Animal Disease Traceability

Animal Disease Traceability (ADT)

The Animal Disease Traceability Program is a national animal health program developed by the USDA and state animal health officials in cooperation with industry.  This program includes individual official animal identification as well as premises identification. 

Individual Official Animal Identification

An efficient and accurate traceability system reduces the number of animals and response time involved in a disease investigation; which, in turn, reduces the economic impact on owners and affected communities. 

USDA Animal Disease Traceability Home Site - describes goals, resources and information on the animal disease traceability program and approved identification devices.

Cattle Identification Program Opportunity for Veterinarians - through an agreement with USDA, a limited supply of electronic "840" tags are being made available for veterinarians for use on breeding cattle.  Links are below to the veterinary letter, order and reporting forms.

• Letter to Veterinarians.pdf
• Tag Order Form.pdf
• Monthly Report of Tags Applied.xlsx

Premises Identification

Premises Identification involves assigning a unique number to premises involved in animal agriculture.  Allied agricultural operations and non-producer participants can also be assigned Premises Identification Numbers.  Information required for a PIN is a 911 address, names of contacts, the type of premises , and a contact phone number.  This information will be maintained by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and is protected.  During an animal health emergency key pieces will be shared with the USDA for animal disease tracing purposes.  ​​Premises Identification is voluntary at this time and is offered at no cost to the producer.

Register your premises easily  by downloading the Registration Form to submit by email, fax, (217/558-6033) or mail.  Once registration is complete you will receive a premises ID certificate via mail or email. 

Have more questions?   Visit our FAQ to learn more.  Our Illinois industry partners have complied some basic information here as well. 

Premises registration is the first step you can take to protect your investment in Illinois' livestock industry. We recommend that you provide updates to your account anytime your contact information or livestock species status changes to keep information as current as possible.

More information can be obtained by contacting the: