Veterinary Division
General Requirements for Animal Imports into North Carolina
NORTH CAROLINA
Health Requirements Governing the Admission of Animals
For More Information on Current Regulations, Please Contact:
Dr. David T. Marshall
State Veterinarian
1030 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1030
Telephone: (919) 733-7601
Fax: (919) 733-6431
General Info | Cattle | Horses and other Equidae | Hogs | Sheep | Goats |
Dogs and Cats | Avian Species | Bovidae and Cervidae | Rabbits |
Zoo, Furbearing and other Wild Animals | Semen & Frozen Embryos |
Biologics, Microorganisms & Parasites | Emergency Provisions
GENERAL
1. Animal imports must meet the requirements of Health Regulations Governing Admission of Livestock and Poultry into North Carolina and be in compliance with Federal Interstate Health Requirements.
2. Any accredited veterinarian approved by the recognized livestock sanitary official of the state of origin may inspect animals and issue health certificates. Permits may be obtained from the State Veterinarian's office, 1030 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1030, Telephone (919) 733-7601. Requests for permits must be made by the resident consignee. Requests for bird permits should be directed to Rollins Diagnostic Laboratory (919) 733-3986.
3. No animal affected with, or recently exposed to, an infectious or transmissible disease shall be imported into the state unless accompanied by a permit from the State Veterinarian.
4. The owners and operators of all vehicles including trucks, trailers, railcars, airplanes and other conveyances shall not move any livestock or other animals, including poultry, into North Carolina except in compliance with the provision of these regulations. An owner or custodian of livestock shall not aid, abet, direct or permit the movement of animals into North Carolina in violation of the regulations. An owner or custodian shall prepare each consignment for shipment according to the requirements of these regulations and see that such requirements are certified on an official health certificate, or by a permit issued by the State Veterinarian of North Carolina when a health certificate is not required.
All livestock not required to be accompanied by health certificates, test certificates or permits by the provisions of these regulations shall be accompanied by a waybill, invoice or owner-shipper certificate stating:
(1) The point from which the animals are moved interstate.
(2) The specific unloading destination (including street address and number if any) of the animals.
(3) The number of animals covered by the document.
(4) The name and address of the owner or shipper.
(5) The identification of the animals.
Owners, custodians and carriers shall not unload livestock or other animals including poultry except at locations indicated on health certificates. Any deviation of unloading site shall be accompanied by a written permit issued by the State Veterinarian or his agent.
Trucks and other conveyances used for transportation of livestock and poultry must be maintained in a sanitary condition. Owners and operators of trucks and other conveyances used for interstate movement of livestock infected with, or exposed to, an infectious or transmissible disease shall be required to have them cleaned and disinfected under official supervision. A certificate of such cleaning and disinfection shall be attached to the waybill or in possession of the conveyance operator.
5. Requirement for official health certificate. All livestock, poultry and pets imported into the state shall be accompanied by an official health certificate containing the names and addresses of the consignor and consignee, the origin of the animals, their final destination and an accurate description or identification of the animals (age, sex, breed, tag, tattoo or brand number). It shall also indicate the health status of the animals listed including dates and results of required tests and dates of pertinent vaccinations. Health certificates shall be void after thirty (30) days except those for cattle and hogs entering the state for exhibition purposes; these shall be valid for sixty (60) days from the date of issuance and the requirements for negative brucellosis tests within thirty (30) days of entry into the state shall be interpreted to mean within sixty (60) days.
The exceptions are:
a. Apparently health animals for immediate slaughter.
b. Horses or mules of the United States Army or horses which are consigned to any race track or entering the state temporarily for exhibition purposes.
c. Dogs for exhibition purposes, which are to be within the state for a limited time.
d. Poultry. Other than official health certificate required. See Poultry.
Poultry, hatching eggs and psittacine bird health certificates should be mailed to Rollins Diagnostic Laboratory, 1031 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1031
CATTLE
Health certificate and individual identification is required on all cattle.
A. Class Free States - No test requirement.
B. Class A States
A negative brucellosis test within 30 days of shipment on all cattle 8 months of age or older except:
1. Steers and spayed heifers.
2. Cattle originating from certified brucellosis-free herds.
3. Official clashed vaccinated of beef breed less than 24 months of age or of dairy breeds less than 20 months of age.
C. Class B and Class C States
Special permit and specific health requirements from the State Veterinarian's office for:
1. Class B State origin test eligible cattle must be tested within 30 days or be from a certified herd.
2. Class C State origin test eligible cattle must have two negative tests 60 days apart, the last within 30 days of shipment or be from a certified herd.
3. Class C State female cattle will be quarantined until test negative 20 to 45 days after calving.
D. Tuberculosis - No test requirement if from a Tuberculosis-free state or accredited herd.
Click here for Federal Tuberculosis Regulations
E. Other Named Disease Requirements
1. No cattle infested with or exposed to ticks (Boophilus annulatus, B. microplus, or Rhipicephalus evertsi) are eligible to enter the State for any purpose. Cattle from State-Federal tick quarantined areas shall not be brought into the State except in accordance with the regulations of USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services.
2. No cattle affected with scabies may enter the State for any purpose. No cattle recently exposed to scabies, or from an area quarantined for scabies shall enter the State except in accordance with regulations of USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services.
F. Other Movements
1. Exhibitions, Fairs, and Shows. See requirements for brucellosis, tuberculosis, and other diseases. Health certificate valid for sixty (60) days for exhibition cattle.
HORSES AND OTHER EQUIDAE
Health certificate is required within 30 days of shipment with horses individually listed.
A. Horses, ponies, mules, asses zebras, and all other equine species may be imported into the state when accompanied by an official health certificate giving accurate description of them and certifying that as determined by a physical examination they are free fro any evidence of an infectious or transmissible disease and have not been exposed recently to any infectious or transmissible disease, and attesting that any animal over six (6) months of age has passed a negative official test for equine infectious anemia within 12 months prior to entry.
B. Exhibition
Negative official equine infectious anemia test certification within the past 12 months. No health certificate is required.
C. Market/Auction Sales
All equine over six (6) months of age moved for the purpose of change of ownership must be accompanied by an official certificate verifying a negative test for EIA conducted within twelve (12) months prior to sale or movement. Equine may have tests conducted at certain established pre-approved markets at seller's expense for reasons of sale and transfer provided they move with an owner-shipper statement and provided that the equine are restricted until the test has been conducted and held in isolation until negative test results have been received.
HOGS
Health certificate, issued within 30 days, listing individual identification, is required on ALL swine, AND
A. Breeding Swine or swine destined to breeding premises - NO PERMIT REQUIRED
1. Must show the eartag number or other individual identification acceptable to the State Veterinarian and must show pseudorabies status of both herd and state or area of origin, and
2. Must originate from Validated Brucellosis-Free herds or states, and
3. Must originate from Qualified Pseudorabies-Negative herds or Pseudorabies Stage IV or V (Free) states, and
4. Swine originating from states not classified Pseudorabies Free (Stages II, II/III, III) must comply with the following:
a. Be isolated upon arrival on destination premises,
b. Test negative to a pseudorabies statistical 95/5 sample test between 30 and 60 days prior to admission to destination herd.
B. Feeder swine must be accompanied by an official health certificate issued within 30 days which lists individual identification. If originating from states or areas classified as Pseudorabies Stage II, II/III, or III, an entry permit must be obtained prior to entry; and the swine will be quarantined to the premises of destination until permitted to slaughter. A negative 95/2 test must be performed 30 days prior to shipment into North Carolina and again between 30-45 days after arrival.
Feeder swine from a pseudorabies-free state or area may be imported with a Health Certificate, individual identification, pseudorabies status of both the herd and state or area of origin.
C. In addition, ALL swine must meet the following requirements:
1. The swine originate from a Qualified Pseudorabies Negative herd (showing herd number and current test date); or
2. A pseudorabies monitored herd that tested negative on a pseudorabies statistical 95/10 test with 30 days prior to shipment.
D. Healthy swine for feeding purposes may move directly from a farm of origin in a contiguous state to a livestock market or stockyard in North Carolina that is state-federal approved to handle feeder swine without health certificate provided:
1. They have resided on premises of herd of origin for at least 30 days, and
2. The swine are accompanied by proof of pseudorabies status of the herd of origin acceptable to the State Veterinarian, and
3. The swine are inspected by state or federal employee or approved accredited veterinarian prior to market sales.
E. Healthy swine may be transported into the state for immediate slaughter without a health certificate, provided they are moved directly:
1. To a slaughtering establishment approved by the State Veterinarian, or
2. To a state-federal approved livestock market or stockyard pending sale to an approved slaughtering establishment.
F. Swine from a pseudorabies-quarantined herd or swine which have been in contact with pseudorabies-quarantined swine may be imported into the state for immediate slaughter only under the following conditions:
1. Swine must be accompanied by a shipping permit (VS 1-27) consigning swine to slaughtering;
2. Seal transport vehicle and;
3. Clean and Disinfect vehicle after unloading the swine.
SPORTING AND FERAL SWINE:
A. "Sporting Swine" includes any domestic or feral swine intended for hunting purposes and includes the progeny of these swine;
B. "Feral Swine" includes any swine that have lived any part of its life free roaming.
C. Sporting Swine must be accompanied by an official health certificate of veterinary inspection/examination, issued within 30 days, showing individual identification of each animal by eartag, age, breed, sex, the state of origin and certify that:
1. The swine have not been fed garbage within their lifetime, and
2. The herd of origin is validated brucellosis free and qualified pseudorabies negative (showing herd numbers and current test dates), and
3. The swine have not been in a herd known to be infected with brucellosis or pseudorabies within the previous 12 months, and
4. All individuals six months of age and older have negative results for both brucellosis and pseudorabies within 30 days of shipment, and
5. The swine have not been part of, or exposed to, any feral swine population within the previous 12 months.
SHEEP
A health certificate must accompany all sheep entering the state, except for those consigned for immediate slaughter. The health certificate shall include a report of inspection by a veterinarian approved by the chief livestock sanitary official of the state of origin indicating the sheep are not under quarantine and are free from signs of any infectious or communicable disease. The health certificate shall contain a statement that the flock of origin has not had scrapie diagnosed within the past 42 months.
Those sheep that have nor been handled in stockyards, stock pens or on premises in public use for livestock may be imported without dipping, from a state or area designated as scabies-free by the USDA.
Unless waived by the State Veterinarian, sheep for purposes other than immediate slaughter that have not been dipped in accordance with the regulations of USDA, APHIS may not be imported into the state. The requirements for dipping will be waived when it can be determined that the sheep will be isolated from other animals at the North carolina destination until dipped. While in transit, they shall be accompanied by a certificate of such dipping.
Those sheep consigned for immediate slaughter may be imported without a health certificate by a waybill or certificate marked for immediate slaughter must accompany such shipments.
Sheep over six (6) months of age and sexually intact imported from out of state shall have a negative brucellosis test within 30 days prior to import. All imports must have a negative tuberculosis test within 60 days prior to import unless they originate from a certified and accredited herd or are consigned to immediate slaughter.
The brucellosis and tuberculosis testing requirements shall not apply to sheep entering the state only for exhibition purposes from states that are United States Department of Agriculture-Tuberculosis Accredited-Free and Brucellosis Certified Free, when accompanied by an official health certificate. Such animals shall remain in the state for exhibition purposes for no more than 30 days from the date of issuance of the health certificate.
GOATS
An official health certificate from the state of origin must accompany all goats entering the state except for those consigned for immediate slaughter. The health certificate shall contain a statement that the goats are clinically free of any infectious or communicable disease and include a description of each animal, the age, sex, breed and color or marking. Goats over six (6) months of age and sexually intact imported from out of state must have a negative brucellosis test within 30 days prior to import. All imports over six (6) months of age must have a negative tuberculosis test within 60 days prior to import unless they originate from a certified and accredited herd or are consigned for immediate slaughter. The brucellosis and tuberculosis testing requirements shall not apply to goats entering the state only for exhibition purposes from states that are United States Department of Agriculture-Tuberculosis Accredited-Free and Brucellosis Certified free, when accompanied by an official health certificate. Such animals shall remain in the state for exhibition purposes for no more than 30 days from the date of issuance of the health certificate.
DOGS AND CATS
All dogs and cats entering the state must have a health certificate issued within 30 days and, for animals three months old and older, rabies vaccination within 12 months of entry.
§ 130A-193. Vaccination and confinement of dogs and cats brought into this State.
(a) A dog or cat brought into this State shall immediately be securely confined and shall be vaccinated against rabies within one week after entry. The animal shall remain confined for two weeks after vaccination.
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) shall not apply to:
(1) A dog or cat brought into this State for exhibition purposes if the animal is confined and not permitted to run at large; or
(2) A dog or cat brought into this State accompanied by a certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian showing that the dog or cat is apparently free from and has not been exposed to rabies and that the dog or cat has received rabies vaccine within the past year. (1935, c. 122, s. 11; 1983, c. 891, s. 2.)
Contact the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Resources, Occupational & Environmental Epidemiology, 1912 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27699-1912, Telephone (919) 733-3410.
AVIAN SPECIES
Requests for prior permits for psittacine birds and ratites should be directed to the NCDA&CS, Veterinary Division (919) 733-7601. Health certificates for all birds should be mailed to NCDA &CS, Veterinary Division 1030 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27699-1030.
PSITTACINE BIRDS
Prior permit and health certificate issued within 30 days is required.
RATITES (OSTRICHES, EMUS, RHEAS, CASSOWARIES AND KIWIS)
Prior permit and health certificate with individual identification of birds and negative Avian Influenza test within 30 days of shipment.
POULTRY & HATCHING EGGS
Health certificate with individual identification and negative pullorum and typhoid test within 30 days of shipment or National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) form stating that they originated from a NPIP flock.
BOVIDAE AND CERVIDAE
Camelids, all cervidae, bison and all bovidae other than domestic cattle may be imported in the State if accompanied by an official health certificate issued within 30 days by an accredited veterinarian which states that:
1. All animals six months of age or older have tested negative for brucellosis within 30 days prior to importation; and
2. All animals six months of age or older have tested negative for tuberculosis within 60 days prior to importation pursuant to the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Services Notice dated 12/31/1990, which states "the cervical test for cervidae is the intradermic injection of 0.1 ml. of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) contract PPD Bovis tuberculin in the midcervical region with reading by observation and palpation at 72 hours, plus or minus 6 hours";
3. The herd of origin has had no brucellosis or tuberculosis diagnosed within the past 12 months.
4. All cervidae must meet the requirements of the Uniform Methods and Rules: Tuberculosis in Cervidae.
RABBITS
See General Requirements
ZOO, FUR-BEARING, & OTHER WILD ANIMALS
Health certificate, and/or prior permit, within 30 days, from the State Veterinarian, is required.
A. A permit is required for the importation of the following animals:
Bobcat (any North and South American wild feline)
Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)
Coyote
Fox
Marten
Raccoon
Ringtail
Skunk
B. Permits for the above animals are issued only if the animal(s) will be used in a research institute, or for exhibition by a USDA licensed exhibitor, or organized entertainment such as zoos or circuses.
C. Any species or hybrid of a mammal (not already mentioned) which exists or naturally occurs in the wild must be accompanied by a valid certificate of veterinary inspection issued within 30 days of entry.
A separate permit for native species may be needed from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (919) 661-4872, for native species.
SEMEN & FROZEN EMBRYOS
See General Requirements
BIOLOGICS, MICROORGANISMS, & PARASITES
See General Requirements
EMERGENCY PROVISIONS
See General Requirements
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