Brucellosis Laws in Utah: What Livestock Owners Need to Know

Brucellosis is one of the most tightly regulated livestock diseases in the United States, and Utah takes its control seriously. If you raise cattle, bison, or swine in the Beehive State, understanding the rules that govern brucellosis testing, vaccination, and movement is not optional — it is a legal obligation with real consequences for non-compliance.

This guide walks you through Utah’s brucellosis classification status, who must vaccinate, what testing is required, how movement rules apply, and what happens when violations occur. Whether you are a rancher, a livestock dealer, or a veterinarian, the information below gives you a regulation-focused overview of exactly what Utah law requires.

What Is Brucellosis and Why It Is Regulated in Utah

Brucellosis is a contagious, infectious, and communicable disease primarily affecting cattle, bison, and swine, caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. Brucella abortus primarily affects bovine species, though goats, sheep, and horses are also susceptible, while B. suis primarily affects swine.

In its principal animal hosts, brucellosis causes loss of young through spontaneous abortion or birth of weak offspring, reduced milk production, and infertility — and it can affect both animals and humans. Human infections are transmitted by contact with fluids from infected animals or derived food products such as unpasteurized milk and cheese.

The disease has significant consequences for animal health, public health, and international trade. That combination of zoonotic risk and economic harm is precisely why Utah — like all other states — maintains an active regulatory framework around brucellosis. Under Utah law, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is authorized to make rules to control and eradicate brucellosis, trichomoniasis, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases in livestock, and to enforce those rules.

Today, only occasional spillover cases occur in cattle and other livestock near the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA), where wild bison and elk remain the last reservoir of this disease in the United States. Because Utah borders this at-risk region, its regulations remain especially relevant for producers in the northern part of the state. You can learn more about the biology of the disease itself at this overview of brucellosis.

Utah’s Brucellosis Classification Status

All 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are brucellosis-free, except for the occasional spillover of cases occurring in livestock near the Greater Yellowstone Area due to bison and elk having the disease. Utah holds Class Free (brucellosis-free) status under the federal classification system.

States are designated brucellosis-free when they have no infected cattle or bison for 12 consecutive months under an active surveillance program, or when additional surveillance measures are in place around areas with brucellosis-infected wildlife to ensure early detection of any disease spillover.

Among the requirements for Class Free status is that the cattle and/or bison herds in the state or area within the state must have remained free from infections with field strains of Brucella abortus for at least 12 months. Utah’s ongoing vaccination and testing programs are the primary mechanisms for maintaining that status.

It is important to note that brucellosis is present in free-ranging bison and elk in Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the area around those parks. This threatens the brucellosis status of surrounding states and the health of their cattle and domestic bison herds. The basic program approach is to vaccinate calves in at-risk areas, test cattle and domestic bison for infection, and send infected animals to slaughter.

If you are interested in how neighboring states handle similar regulations, see how Nevada approaches brucellosis laws or review the framework used under brucellosis laws in Nebraska.

Vaccination Requirements in Utah

Utah’s brucellosis vaccination requirements for cattle and bison are governed by Utah Administrative Code Rule R58-3, which was enacted under the authority of Utah Code Section 4-31-109. All Utah beef cattle and bison heifers intended for replacement breeding animals must be vaccinated against Brucella abortus.

Vaccination of beef cattle and bison heifer calves must be administered by an accredited veterinarian or by a brucellosis technician, and all beef cattle and bison heifers shall be vaccinated with strain RB-51 administered between 4 and 12 months of age.

These heifers must be properly identified by official tattoos and ear tag — either an official USDA vaccination tag or an RFID of approved design — and must be reported on an official vaccination certificate (VS Form 4-24) within 30 days to the State Veterinarian.

• Vaccine used: Strain RB-51 (the approved brucella vaccine for cattle and bison)
• Eligible age window: 4 to 12 months of age
• Who administers: An accredited veterinarian or licensed brucellosis technician
• Identification required: Official USDA vaccination eartag or RFID plus a right-ear tattoo
• Reporting deadline: VS Form 4-24 submitted within 30 days to the State Veterinarian

Beef cattle and bison heifers not intended for replacement breeding are exempt from the vaccination requirement. However, if you are importing animals into Utah, the vaccination standard still applies at the border — covered in the movement rules section below.

Vaccination of cattle and bison reduces the possibility of the disease entering the animal population. Because brucellosis can be transmitted to humans, the elimination of brucellosis in Utah has reduced the burden on local health departments that no longer have to conduct disease investigations and follow-ups.

Heifer calves should be vaccinated between four and 12 months of age; however, many states have more restrictive age requirements for vaccination. Before vaccinating any animals for brucellosis, be certain that you understand and follow the applicable state’s requirements. You can also review how other states structure their programs, such as brucellosis laws in Michigan or brucellosis laws in Minnesota.

Testing Requirements for Cattle and Bison in Utah

Testing requirements in Utah apply both to animals moving into the state (interstate) and to certain animals moving within the state (intrastate). The specific requirements depend on the animal’s age, sex, vaccination status, and intended use.

Interstate Import Testing

Before the importation of cattle or bison into Utah, female bison and cattle over four months of age must be officially calfhood vaccinated for brucellosis with legible tattoos, or tested negative for Brucella abortus within 30 days before entering Utah — unless they are going directly to slaughter or an approved auction market.

No reactor cattle or bison, or cattle or bison from herds under quarantine for brucellosis, will be allowed to enter the state except when consigned to an approved slaughter establishment. An import permit and a Veterinary Services Form 1-27 before shipment are also required in those cases.

Brucellosis vaccinated or negative brucellosis test within 30 days is required if the animal is over 4 months old. Vaccination status must be noted on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI).

Dairy Cattle Testing

For dairy cattle, a negative TB test within 60 days is required if over 2 months old. For herds with fewer than 30 cows, all cattle need to be tested; for herds with more than 30, only 30 will need to be tested. Testing can be pooled at the lab but not at the dairy.

Cattle moving to a dairy must be on a health certificate and meet the other testing and identification requirements for TB, brucellosis, and official ID.

Intrastate Testing

The State Veterinarian may require brucellosis testing of cattle, bison, and elk moving intrastate as necessary to protect against potential disease threat or outbreak. Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Livestock Inspectors help regulate intrastate movement of cattle according to brucellosis rules at the time of change of ownership inspection.

Livestock Market Testing

Each livestock market licensee must adhere to brucellosis testing and vaccination standards for female cattle not sold for slaughter, including vaccinating unvaccinated female cattle from four to 12 months of age before leaving the livestock market, and testing unvaccinated female cattle over 12 months of age not going to slaughter for brucellosis — and vaccinating if not pregnant — before leaving the livestock market.

Swine Testing

Breeding and exhibition swine over the age of three months shipped into Utah that do not originate from a swine brucellosis-free state must be tested negative for brucellosis within 30 days before movement into the state. Swine from states with serious disease occurrences or known populations of feral or wild hogs may be required to be tested for brucellosis before entry to Utah.

Sheep and goats require a negative Brucella ovis test within 30 days of arrival if older than 6 months of age and not coming from a flock certified as Brucella ovis free by the state of origin. For more on how Utah regulates goat ownership more broadly, see goat ownership laws in Utah.

Interstate and Intrastate Movement Rules in Utah

It is the intent of Utah’s animal disease control rules to eliminate or reduce the spread of diseases among animals by providing standards to be met in the movement of animals within the state (intrastate) and the importation of animals into the state (interstate).

Interstate Movement Into Utah

No animal of any species that is known to be affected with or has been exposed to a contagious, infectious, or communicable disease, or that originates from a quarantined area, may be shipped, transported, or moved into the State of Utah until written permission for such entry is first obtained from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food State Veterinarian or Commissioner of Agriculture.

A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and an import permit must accompany all cattle and bison imported into the state. All cattle and bison must carry some form of individual identification, and that individual identification must be listed on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection.

Commuter Herd Agreements

A commuter herd agreement is a written agreement between the owner of a herd of cattle or bison and the animal health officials for the states or tribes of origin and destination, specifying the conditions required for the interstate movement from one premises to another in the course of normal livestock management operations and specifying the time period, up to one year, that the agreement is effective. A commuter herd agreement may be renewed annually.

This provision is especially useful for ranchers who operate across state lines on a seasonal basis. Commuter cattle shall not be mixed with quarantined cattle, cattle of unknown or positive trichomoniasis status, nor change ownership during the grazing period.

Canadian Imports

All cattle and bison imported into Utah from Canada, except those imported directly to slaughter, must be permanently branded with the letters CAN, not less than two inches high nor more than three inches high, placed high on the right hip. A copy of the official brucellosis or tuberculosis test sheets must be stapled to each copy of the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection.

Slaughter and Auction Exemptions

The following cattle are exempted from standard import testing requirements: cattle consigned directly to slaughter at an approved slaughter establishment, or cattle consigned directly to a state or federal approved auction market. Cattle moving directly to slaughter or an auction can move on an owner-hauler statement sent to the state of origin and destination without a CVI.

For a comparison of how movement rules are structured in a neighboring state, see brucellosis laws in Missouri.

Reporting and Quarantine Requirements in Utah

Brucellosis is a reportable disease in Utah, and the state’s reporting and quarantine framework is designed to contain any outbreak quickly. Both animal and human cases carry reporting obligations under Utah law.

Animal Disease Reporting

It is the responsibility of veterinary diagnostic laboratories, veterinary practitioners, livestock inspectors, and livestock owners to report immediately by phone or written statement to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food any of the diseases listed on the UDAF Reportable Disease list. Brucellosis is explicitly included on that list.

All brucellosis activities conducted privately or under agreements with program officials — such as performing vaccinations or serologic tests for brucellosis — must be reported immediately to cooperating agencies and to the herd.

Human Case Reporting

All cases of brucellosis in humans should be reported. Reporting should be ongoing and routine. The Utah Department of Health Bureau of Epidemiology coordinates human case investigation, and any confirmed case must be verified through the Utah Public Health Laboratory (UPHL) or the CDC.

Quarantine Authority

Under Utah regulations, a “quarantine” means a verbal or written restriction of movement of animals into or out of an area or premise, issued by a State Animal Health Official. A “reactor” means any animal that has been determined by a designated brucellosis epidemiologist to be infected with brucellosis based on test results, herd/flock history, and/or culture results.

If there is an outbreak of contagious or infectious disease of epidemic proportion among domestic animals in the state that imperils livestock, the commissioner, with the approval of the governor, may condemn, destroy, or dispose of any infected livestock.

Livestock markets must provide specially designated isolation pens to quarantine animals suspected of contagious disease and animals classified as reactors, exposed, suspects, “V” branded, or “S” branded.

Herd Depopulation

State or federal officials of the Brucellosis Eradication Program will review cattle and/or bison herds with a high rate of brucellosis infection or chronic infection of long duration to determine the desirability of depopulating the herd with indemnity to the owner. In states that previously had been free of brucellosis, all affected herds must be reviewed for possible depopulation with indemnity in order to reduce the risk of spreading the disease to other herds.

Before any livestock or property that is not otherwise indemnified is destroyed, the commissioner must determine the value of the livestock or other property in consultation with the state veterinarian, basing that determination on available data from the USDA or other reliable government sources.

Penalties for Brucellosis Violations in Utah

Utah enforces its brucellosis regulations through a combination of administrative penalties, citations, fines, license actions, and in some cases criminal proceedings. The specific consequences depend on the nature and severity of the violation.

Administrative Citations and Fines

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is authorized to make rules to control and eradicate brucellosis and other infectious diseases in livestock and to enforce those rules. Violations of those rules expose you to administrative enforcement action.

Any person who imports javelina, peccary, or feral or wild hogs into Utah without prior approval by the department shall be subject to citation and fines as prescribed by the department or may be called to appear before an administrative proceeding by the department. This is particularly relevant because these animals are considered invasive species in Utah, capable of establishing wild reservoirs of diseases such as brucellosis and pseudorabies.

Movement Violation Penalties

No animal from a quarantined area may be moved into Utah without written permission from USDA APHIS and the UDAF State Veterinarian or Commissioner of Agriculture. Failure to obtain written permission may result in a citation.

Livestock market operators face license suspension or revocation for brucellosis-related violations. Grounds for license action include violating state law or rules governing the interstate or intrastate movement, shipment, or transportation of livestock; making false or misleading statements as to the health or physical conditions of livestock regarding official test results or status of the herd of origin; and knowingly selling animals that exhibit signs of a communicable disease for purposes other than slaughter.

Condemnation and Destruction

If there is an outbreak of contagious or infectious disease of epidemic proportion among domestic animals in the state that imperils livestock, the commissioner, with the approval of the governor, may condemn, destroy, or dispose of any infected livestock. While indemnity is available in some cases, the loss of an entire herd to depopulation represents a severe economic consequence for non-compliant producers.

Federal Enforcement Overlap

The regulations of the APHIS Brucellosis Eradication Program vary based on the brucellosis status of each state. Minimum standards are set forth in the Brucellosis Eradication Uniform Methods and Rules, though some states have more restrictive requirements. Utah’s rules are layered on top of federal minimums, which means a single brucellosis violation can trigger both state and federal enforcement action simultaneously.

If there is an outbreak of contagious or infectious disease among domestic animals in the state that imperils livestock, the commissioner may also request the assistance of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in preventing the spread of the disease to other states. That federal involvement can significantly escalate the regulatory and financial consequences of a violation.

Understanding brucellosis rules is just one part of navigating Utah’s animal law landscape. You may also find it helpful to review backyard chicken laws in Utah, beekeeping laws in Utah, or roadkill laws in Utah if you manage multiple types of animals on your property. For a broader look at how exotic animal regulations intersect with disease control, see this overview of United States laws on exotic pets.

Brucellosis compliance in Utah ultimately comes down to three things: vaccinating your replacement heifers on schedule, keeping accurate documentation, and knowing the testing and movement rules before you ship or receive any cattle, bison, or swine. When in doubt, contact the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food’s Animal Industry division directly — staying ahead of a compliance issue is always less costly than responding to one after the fact.