To: Brand Registrants:

When one registers a brand (or renews it) please ensure that it is registered in the manner that you wish. The Livestock Identification Act states that “a brand on livestock is evidence that the registered owner of the brand is the owner of the livestock”. Thus the brand must be registered in the name of the owner of the livestock. If there are multiple owners of the livestock, then all their names must appear on the brand registration. The words “or” or “and/or” are not allowed and will be changed to only “and”. All named persons listed on a brand registration are owners of the brand and must be listed as the owner on the Livestock Manifest when moving livestock.

The most common problem encountered by the Livestock Inspectors when livestock are presented for inspection is that the owner is listed incorrectly. If the owner listed is different than on the brand registration, then a properly completed Bill of Sale must be presented to verify the change in ownership. Likewise if livestock are carrying a second brand, paperwork must be available to verify the ownership of the livestock. When there is a question on ownership, the inspector has the authority to detain the livestock/money until the correct ownership is determined.

Below is a list of common problems on manifests: