form

  41. Eartag list updated

  42. updated version of ear tags list published

  43. Updated version of Cattle Ear Tags list published

  44. First published.

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