Scrapie Eradication Program in North Carolina: What Sheep and Goat Producers Need to Know
August 4, 2026
If you raise sheep or goats in North Carolina, federal and state regulations require you to participate in the National Scrapie Eradication Program. Whether you operate a small hobby flock or a large commercial operation, understanding your obligations under this program is not optional — it is the law.
This guide walks you through every key component of the Scrapie Eradication Program as it applies to North Carolina producers, from official animal identification and flock registration to movement rules, reporting requirements, and the voluntary Scrapie-Free Flock Certification Program.
What Is Scrapie and Why It Is Regulated in North Carolina
Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. There is no cure or treatment for scrapie. Understanding the nature of the disease is the first step toward appreciating why North Carolina, like every other state, enforces strict regulations around it.
Scrapie is difficult to detect. It can take 2 to 5 years for an animal to show signs of disease, and current diagnostic tests require brain or lymphoid tissue. Animals typically live 1 to 6 months after they begin to show signs. This long incubation window makes identification and traceability critical tools for stopping the disease from spreading silently through a region’s sheep and goat population.
Most animals are infected as young lambs or kids, but adult animals can get it too. Apparently healthy animals infected with the disease agent can spread it. Common clinical signs include incoordination, poor muscle control, and weakness such as stumbling or difficulty rising.
The presence of classical scrapie in the U.S. sheep and goat population affects the industry economically through production losses, lost exports, and increased production and disposal costs. Public health concerns related to the transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to humans have also resulted in efforts to eradicate all TSEs in food-producing animals. For North Carolina producers, these economic and public health stakes make compliance with the Scrapie Eradication Program both a legal obligation and a sound business decision.
First recognized as a disease of sheep in Great Britain and other countries of Western Europe more than 250 years ago, scrapie has been reported throughout the world. In the United States, scrapie has primarily been reported in the black-face meat breeds and their crosses. North Carolina’s diverse sheep and goat farming community — spanning meat, dairy, and fiber producers — falls within the scope of the national regulatory framework designed to eliminate the disease entirely.
North Carolina’s Role in the National Scrapie Eradication Program
The National Scrapie Eradication Program (NSEP) is a cooperative State-Federal-industry program working to eradicate classical scrapie from the United States and meet World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) criteria for disease freedom. North Carolina participates in this program through the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Veterinary Division, which works alongside USDA APHIS to enforce identification, movement, and reporting requirements at the state level.
The National Scrapie Eradication Program, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has reduced the prevalence of scrapie in adult sheep sampled at slaughter by over 99 percent. While the current program has been very successful in drastically reducing the amount of scrapie in the U.S., cases are still being found. The most recent cases found in the U.S. were sampled at slaughter — a sheep tested in Wisconsin in 2021, and a goat in Indiana in 2019.
Following changes in the eradication efforts that focused on surveillance, genetic resistance, and traceability, the U.S. has finally come within three years of being declared scrapie-free. North Carolina producers play a direct role in achieving that milestone by complying with state and federal identification, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements.
The NCDA&CS Veterinary Division’s responsibilities include the surveillance for, monitoring of, control of, and eradication of diseases; regulation of animal movements; inspections and testing on the farm and at markets and sales; and conducting regulatory disease testing to facilitate interstate and export movement of livestock. When you comply with the Scrapie Eradication Program in North Carolina, you are working directly with this division and its federal partners.
North Carolina also enforces its own administrative rules under 02 NCAC 52B .0209, which codify importation and identification requirements for sheep and goats entering the state. These rules align with federal NSEP standards but include additional state-specific provisions that producers must follow.
Official Animal Identification Requirements in North Carolina
A cornerstone of the National Scrapie Eradication Program is the official identification of certain sheep and goats in order to provide traceability back to the flock of birth. In North Carolina, both state and federal regulations require producers to officially identify their animals before those animals leave the premises of origin or change ownership.
The animals listed below are required by federal and/or state regulations to be identified as part of the National Scrapie Eradication Program before they enter interstate commerce or if ownership changes. Some states have ID requirements that are stricter than federal requirements, so the exceptions listed below do not apply in all states. Always verify current requirements with the NCDA&CS Veterinary Division.
Under federal rules, all sheep and goats must have official ID when moving off their premises of origin, except sheep or goats moving with a group ID and owner/hauler statement. This group ID exception covers sexually intact sheep and goats under 18 months of age in slaughter channels, and sheep and goats of any age shipped directly to a slaughter establishment or a federally approved market when all animals in a section of a truck are from the same flock of origin.
Accepted Forms of Official Identification
Producers should consider the different devices available — including metal or plastic tags, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, and RFID implants (there are restrictions on the use of implants) — and choose what works best for them. North Carolina’s administrative code specifies that official scrapie identification on health certificates must consist of USDA APHIS-approved ear tags or equivalent approved identification methods.
- Official plastic or metal ear tags: Assigned to your flock ID by APHIS or the state; the tag number combines your flock ID with an individual animal number.
- RFID / Electronic ID (EID) tags: APHIS is working with sheep and goat organizations to encourage the use of electronic identification to improve the nation’s ability to quickly trace exposed and diseased animals in the event of an outbreak. A national premises ID is required to purchase official 840 RFID tags or implantable devices.
- Registry tattoos: Registered animals may be identified with a registration tattoo instead of a tag, as long as the animal is accompanied by a copy of the registration certificate issued by an APHIS-approved registry listing the current owner, or the registration certificate and a completed transfer of ownership form dated within 60 days that lists the current owner.
Sheep and goats without a scrapie tag, or registration papers with corresponding tattoo or microchip information, will not be allowed at NCDA&CS-sponsored shows at the time of check-in. Scrapie Flock ID numbers must be presented at the time of check-in before an approval card can be issued. The Scrapie Flock ID number is not the same as the National or State Premises ID number.
How to Obtain Official Tags in North Carolina
The National Scrapie Eradication Program provides up to 100 plastic flock ID tags free-of-charge to first-time participants in the sheep and goat identification program until available funds are expended. Producers will need to purchase the compatible applicator from the tag manufacturer. North Carolina residents may call (919) 707-3250 to order official scrapie ear tags, or call the national USDA line at 1-866-USDA-TAG (873-2824).
Flock Registration and Recordkeeping Requirements in North Carolina
Before you can obtain official identification tags, you must register your flock and receive a Scrapie Flock ID number. To obtain your Flock ID and NPIN (National Premises ID Number), you will need to complete and submit a registration application. You will receive your Flock ID and NPIN via email; allow 5–7 business days to process your registration. In North Carolina, you can initiate this process by contacting the NCDA&CS Veterinary Division at (919) 707-3250.
For registered herds, provide the herd’s registration prefix and ask that it be used as your scrapie flock/herd identification number, along with your postal abbreviation. This helps ensure your existing breed registry records are linked to your official NSEP flock record.
Recordkeeping Standards
Producers are required to follow federal and state regulations for officially identifying their sheep and goats. Producers must also keep herd records showing what new animals were added and what animals left the herd or flock. These records form the backbone of the traceability system that allows disease investigators to quickly identify and contain a potential scrapie outbreak.
Records must be kept for 5 years after the animal is sold or otherwise disposed of. Ideally, producers should keep records in an electronic format, such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. At minimum, your records must include:
- The official ID number on each USDA sheep/goat tag, official tattoo, or approved RFID device
- The date each animal was added to or removed from your flock
- The name and address of the person from whom you purchased each animal and to whom you sold each animal
- The seller’s premises identification number for purchased animals
Since the incubation period for scrapie is typically two to five years, producers should record individual identification numbers and the seller’s premises identification number on purchase and sales records. This detail is what makes trace-back investigations possible when a positive case is identified at slaughter months or years after purchase.
Interstate and Intrastate Movement Rules for Sheep and Goats in North Carolina
Movement rules for sheep and goats in North Carolina operate on two levels: federal requirements that govern interstate commerce, and state-specific requirements that apply to intrastate movement and importation into the state. As a producer, you are responsible for understanding both.
Importing Sheep and Goats Into North Carolina
Under North Carolina Administrative Code 02 NCAC 52B .0209, sheep and goats not consigned for the purpose of immediate slaughter must be accompanied by an official health certificate from the state of origin signed by a veterinarian accredited in that state. The health certificate shall include a report of inspection indicating the sheep and goats are not under quarantine and are free from signs of any infectious or communicable disease.
The health certificate must also contain a statement that the flock of origin has not had scrapie diagnosed within the past 42 months, and must include USDA-approved scrapie identification, age, sex, breed, and markings for each animal.
Sheep and goats consigned for the purpose of immediate slaughter to a licensed livestock market or a slaughtering establishment under state or federal inspection may be imported without a health certificate. A waybill or certificate marked for immediate slaughter must accompany such shipments. No sheep or goats consigned for immediate slaughter may be removed from slaughter channels.
For animals entering North Carolina for exhibition purposes only, official scrapie identification approved by USDA APHIS is required. Such animals shall remain in the state for exhibition purposes for no more than 30 days from the date of issuance of the health certificate.
Intrastate Movement and Change of Ownership
The scrapie regulations require the official identification of sheep and goats not in slaughter channels and any sheep over 18 months of age in interstate commerce with some exceptions. In addition, states are required to implement and enforce official identification of most sheep and goats on change of ownership intrastate in order to move sheep and goats interstate with minimal restrictions.
A person who delivers an animal that is required to be identified to a place where it will be put in the same enclosure with animals from a different flock of origin must ensure that the animal is officially identified to its premises of origin before putting it in the same enclosure with animals from a different flock and before a change of ownership. This rule applies at livestock markets, sale barns, and any commingling event.
North Carolina’s livestock and wildlife regulations are among the most detailed in the Southeast. If you are interested in the broader regulatory landscape for animals in the state, resources covering dog breed restrictions in North Carolina and popular dog breeds in North Carolina offer useful context on how the state approaches animal regulation more broadly.
Reporting, Testing, and Quarantine Requirements in North Carolina
Surveillance and prompt reporting are the tools that allow the NSEP to find the remaining cases of scrapie in the United States. As a North Carolina producer, you have specific obligations when an animal shows clinical signs consistent with scrapie or when an adult animal dies or is euthanized on your farm.
When and How to Report
If you have an adult sheep or goat that is exhibiting signs of scrapie such as incoordination, severe continuous rubbing, or other neurologic signs, or an adult animal dies or is euthanized, or is being culled (even if you know the cause of death), please contact your local State or USDA Veterinary Services office. In North Carolina, that means contacting the NCDA&CS Veterinary Division or the USDA APHIS Area Veterinarian in Charge for North Carolina.
In order to declare the U.S. “scrapie free,” we must be able to prove to the world that testing has been conducted in all sheep and goat populations. This is why submission of samples from sheep and goats over 18 months of age found dead or euthanized on your farm is extremely important. Without producer cooperation, the U.S. will not be able to declare itself free of scrapie, costing the sheep and goat industries approximately $10 to $20 million annually.
Testing Procedures and Costs
APHIS provides shipping boxes and pre-printed, postage-paid labels at no cost to producers and accredited veterinarians. APHIS will pay for scrapie testing of up to 30 animals per flock per year. Producers may remove and submit whole heads or report deceased sheep or goats and ask for help with submitting samples. Accredited veterinarians can either remove and submit whole heads or collect and submit specified tissues.
Positive test results will be confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) or an NVSL-approved laboratory. Confirmation is required before any regulatory action is taken against a flock.
Quarantine and Flock Management After a Positive Finding
If a scrapie-positive animal is confirmed in your flock, APHIS and the NCDA&CS Veterinary Division will work with you to implement a cleanup plan. To eliminate the disease from an infected flock or herd, genetically susceptible exposed animals and animals showing clinical signs are euthanized and the premises is cleaned and disinfected.
APHIS provides the following assistance to owners of exposed and infected flocks or herds that participate in cleanup plans: indemnity for high-risk, suspect, and scrapie-positive sheep and exposed goats that owners agree to destroy; genetic testing of sheep for scrapie susceptibility; and other support.
Prions are difficult to decontaminate as they bind tightly to surfaces without losing infectivity. They are resistant to most disinfectants including alcohol and formalin, and have resistance to heat and radiation. For guidance on cleaning and disinfecting farm equipment and premises after a positive finding, consult Appendix 2 in the NSEP Program Standards Volume 2.
Approximately 30 percent of U.S. sheep are genetically susceptible to scrapie. Some animals have been bred to be genetically resistant to the disease. Because scrapie persists in the environment for years, owners of previously infected flocks should restock with rams that are resistant and ewes of resistant or less susceptible genotypes. All goat breeds are susceptible to scrapie.
Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP) in North Carolina
The National Scrapie Eradication Program has two major components: a regulatory eradication program called the Accelerated Scrapie Eradication Program (ASEP) and a voluntary certification program called the Scrapie Flock Certification Program (SFCP). While ASEP compliance is mandatory for all producers, the SFCP offers North Carolina sheep and goat producers a powerful voluntary tool to enhance the marketability of their animals.
The National Scrapie-Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP) increases the marketability of sheep and goats from flocks that have demonstrated freedom of scrapie disease by adhering to program requirements. The SFCP is a voluntary program that is open to all sheep and goat producers in the United States. The overall objective of the SFCP is to minimize the scrapie risk of participating flocks and herds, thereby improving the marketability of animals from participating flocks and herds and contributing to the national scrapie eradication program.
SFCP Categories and Statuses
The SFCP has two categories: Export and Select. The Export category has two statuses — Export Monitored and Export Certified — and the Select category has one status: Select Monitored.
| SFCP Category | Status | Primary Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Export | Export Monitored | Entry-level certification toward export-eligible status |
| Export | Export Certified | Full certification for international export of breeding stock |
| Select | Select Monitored | Domestic marketability improvement with reduced scrapie risk |
The objective of the Export category is to certify participating flocks and herds as scrapie-free establishments through limiting the acquisition of does and ewes from flocks of the same or higher status, annual inspections including reconciliation of the animal inventory, official individual animal identification requirements, recordkeeping requirements, and animal sampling requirements.
How to Enroll and What to Expect
SFCP tags may only be purchased by owners of flocks participating in the Scrapie-Free Flock Certification Program. Regular program tags may be purchased by any producer who has a flock or premises ID. To enroll in the SFCP in North Carolina, contact the NCDA&CS Veterinary Division or the USDA APHIS Scrapie program page for your state’s designated scrapie epidemiologist (DSE) contact information.
All requirements of the SFCP are outlined in the SFCP program standards, available in electronic form on the USDA APHIS website. USDA’s scrapie flock certification program provides buyers of breeding stock with assurance that the seller’s sheep are less likely to have scrapie. Those who voluntarily enroll in this program are in compliance with all regulatory rules.
Accredited veterinarians play a central role in the SFCP. Accredited veterinarians are the producers’ primary source of education about all aspects of the program, including identification, recordkeeping, and movement requirements. When requested by the producer, accredited veterinarians can apply official eartags, collect and submit samples for official genotype testing, and issue Certificates of Veterinary Inspection for interstate movement.
North Carolina is home to a wide range of agricultural and wildlife activity. While scrapie compliance focuses on livestock health, producers interested in the state’s broader animal life can explore resources on types of snakes in North Carolina and types of hawks in North Carolina — both relevant to producers managing open pasture environments where wildlife interactions occur. For producers who also keep working dogs on their operations, information on popular dog breeds in North Carolina may also be useful.
For the most current requirements, always verify your obligations directly with the NCDA&CS Veterinary Division or the USDA APHIS National Scrapie Eradication Program. Regulations are subject to revision, and staying current with both state and federal guidance is the most reliable way to protect your flock, your business, and North Carolina’s livestock industry as a whole.