Elsa
Miniature Highland · Cattle
Female · 4 months
No Buyer Fees
$7,500
Toll Gate, West Virginia
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Livestock Brand Registration by State
A source-linked 50-state directory for ownership-brand recording.
Verified July 14, 2026
Find the recorder for your jurisdiction
“Required” means a brand must be recorded before use within the listed scope. It does not mean every owner must brand every animal.
Showing all 50 states
| State | Recording path | Scope | Fee / renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Record before use | Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries State authority | Livestock ownership brands recorded statewide. | $20 for the first position and $4 for each additional position. Renew every three years. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Alaska Voluntary registry | Alaska Division of Agriculture State authority | Voluntary recording for cattle, reindeer, bison, musk oxen, sheep, horses, mules, and asses. | $2 for a new brand and $1 for renewal. Every five years, in years ending in 0 or 5. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Arizona Record before use | Arizona Department of Agriculture, Livestock Brands State authority | Livestock ownership brands recorded statewide before use. | $75 for a new brand. Every five years; the published renewal fee is $50. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Arkansas Record before use | Arkansas Act 703 of 2025 State authority | Act 703 of 2025 governs statewide livestock-brand recording before use. | Fee varies / see source. Every five years. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| California Record before use | California Department of Food and Agriculture, Bureau of Livestock Identification State authority | Cattle brands; a registered cattle brand may also be used on other livestock listed by CDFA. | $70 for a new brand. Biennial renewal; the published fee is $70. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Colorado Voluntary registry | Colorado Department of Agriculture, Brand Inspection Division State authority | Voluntary livestock ownership-brand recording statewide. | $300 research fee, credited toward recording, plus the applicable prorated assessment. Five-year assessment cycle. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Connecticut No current registry found | Official source None authority | No current state livestock ownership-brand registry was identified. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Delaware No current registry found | Official source None authority | No current state livestock ownership-brand registry was identified. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Florida Record before use | Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry State authority | Livestock marks and brands recorded statewide before use. | $10. Every ten years. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Georgia Voluntary registry | County probate court, after Georgia Department of Agriculture review County authority | GDA performs conflict review; filing the certificate with the county probate court completes the optional registration. | GDA charges no fee; county filing fees may vary. Five-year purge cycle, in years ending in 4 and 9. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Hawaii Record before use | Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Animal Industry Division State authority | Livestock ownership brands recorded statewide before use. | $10. Every five years. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Idaho Record before use | Idaho State Police, Idaho State Brand Board State authority | Livestock ownership brands recorded statewide before use. | The Brand Board publishes a prorated new-brand total of $75 to $235; confirm the current assessment before filing. Every five years. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Illinois Record before use | Illinois Compiled Statutes, Livestock Brands Act State authority | Bison, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and equidae ownership brands. | $15. Every five years; the published renewal fee is $15. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Indiana Record before use | Indiana Board of Animal Health State authority | Livestock ownership brands recorded statewide before use. | No fee. Every five years. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Iowa Record before use | Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Animal Industry Bureau State authority | Horses, cattle, sheep, mules, and asses ownership brands. | $25 per brand location. Every five years; $25 per brand. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Kansas Record before use | Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health Brands Office State authority | Cattle and horse ownership brands recorded statewide before use. | $5 application fee plus $70 per registered location. Every five years. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Kentucky Voluntary registry | Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health State authority | Voluntary livestock marks and brands registry statewide. | $10. Every five years; the published renewal fee is $5. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Louisiana Record before use | Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Livestock Brand Commission State authority | Livestock and other animals under Livestock Brand Commission jurisdiction. | $15 per side for five years, or $75 per side for lifetime registration. Every five years unless a lifetime registration is purchased. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Maine No current registry found | Official source None authority | No current state livestock ownership-brand registry was identified. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Maryland No current registry found | Official source None authority | No current state livestock ownership-brand registry was identified. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Massachusetts No current registry found | Official source None authority | No current state livestock ownership-brand registry was identified. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Michigan Voluntary registry | Michigan Department of State, Internal Services Section State authority | Voluntary registration for cattle, horses, hogs, sheep, and goats. | $50 for an original registration and $20 for renewal. Ten years; a transferred registration is initially valid for five years. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Minnesota Voluntary registry | Minnesota Statutes, chapter 35 State authority | Voluntary registration for cattle, horses, sheep, and mules. | $10. Every ten years; the published renewal fee is $10. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Mississippi Record before use | Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Agricultural and Livestock Theft Bureau State authority | Cattle and other livestock ownership brands recorded statewide before use. | $5. Every five years; the published renewal fee is $5. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Missouri Record before use | Missouri Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health State authority | Horses, cattle, sheep, mules, and asses ownership brands. | $35 registration fee. Every five years; the published maintenance fee is $20. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Montana Record before use | Montana Department of Livestock, Brands Enforcement Division State authority | Statewide hot-iron and freeze-brand recording for cattle, horses, sheep, and bison. | $200 standard recording; $210 when a cattle freeze brand is included. Ten-year rerecord cycle; the next rerecord year is 2031. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Nebraska Record before use | Nebraska Brand Committee State authority | Hot-iron or freeze livestock brands must be recorded before use; inspection duties vary by brand-inspection area. | $150 for a new brand per side, including the $50 research fee. Every four years; the published renewal fee is $100. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Nevada Record before use | Nevada brand-recording application (official PDF) State authority | Brands must be recorded before use; branding is required for livestock running on open rangelands. | The current official form lists a $200 recording fee plus a $35 nonrefundable application fee ($235 total); confirm before filing. All permanent brands share a five-year cycle; the current period ends December 31, 2027. Verified Jul 15, 2026 |
| New Hampshire No current registry found | Official source None authority | No current state livestock ownership-brand registry was identified; animal rules address official identification and movement instead. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| New Jersey No current registry found | Official source None authority | No current state livestock ownership-brand registry was identified; NJDA publishes animal-health and traceability services instead. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| New Mexico Record before use | New Mexico Administrative Code 21.32.2 State authority | State livestock rules require recorded identification for covered cattle, equines, sheep, and goats, with limited approved alternatives. | $100 to record a New Mexico livestock brand. Rerecord in optional periods of 3, 6, 9, or 12 years at $100 per three-year period. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| New York Voluntary registry | New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets State authority | The Department maintains a voluntary cattle-brand registry; freeze brands are not official cattle identification. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| North Carolina Voluntary registry | North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Veterinary Division State authority | Voluntary statewide registration for cattle, horses, ponies, mules, and asses; a separate older county-recording statute also exists. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| North Dakota Record before use | North Dakota Stockmen's Association, acting under state statute Other authority | The state-designated association records livestock brands; a brand must be recorded before it is used. | Fee varies / see source. State law uses a five-year renewal schedule; confirm the current cycle with the recorder. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Ohio Voluntary registry | Ohio Revised Code, chapter 947 State authority | Voluntary central registry for brands on bovidae, swine, equidae, alpacas, and llamas. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Oklahoma Voluntary registry | Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, state-designated Brand Registry Agent Other authority | Voluntary state registration for cattle and horse or mule hot-iron or freeze brands. | $60 for five years or a fraction of the current cycle. All brands renew on the common five-year brand-book cycle. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Oregon If branding, record first | Oregon Department of Agriculture, Livestock Identification Program State authority | Brands are not mandatory, but an owner who elects to brand must first register the cattle, horse, or sheep brand. | $25 per animal species and brand location. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania If branding, record first | Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services State authority | A domestic-animal owner may adopt a brand, but a brand must be recorded before it is used. | $25 initial recording fee. Every five years; the published renewal fee is $5. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Rhode Island No current registry found | Official source None authority | No current state livestock ownership-brand registry was identified; DEM administers health and official-identification requirements. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| South Carolina Record before use | South Carolina Code, title 47 chapter 9 Other authority | Register with the Secretary of State, then record the certificate with the clerk of court in every county where livestock are kept. | $3 state application fee plus $1 for each county recording. Registration continues until cancelled or revoked. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| South Dakota Record before use | South Dakota Brand Board State authority | Statewide recording for cattle, horses, sheep, and bison; ownership inspection rules additionally apply in the inspection area. | Fee varies / see source. Every five years, in years ending in 0 or 5. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Tennessee If branding, record first | Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Animal Health State authority | An owner who uses a brand on cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, horses, or other animals must register it with the Department. | Fee varies / see source. Every five years. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Texas Record before use | County clerk where the livestock are located County authority | Owners of cattle, horses, hogs, sheep, or goats record marks and brands with the county clerk; the statewide electronic system is still being implemented. | County filing fees vary; confirm with the relevant county clerk. Ten-year cycle; the next rerecord window ends six months after September 1, 2031. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Utah Record before use | Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Brand Recording Office State authority | Cattle and sheep on open range must be branded; any cattle, horse, or sheep brand must be approved before use. | Fee varies / see source. Brands renew statewide every five or ten years; the next renewal is in 2030. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Vermont No current registry found | Vermont Statutes, title 6 None authority | The current Vermont statutes list Chapter 205, Livestock Brands, as repealed; no current ownership-brand registration service was confirmed. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Virginia Voluntary registry | Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Veterinary Services State authority | Voluntary cattle-brand registry; Virginia does not maintain a horse-brand registry. | $10 per cattle-brand location. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Washington Record before use | Washington State Department of Agriculture, Livestock Identification Program State authority | A livestock brand must be recorded with WSDA before it is applied. | $132 for a new brand. Four-year recording period; the published renewal fee is $120. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| West Virginia No current registry found | Official source None authority | No current state livestock ownership-brand registry was identified; WVDA uses premises and official identification for traceability. | Fee varies / see source. Renewal varies / see source. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Wisconsin Voluntary registry | Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Division of Animal Health State authority | Voluntary official brand certification for cattle and horses. | $20 for initial recording and $10 for renewal. Every ten years. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
| Wyoming Record before use | Wyoming Livestock Board, Brand Recording Unit State authority | Statewide recording for cattle, horses or mules, sheep, and bison brands. | $200 for one species and $100 for each additional species. Brands are assigned to a ten-year renewal program. Verified Jul 14, 2026 |
This directory is informational, not legal advice, and does not search brand availability. Fees and procedures change. Always confirm with the linked authority before filing or using a mark.
Livestock brand recording is jurisdiction-specific. This directory distinguishes state programs, county filing, delegated recorders, and states where no current ownership-brand registry was identified.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to register a cattle brand?
It depends on the jurisdiction and how the mark will be used. A required row means the brand must be recorded before use within the stated scope, not that every animal must be branded.
Are fees and renewal dates guaranteed current?
No. The directory records the latest official information we verified, but agencies and county offices can change fees and procedures. Confirm with the linked authority.
Does Creatures search brand availability?
No. This directory points to the recording authority; it does not search state or county brand books or provide legal advice.
