Most states require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and individual official ID for sheep and goats moving interstate that are not moving direct to slaughter. In addition, sheep and goats arriving at public livestock markets in Virginia must be officially identified. Markets may provide tagging services, but may charge a tagging fee to producers.
Official identification for sheep and goats includes ear tags approved by USDA for use in the Scrapie Eradication Program or the Scrapie Flock Certification Program. For new sheep and goat producers, a flock ID and limited number of scrapie tags can be requested by contacting USDA at 866.873.2824. Producers who already have a flock ID can purchase scrapie tags from a number of online vendors.