On 1 January 2025, WA began a phased transition to mandatory individual electronic identification (eID) for sheep and goats. The required NLIS identification for sheep and goats is changing from “NLIS ear tags” (visual tags) to “eID tags”. For more information on this transition, please visit Electronic identification for sheep and goats in Western Australia.
This webpage outlines the requirements for identifying sheep and goats in Western Australia and recording their movement between locations, in accordance with Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013.
All livestock owners and non-farming property operators in Western Australia are also required to be registered.
Stock traceability is the first step in good biosecurity and is a key part of everyday sound farm management practices. Traceability is essential in maintaining access to export markets and to support food safety. It allows stock to be traced for disease or residue purposes and deters stock theft.
Identification requirements
Sheep and goats in Western Australia must have an accredited NLIS tag or device, as defined under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013 (BAM IMSA Regulations).
Earmarking sheep and goats in WA is optional. If you choose to earmark your sheep or goats, they must be identified with the registered earmark listed on your PIC card.
NLIS identification
On 1 January 2025, NLIS identification for sheep and goats began its phased transition from NLIS ear tags (visual tags) to NLIS electronic devices (eID tags). The following information summarises the requirements for using NLIS ear tags (visual tags) or eID tags for identification during the transition.
For more details on the transition to eID tags, including timeframes and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), please visit Electronic identification for sheep and goats in Western Australia.
Sheep and goats born after 1 January 2025 must have an eID fitted before leaving their birth property or before they reach 6 months of age (whichever occurs sooner).
Sheep and goats born prior to 1 January 2025 must have either a eID fitted devise or a NLIS ear tag (visual tags). Note-after 1 July 2026 all sheep born prior to 1January 2025 must have an eID tag when leaving the property.
When NLIS tags (visual tags) are being used for an animal on the property of birth, the NLIS tag that is the correct colour for the year of birth must be used. This should be placed in the right ear for females and left ear for males.
When eID is implemented, WA will continue to follow the year-of-birth colour system for eIDs. Additional pink tags will no longer be required for sheep or goats that have an eID. See the electronic devices section below.
For sheep and goats born from 1 January 2025 onward, the BAM IMSA Regulations require a NLIS accredited radio frequency identifier (RFID) tags, also known as a NLIS electronic device or eID tag, to be used to identify each animal. Visual tags for stock born after this date are no longer legal forms of identification for traceability purposes under the regulations.
NLIS electronic devices (eID tags) have the PIC of the property they are purchased for on the outside of the tag as part of an individual 16-character identification number. They can only be used on this property.
If electronic devices are fitted, the RFID is scanned by a reader when the sheep and/or goats are moved and its details are used to record the movement to the new PIC on the NLIS database. No additional tags are required.
WA will continue to follow the year-of-birth colour system for eIDs. Year-of-birth colour eIDs must be applied to the sheep or goat before it reaches 6 months of age or before it is moved off the property of birth, whichever occurs first.
Following the transition away from visual tags, yellow NLIS eIDs can be used to identify stock born prior to 1 January 2025, when moving off their property of birth, after 1 July 2026.
The following exemptions to identification for sheep and goats are in place under the regulations.
Sheep
- Unweaned lambs moved with their correctly identified mother between properties with the same PIC do not need to be identified.
Goats
- Unweaned kids - if moved with their correctly identified mother between properties with the same PIC, unweaned goats do not need to be identified.
- Rangeland goats – please contact DPIRD for information on rangeland goat identification requirements during the transition to eID.
In other situations, an application can be made to DPIRD inspector for approval to move stock without the required NLIS identification for consideration on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Regulations.
Your registered brand consists of 2 letters and a number and is issued by the department. One of the letters may be ‘lazy’, laying on its side to the left.
Where NLIS ear tags (visual tags) are being used, your brand can be printed on your NLIS ear tags (visual tags) to indicate ownership. Using your brand on your NLIS visual tags (and not your PIC) means that sheep/goats only need to be re-tagged with pink visual tags when ownership changes, and not with a change in PIC.
NLIS electronic devices (eID tags) have the PIC of the property they are purchased for on the outside of the tag as part of an individual 16-character identification number, rather than the brand. They can only be used on this property (PIC).
Earmarking of livestock in WA is optional.
The earmark is a combination of 2 shaped notches taken out of the ear with approved earmarking pliers.
Should you choose to earmark, the registered earmark must be placed in the left ear for females and the right ear for males, and in the correct locations on the ear as illustrated on your registration certificate.
The appearance will alter if it's applied to the ear from a different position, such as from behind the ear instead of from the front. This will not be your legal earmark and may belong to someone else.
Approved earmarking pliers must be used, which are available from rural suppliers or online directly from the manufacturers.
Under the former BAM IMSA Regulations 2013, which were amended in 2024, there were differing identification rules for identification of sheep and goats in farming and non-farming properties based on whether the property was inside and outside of the South West Land Division.
The new regulations no longer refer to the South West Land Division, meaning no differing identification rules remain for sheep and goats.
Pink post breeder eIDs will only be necessary if the original breeder NLIS eID is missing or damaged, or if you have stock departing your property from 1 July 2026 onward that did not originate from your property. There can only be one eID on an animal at any time.
For more details on the transition to eID tags, visit Electronic identification for sheep and goats in Western Australia.
Bringing sheep and goats onto your property
Existing earmarks
Purchased/introduced animals that are already earmarked should not be re-earmarked.
NLIS ear tags and devices
See Electronic identification for sheep and goats in Western Australia for details on what to do if you purchase/introduce sheep or goats during the transitional period to full eID implementation in WA. The requirements will depend on whether the purchased animals already have eID tags or visual tags and whether you intend to sell the animals.
Identification equipment
All identification equipment, including tags, can be purchased through rural suppliers or online directly from the manufacturer.
Note the following:
- Equipment for applying the registered earmark to stock must not be removed from the property/ies with the PIC they are registered to without a permit from the department.
- NLIS tags with a specific PIC or brand can only be applied to animals while on the property/ies registered to that PIC unless a permit has been issued by an inspector.
- NLIS tags cannot be taken to a sale yard or similar facilities to be applied to sheep or goats unless a permit has been issued by an inspector.
Requirements for moving sheep or goats
Sheep and goats must not be moved off a property without having the required NLIS identification and a completed NVD, waybill or equivalent.
Complete a declaration every time you move stock from a PIC.
These requirements ensure that animals can be traced in the event of disease outbreak or chemical residue incident.
They also prove that stock is being moved with the owner’s consent and it must remain with the stock while they are being transported. The documents must be kept for 7 years.
To register with the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program and become accredited to access the commercially preferred waybills, contact 1800 683 111 or online at the Meat & Livestock Australia website.
If you're regularly moving stock between properties with the same PIC, the owner may transport the stock with their PIC card or a full scanned and printed copy of their current PIC card, rather than completing a NVD/Waybill.
Properties involved must be listed on the card and stock being moved need to be identified to that PIC/brand. It also allows movement of branding and earmarking equipment between the properties.
Sheep and/or goats arriving on a PIC must have their NLIS device scanned and transferred to the new PIC on the NLIS database within 48 hours of arrival. This is the responsibility of the receiver of the stock. They do not have to physically do it themselves but they must ensure it's done.
To access the NLIS database you first need to create an account. Once you're registered you can login to the NLIS database to transfer stock. For more information refer to the NLIS website and user guides.
If sheep and/or goats are bought from a saleyard or public auction, such as a trade show, on-farm bull sale or clearing sale, the saleyard operators will usually transfer the stock to the buyer’s PIC. This is the one instance where the receiver does not have to do the transfer, but they should check and confirm that it has been done.
Sheep and goats with visual NLIS tags are recorded as mob-based movements.
The following information is recorded in an upload to the database:
- consigning PIC (from PIC)
- the brand or PIC on the tags
- destination PIC (to PIC)
- number of sheep and/or goats
- the length of time the sheep or goats have been on consigning PIC
- waybill number, and
- date of movement.
The brand on all of the last-applied visual tags on sheep or goats in a consignment should be that of the current owner, all be the same and relate to the PIC of the property of consignment on the NVD waybill.
Sheep and/or goats fitted with an NLIS electronic device can be scanned and transferred individually as with cattle.
For more information, see the webpage: Creating an account and using the NLIS database.
If sheep and/or goats are bought from a saleyard or public auction, such as on-farm sale or clearing sale, the saleyard operators will usually record the movement of the stock to the buyer’s PIC. This is the one instance where the receiver does not have to do the transfer, however they should still check that it has been done.
If you're an owner of livestock, you have a responsibility to ensure you meet the requirements of the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013.
The penalty for a breach of this legislation may be a fine up to $20,000.
Offences under the regulations:
- Possessing stock that are not legally identified.
- Using another person’s registered brand or earmark.
- Possessing another person’s registered earmarking equipment.
- Applying your earmark or NLIS tags to animals on another person’s property.
- Using another person's NLIS tags.
- Removing NLIS ear tags.
- Trading/moving animals without correct identification.
- Failure to transfer animals on the NLIS database after movement to a different PIC.