Regulations & Permits

Livestock Import Permits
Livestock import permits are needed to import baby calves, swine, cervids, and poultry animals into Missouri. The livestock import permit office can provide specific information on all of the entry requirements for any animal species, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Central Standard Time.

Regulations - For further information on requirements, contact the Division of Animal Health at (573) 751-4359, or e-mail Sally.Martin@mda.mo.gov.

Also, the USDA maintains a 24-hour toll-free telephone service that provides general import requirements for all states. Use a touch-tone telephone to contact the Voice Response System at (800) 545-8732.

Interstate/Intrastate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection Approval
All animals entering Missouri must be accompanied by an official Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (health certificate). The certificate must be signed by an approved, accredited, licensed veterinarian stating that the animals are free of any sign of contagious or infectious disease and are in compliance with Missouri rules for importation into the state.

For further information on import requirements, contact the Division of Animal Health at (573) 751-4359, or e-mail Sally.Martin@mda.mo.gov.

All test-eligible animals exchanged, bartered, leased or sold within Missouri must be accompanied by an official Intrastate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, except for animals consigned to a federal or state supervised market or slaughter establishment, if a waybill or bill of lading, backtag or owner/shipper statement accompanies the shipment showing origin and destination.

For further information on import requirements, contact the Division of Animal Health at (573) 751-4359, or e-mail Sally.Martin@mda.mo.gov.

Enforcement Citation Powers
Under the Diseased Animal Law, the department has the authority to enter any premises, barns, stables, sheds, vehicles, or other places to check for livestock disease or animal health violations. If a violation is discovered, a citation can be issued. An alleged violator found guilty of violating animal health laws is subject to civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. Potential violations include failure to secure required tests on animals, failure to secure a health certificate, alteration of official documents, removal of or tampering with official animal identification, etc.

For further information, contact the Division of Animal Health at (573) 751-5608 or e-mail Sheri.Berendzen@mda.mo.gov.

Missouri Quality Systems Assessment (QSA)
Missouri was the first state in the U.S. to implement a QSA program allowing producers to sell source and age verified cattle with third party verification. Missouri is the second largest cow/calf producer in the U.S. and with programs such as QSA, Missouri will continue to be a supplier of high quality beef both in the domestic and global market places.

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)
Many questions have been raised by Missouri farmers about how to comply with the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) regulations. The following link will direct you to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Marketing Services COOL Web site www.ams.usda.gov/COOL to help you answer your questions.