Scrapie Eradication Program in Arkansas: What Sheep and Goat Producers Need to Know
July 2, 2026
If you raise sheep or goats in Arkansas, scrapie compliance is not optional — it is a legal requirement that affects every sale, movement, and record you keep. Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats, and its continued presence in the United States costs producers millions of dollars annually in lost exports, production losses, and disposal costs.
Arkansas operates under both federal and state-level regulations designed to find, trace, and eliminate every remaining case of classical scrapie. Whether you manage a small backyard flock or a large commercial operation, understanding the rules that apply to your animals protects your livelihood and keeps you on the right side of the law.
This guide walks you through every major component of the Scrapie Eradication Program as it applies to Arkansas producers — from official animal identification and flock registration to movement rules, quarantine procedures, and voluntary certification options.
What Is Scrapie and Why It Is Regulated in Arkansas
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. Because of those two facts alone, prevention, identification, and rapid response are the only tools available to producers and regulators.
Scrapie is a slowly developing disease that takes several years to cause clinical signs after an animal is infected. Clinical signs include scratching and rubbing, loss of coordination, weight loss, biting of feet and legs, changes in behavior or temperament, head-pressing, lip smacking, and gait abnormalities including high-stepping of the forelegs, “bunny-hopping,” and swaying of the rear end of the animal.
The primary route of scrapie transmission occurs when susceptible animals are exposed to and ingest placenta and/or birth fluids of a scrapie-infected ewe or doe at lambing/kidding or after an abortion. Infection most commonly occurs when the susceptible animal is young, and some research indicates that scrapie may also be transmitted by feeding colostrum or milk from an infected ewe or doe to a susceptible lamb or kid.
The presence of scrapie in the United States also prevents the export of breeding stock, semen, and embryos to many other countries. Without producer cooperation in submitting samples, the US will not be able to declare itself free of scrapie, costing the sheep and goat industries approximately $10 to $20 million annually. That economic reality is precisely why Arkansas — like every other state — enforces both federal and state-level scrapie regulations.
If you are interested in other animals and wildlife topics specific to Arkansas, the regulations surrounding livestock health are just one part of a broader picture of responsible animal stewardship in the state.
Arkansas’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. Arkansas participates as a Consistent State, meaning it operates an active state scrapie control program that meets all federal requirements.
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). Both components apply in Arkansas, and producers may be subject to one or both depending on their operation.
The purpose of Arkansas’s scrapie regulation is to control scrapie in the state and to comply with the federal Scrapie Eradication Uniform Methods and Rules. The Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission (ALPC) is the primary state agency responsible for enforcing these rules, conducting inspections, and coordinating with USDA APHIS Veterinary Services.
The National Scrapie Eradication Program, coordinated by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has reduced the prevalence of scrapie in adult sheep sampled at slaughter by more than 99 percent. However, the cooperation of sheep and goat producers is still needed to find and eliminate the last few remaining cases in the United States.
A sampling rate of 6 per 1,000 breeding ewes or does is used for Stage 1 surveillance minimums, and a sampling rate of 4 per 1,000 breeding ewes or does is used for Stage 2 minimums. Arkansas producers contribute to meeting these targets every time they submit samples from animals that die or are euthanized on-farm.
Official Animal Identification Requirements in Arkansas
Official animal identification is the backbone of scrapie traceability. Without it, infected animals cannot be traced back to their flock of origin, and disease investigations stall. Arkansas law mirrors and, in some areas, expands upon federal identification requirements.
Under the Arkansas Scrapie Control Regulation, the following categories of animals must be officially identified before any change of ownership or qualifying movement:
- All sheep over 18 months of age
- All scrapie-exposed, suspect, high-risk, and test-positive animals
- All registered breeding goats, breeding goats in contact with sheep, and dairy goats from goat dairies
- All sheep or goats being exhibited
The following animals are generally exempt from identification requirements under Arkansas rules:
- Feeders under 18 months of age destined for later movement to slaughter
- Non-registered meat-type goats, brush goats, and castrated sheep and goats under 18 months of age
All sheep and goats imported or exhibited within the state of Arkansas must be identified by an official USDA tag, legible official goat registry tattoo if accompanied by a registration certificate, or other approved device that contains a premise identification issued by the state of origin in combination with a unique animal number.
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.
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.
All sheep or goats that are bartered, leased, traded, loaned, sold, exhibited, or otherwise moved from one management to another shall be deemed to have undergone a change of ownership for the purpose of this regulation. That definition is intentionally broad — if an animal leaves your direct control for any reason, identification requirements likely apply.
Flock Registration and Recordkeeping Requirements in Arkansas
Maintaining accurate records is not just good farming practice in Arkansas — it is a legal obligation under state scrapie regulations. Records create the paper trail that makes disease traceback possible and protects you if your animals are ever linked to a scrapie investigation.
The buyer, seller, and any dealer or market operator of sheep and goats — whether or not the animals are required to be identified — must maintain business records such as changes of ownership, yarding receipts, sale tickets, invoices, and waybills. These records must be maintained for a minimum of five years or provided to the Livestock and Poultry Commission for entry on the Scrapie National Generic Database.
The buyer, seller, and any dealer or market operator shall be equally responsible for maintaining the required record, which shall be made available on request to agents of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission.
Your records for identified animals must include:
- Official USDA tag numbers or other identifying numbers, including the premise identification
- Any other identification carried by or assigned to the animal at the time of change of ownership
- Date of transaction and names of both buyer and seller
- The seller’s premises identification number
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 all purchase and sales records. That two-to-five-year window means an animal you purchased years ago could be the source of a current investigation — which is exactly why the five-year minimum retention period exists.
If you are also interested in how Arkansas regulates other aspects of animal ownership, the state’s dog leash laws and exotic pet regulations follow a similarly structured compliance framework.
Interstate and Intrastate Movement Rules for Sheep and Goats in Arkansas
Movement rules for sheep and goats in Arkansas depend on whether the animals are crossing state lines, changing ownership within the state, or being transported to a livestock market or exhibition. Each scenario carries its own documentation and identification requirements.
Importing Sheep and Goats Into Arkansas
All sheep and goats imported into Arkansas shall be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and shall meet the scrapie record requirement, which must be documented in addition to the certificate of veterinary inspection.
No sheep or goats may be imported into Arkansas that do not originate from a consistent state, unless originating from a complete monitored scrapie flock or enrolled in the Voluntary Scrapie Flock Certification Program (VSFCP).
No sheep or goats may be imported into Arkansas that have commingled — as defined by the Arkansas Scrapie Regulations — with sheep or goats that are not officially identified in compliance with the Arkansas Scrapie Regulations prior to importation.
No sheep or goats that are infected with or exposed to scrapie, and no progeny of sheep or goats infected with or exposed to scrapie, may be moved into Arkansas without the permission of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission and an official permit granted.
Intrastate Movement and Change of Ownership
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. Arkansas meets this requirement through its Scrapie Control Regulation, which mandates identification before any change of ownership, regardless of whether the animals are leaving the state.
All sheep and goats that are grouped together having physical contact with each other — including contact through a fence with a confined lambing area or lambing animals, or sharing the same transportation space where physical contact can occur — shall be deemed to have commingled. This definition matters because commingling with unidentified animals from another flock can trigger quarantine requirements.
Animals Moving to Exhibition
Exhibition officials must maintain records of all sheep and goats that are exhibited for a period of five years. Commingling of sheep or goats of different flock status as defined by the Voluntary Flock Certification Program is prohibited and must be reported to the VFCP state official and State Veterinarian.
| Movement Type | Official ID Required | CVI Required | Key Restriction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Import into Arkansas | Yes | Yes | Must originate from a Consistent State or certified flock |
| Intrastate change of ownership | Yes (most animals) | No (generally) | Records must be retained for 5 years |
| Interstate export from Arkansas | Yes | Yes | Must meet destination state requirements |
| Exhibition within Arkansas | Yes | Varies | No commingling of different flock statuses |
| Movement to slaughter (direct) | Exemptions may apply | No | Slaughter-channel exemptions for some animals |
For producers who also keep other animals on their property, Arkansas has detailed regulations covering many species. You can explore the state’s hunting laws and petting zoo requirements for additional context on how the state manages animal health and public safety across different settings.
Reporting, Testing, and Quarantine Requirements in Arkansas
When scrapie is suspected or confirmed in Arkansas, a structured response process kicks in immediately. Knowing what to expect — and what is required of you — can help you respond correctly and minimize the impact on your operation.
Reporting Obligations
Accreditation standards require reporting of live or dead scrapie suspects to state and federal authorities. In addition to this critical role, accredited veterinarians are the producers’ primary source of education about all aspects of the program, including identification, recordkeeping, and movement requirements.
As a producer, you are also responsible for reporting. If you observe clinical signs consistent with scrapie — such as unexplained weight loss, progressive neurological symptoms, or abnormal behavior in adult sheep or goats — contact the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission or your accredited veterinarian without delay.
Testing Procedures
APHIS will pay for scrapie testing of up to 30 animals per flock per year. APHIS provides shipping boxes and pre-printed, postage-paid labels at no cost to producers and accredited veterinarians.
When requested by the producer, accredited veterinarians can apply official eartags, collect and submit samples for official genotype testing, scrapie testing on obex, lymph node, third-eyelid lymphoid tissue, or rectal lymphoid tissue, and issue Certificates of Veterinary Inspection for interstate movement.
Submission of samples from sheep or goats over 18 months of age found dead or euthanized on your farm is extremely important to the national surveillance effort. Every on-farm death is a testing opportunity that costs you nothing but helps move the entire industry closer to official scrapie-free status.
Quarantine Procedures
Upon notification of known cases of scrapie and all suspected cases of scrapie, the flock or herd shall be quarantined, investigated, all animals in the flock or herd individually identified, and a risk analysis made.
Infected and source flocks may be released from quarantine after completion of a USDA flock or herd plan, or in a USDA-approved pilot project flock or herd plan that includes the owner’s agreement to comply with a five-year post-exposure monitoring and management plan. The State Veterinarian or the designated scrapie epidemiologist may release any suspected case of scrapie from quarantine when other causes of the symptoms are confirmed and scrapie has not been diagnosed.
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. Prions are difficult to decontaminate as they have been shown to tightly bind to surfaces without losing infectivity. They are resistant to most disinfectants including alcohol and formalin, and prion contamination has also been shown to have resistance to heat and radiation.
Any flock or herd under quarantine that has not had a confirmation of a scrapie diagnosis within five years and has followed the flock or herd plan shall be released from quarantine.
Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP) in Arkansas
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.
For Arkansas producers, participation in the SFCP can open doors to buyers who require certified animals — particularly those involved in export markets or high-value seedstock operations. The program provides sheep and goat producers the opportunity to increase the marketability of their animals through demonstrating a negligible scrapie risk in their flock or herd.
Program 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.
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.
The SFCP also contributes to APHIS’s scrapie surveillance strategy, testing sheep and goats from flocks and herds that otherwise might not be sampled through traditional slaughter surveillance.
What Participation Requires
To enroll and maintain your status in the SFCP in Arkansas, you must generally meet the following standards:
- Official identification: All breeding animals must carry official ID throughout their time in the flock.
- Annual inspections: Undergo an annual inspection, at which time animals are reconciled with the flock records, checked for official identification, and examined for evidence of scrapie.
- Recordkeeping: Records must be retained for a minimum of seven years after an animal dies or is removed from the flock.
- Acquisition controls: Report all sheep or goat acquisitions from flocks with lower status or from non-participating flocks.
- Slaughter compliance: Have all animals undergo veterinary inspection prior to culling or be slaughtered at a state or federally inspected facility.
- Commingling reporting: Commingling of sheep or goats of different flock status as defined by the VFCP must be reported to the VFCP state official and State Veterinarian.
How to Enroll
All requirements of the SFCP are outlined in the SFCP program standards, available in electronic form at the APHIS National Scrapie Eradication Program webpage. To begin enrollment in Arkansas, contact the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission or your APHIS Veterinary Services Area Office. You can also call 1-866-USDA-TAG (1-866-873-2824) to be routed to the correct state or federal office.
Maintaining your SFCP status over time is what builds your flock’s certification level from Monitored to Certified. The SFCP identifies scrapie-free flocks by monitoring them over a five-to-seven-year period. The longer your flock remains in good standing, the higher your status — and the greater the premium you can command for your animals in the marketplace.
If you raise sheep or goats alongside other livestock or wildlife on your Arkansas property, understanding the full scope of state animal regulations is valuable. Explore related topics such as venomous animals in Arkansas and types of snakes in Arkansas to stay informed about the full range of animal health and safety considerations in the state.
Staying Compliant With Arkansas Scrapie Regulations
Compliance with the Scrapie Eradication Program in Arkansas comes down to four consistent practices: keeping every required animal officially identified, maintaining accurate records for at least five years, following movement and documentation rules every time animals change hands, and reporting any suspected case of scrapie without delay.
The regulatory framework may appear complex, but it is built around a straightforward goal — eliminating a fatal disease that has no treatment and costs the industry tens of millions of dollars every year. Eradication will improve the overall health of the national sheep flock and goat herd and relieve sheep and goat producers of scrapie-associated economic losses.
For the most current Arkansas-specific guidance, contact the Arkansas Department of Agriculture or the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission directly. For federal program standards, visit the USDA APHIS National Scrapie Eradication Program page, where you can download the full NSEP Standards document and access the latest approved tag manufacturer list.