Livestock Biosecurity Requirements in Hawaii Every Farmer and Rancher Needs to Know

Hawaii’s livestock industry faces a biosecurity challenge unlike any other state in the nation. As an island chain separated from the continental United States by thousands of miles of open ocean, the introduction of a single foreign animal disease could devastate local agriculture with no land-border escape route for containment.

If you raise cattle, poultry, swine, sheep, goats, or any other livestock in the Aloha State, understanding your biosecurity obligations is not optional — it is the foundation of responsible animal husbandry and legal compliance. This guide walks you through every major livestock biosecurity requirement in Hawaii, from how your premises must be registered to how you must dispose of animal carcasses.

What Is Livestock Biosecurity and Why It Matters in Hawaii

Livestock biosecurity refers to the set of practices, protocols, and regulations designed to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases, pests, and pathogens within and between animal populations. On a practical level, it means controlling who and what enters your farm, how animals are identified and moved, and how you respond when illness appears.

Hawaii’s geographic isolation makes these stakes extraordinarily high. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) works to prevent the introduction and establishment of plants, animals, and diseases that are detrimental to the state’s agriculture industry and the environment. That mission shapes every rule you will encounter as a livestock owner in the state.

Hawaii’s unique geographical characteristics underscore the importance of closely monitoring biosecurity risks entering the state. While isolation presents challenges, it also affords a strategic advantage by limiting the modes of transportation through which goods are received. In other words, every animal, vehicle, and piece of equipment that arrives in Hawaii passes through a limited number of entry points — and the state takes full advantage of that chokepoint.

Recent events have reinforced why vigilance matters. The Hawai’i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) Animal Industry Division (AID) has urged commercial poultry operations and backyard bird owners to increase biosecurity measures to protect their flocks from avian influenza, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). In November 2024, a bird sanctuary in Wahiawā on O’ahu was infected with the virus and DAB veterinarians conducted measures to disinfect the property and euthanized about 100 birds.

The objectives of Hawaii’s biosecurity program are to establish a multi-dimensional system to prevent the entry into the state and interisland movement of pests and prohibited or restricted organisms without a permit, and to respond effectively to eradicate, control, reduce, and suppress incipient pest populations. Every requirement described in this article flows directly from those statutory objectives.

Premises Registration and Identification Requirements in Hawaii

Before your animals ever move off your property, your property itself must be registered within the national animal disease traceability system. To obtain a National Premises Identification Number (PIN), you must fill out a registration form and return it to the Hawaii Animal Premises Identification System, Animal Industry Division, located at 99-941 Halawa Valley Street. This PIN links your farm to the federal traceability infrastructure and is required for any official movement documentation.

Animal identification is equally mandatory for interstate movement. For most classes of livestock, the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rule for interstate movement requires official identification using a USDA-approved official ID device or method, along with an Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) with the shipment. Animals must be officially identified before the ICVI is issued, and the animal identification must appear on the ICVI.

For cattle specifically, branding remains a primary identification tool. Hawaii law requires owners of livestock in the state to register their brand to secure its validity and individuality. While it is not mandatory to use brands in Hawaii, it is mandatory for owners using brands to register them every five years. The registration fee is $10.

The DAB’s Animal Disease Control Branch reviews brand applications and approves brands after determining that the brand is not the same or similar to others that are registered. You can view registered brands in the Hawaii Brand Book maintained by DAB, and you can obtain a brand registration form directly from the department.

For poultry operations, flock registration carries its own biosecurity dimension. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) focuses on imports — including Certificate of Veterinary Inspection requirements and quarantine — and disease tracking for poultry. If you operate a commercial flock or plan to import birds, registration with the Animal Industry Division is a prerequisite, not an afterthought. You can also review livestock disease reporting practices in California and livestock disease reporting in Colorado to understand how neighboring mainland states approach the same traceability framework.

Biosecurity Plan Requirements in Hawaii

Hawaii does not currently mandate a single, universally standardized written biosecurity plan for all livestock operations the way some states do for specific industries. However, the DAB strongly encourages all producers to develop and maintain documented biosecurity protocols as part of its voluntary disease control and certification programs.

The DAB assists the industry in the development and implementation of voluntary disease control programs, disease-free certification programs, and advises industry on matters pertaining to animal health and premises disease biosecurity. Participating in these programs positions your operation for faster regulatory response and may reduce your liability exposure if a disease event occurs.

A functional biosecurity plan for a Hawaii livestock operation should address, at minimum, the following components:

• Identification of all entry points to your premises and protocols for controlling access
• Animal health monitoring schedules and record-keeping procedures
• Vaccination and treatment logs maintained by species and individual animal ID
• Protocols for isolating newly arrived or sick animals
• Sanitation procedures for vehicles, equipment, and personnel entering the farm
• Emergency contact information for the DAB Animal Industry Division and your accredited veterinarian
• Procedures for reporting suspected disease outbreaks to state authorities

The mission of the Animal Disease Control Branch is to prevent, detect, diagnose, control, and eradicate livestock diseases in order to promote the health and economic well-being of the livestock industries in Hawaii. Aligning your internal biosecurity plan with that mission means documenting your prevention steps so that, if disease does appear, investigators can rapidly trace its origin and limit spread.

Animal Isolation and Movement Control Requirements in Hawaii

Movement control is one of the most detailed and strictly enforced areas of Hawaii livestock biosecurity law. Every time livestock moves — whether arriving from the mainland, traveling between islands, or changing ownership on the same island — specific documentation must accompany the animals.

Intra-State Movement Documents

Movement of livestock within Hawaii utilizes two documents to aid in animal disease traceability. The Certificate of Livestock Ownership/Movement (DC-44) is a form that accompanies all movements of livestock, established in 1986 to assist law enforcement with investigations of livestock rustling and provided to an officer upon request.

The Permit to Ship (DC-8) is a form used specifically to permit movement of livestock or products that are quarantined due to significant animal disease. This form is only available in hardcopy form and is obtained by contacting the Animal Industry Division. Owners are required to provide movement information and animal descriptions. The multi-carbon document is only valid when signed by a Veterinary Medical Officer and issued by the Animal Industry Division.

Online e-DC-44 forms are now available and automatically return data to the Animal Industry Division when generated. New rules were established in December 2023 for the intra-state transport of livestock. Visit statevet.com to access the e-DC-44 form and create your account.

Importing Livestock into Hawaii

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture regulates the importation of cattle to protect local livestock from infectious diseases and ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. All cattle imports must meet health testing, identification, and permit requirements before entry into the state.

HPAI restrictions add another layer to cattle imports. Hawaii is currently not accepting cattle from premises where HPAI has infected cattle or is currently under investigation with a suspect herd. Eligible cattle from unaffected premises in states where HPAI has been detected in cattle must be inspected within 72 hours of shipment and found to be free of signs of HPAI infection. Cattle must be compliant with test requirements as specified in federal orders.

For birds and poultry, isolation requirements are extensive. Most birds require a pre-arrival seven-day (168-hour) isolation from mosquitoes under the supervision of an accredited veterinarian and must enter the state within 36 hours of completing isolation. In addition, a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection must state that birds were not vaccinated for any disease with a vaccine containing a live agent within 60 days of shipment.

As of October 2002, all poultry, birds, day-old chicks, and hatching eggs require a Poultry and Bird Import Permit (West Nile Virus Import Permit) through the Livestock Disease Control Branch, Department of Agriculture, to address the West Nile virus epidemic in the continental United States.

For vesicular stomatitis (VS) disease zones on the mainland, additional CVI language is required. The following statement must appear on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection for all livestock entering Hawaii from any state where vesicular stomatitis has been diagnosed: “The animals represented on this certificate have not originated from a premises or area within 10 miles of a premises under quarantine for vesicular stomatitis within the past 20 days. I have examined these animals and have not observed lesions or clinical signs of VS.” Any exception to these requirements must have the prior approval of the Hawaii State Veterinarian or his approved staff veterinarian.

Understanding movement documentation in Hawaii is similar to understanding trailer and transport compliance in other states. You can review livestock trailer requirements in Nevada, livestock trailer requirements in Wisconsin, and livestock trailer requirements in Pennsylvania to see how transport compliance varies across jurisdictions.

Visitor, Vehicle, and Equipment Sanitation Rules in Hawaii

Controlling what enters your farm is just as important as controlling which animals leave it. Pathogens hitchhike on boots, tires, clothing, tools, and hands — and in Hawaii, where eradication of an introduced disease is far more difficult than on the mainland, prevention at the farm gate is non-negotiable.

Hawaii’s biosecurity legislation reinforces this principle at the state level. HB 427 establishes regulations for the creation of the state’s first transitional facilities, which require items entering through piers, airports, or other ports to be assessed and certified by a trained Biosecurity Compliance Auditor. While this applies to commercial entry points, the underlying principle — assess and certify before allowing entry — should guide your on-farm visitor protocols as well.

The following sanitation practices represent the standard expected of Hawaii livestock operations:

• Footwear disinfection stations: Place boot wash stations containing an approved disinfectant at all entry points to animal housing areas. Require all visitors, veterinarians, and service personnel to use them before and after contact with animals.
• Vehicle sanitation: Vehicles entering livestock areas — including feed delivery trucks, veterinary vehicles, and equipment trailers — should pass through a tire-wash or spray-down station. At minimum, document each vehicle entry with date, origin, and purpose.
• Dedicated farm clothing: Maintain farm-specific clothing and footwear that is not worn off-premises. Provide disposable coveralls or clean spare clothing for visitors who have recently been on other livestock operations.
• Equipment quarantine: Borrowed or rented equipment that has been used on other farms should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before use on your property. This includes squeeze chutes, halters, feeders, and water troughs.
• Visitor logs: Keep a written or digital log of all non-household visitors to your livestock areas, including the date of their last visit to another farm. This log is invaluable during a disease investigation.

Information for poultry and bird owners on how to increase biosecurity for their flocks is available through the DAB at dab.hawaii.gov and through USDA APHIS resources on enhanced biosecurity. These resources provide species-specific guidance on disinfection protocols and personal protective equipment.

Wildlife and Pest Control Obligations in Hawaii

Hawaii’s native ecosystem creates a wildlife biosecurity challenge that mainland producers simply do not face. The islands are home to feral populations of pigs, goats, and chickens, as well as invasive predators and vectors that can introduce or spread disease to your livestock.

Wild birds that carry avian influenza include waterbirds like ducks, geese, swans, and shorebirds. Bird flu viruses can easily spread from wild birds to poultry. The migratory season for birds through the Pacific flyway is ongoing, and there has been a multiagency effort to monitor and conduct surveillance activities, as well as to prevent the spread of the virus when and where possible.

Besides birds, HPAI can infect other animals, including cattle, cats, dogs, goats, seals, and other mammals. This broad host range means that wildlife exclusion must be part of your biosecurity strategy regardless of what species you raise.

Key wildlife and pest control obligations for Hawaii livestock producers include:

1. Exclude wild birds from feed and water sources. Store feed in sealed containers and cover water troughs when not in active use. Wild birds contaminating feed or water is one of the primary transmission routes for avian influenza.
2. Control feral pig and goat access. Feral ungulates can carry brucellosis, leptospirosis, and other diseases transmissible to domestic livestock. Perimeter fencing must be maintained to prevent nose-to-nose contact between domestic and feral animals.
3. Manage rodent populations. Rats and mice are vectors for leptospirosis and salmonella. Maintain active rodent control programs using bait stations placed away from livestock access areas.
4. Report unusual wildlife mortality. To report multiple or unusual illnesses in poultry, livestock, or other wild birds or animals, contact the DAB AID at 808-483-7100, Monday to Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Provide as much detail as possible on the number of sick or dead animals, the species, and the exact location.
5. Prevent mongoose and feral cat contact with poultry. Island ecology means mongooses are widespread — small, fast, and relentless diggers and climbers. Hardware cloth buried below ground level around poultry enclosures is the standard mitigation approach.

Livestock guardian dogs are another layer of defense against wildlife intrusion. Learn more about facts about livestock guardian dogs and how they can be integrated into your perimeter biosecurity strategy. If you also hold a Hawaii fishing or hunting license, you are already familiar with the state’s strict wildlife management approach — the same philosophy applies on your farm. See also hunting license requirements in Hawaii and fishing license requirements in Hawaii for context on the state’s broader wildlife regulatory framework.

Dead Animal Disposal Requirements in Hawaii

Proper carcass disposal is one of the most critical — and most frequently overlooked — components of on-farm biosecurity. A dead animal left in the open becomes a disease reservoir, attracting wildlife vectors, contaminating soil and water, and potentially spreading pathogens to surviving animals.

Depending on circumstances, large animal carcass disposal may be regulated by a state’s solid waste, medical waste, agriculture, or emergency management regulations. In Hawaii, carcass disposal falls primarily under the jurisdiction of the DAB and county health departments, and the appropriate method depends on the cause of death, species, and farm location.

Approved disposal methods for livestock carcasses in Hawaii generally include:

For dead wild birds found on or near your property, the DAB has specific guidance. Wear disposable gloves or turn a plastic bag inside out to pick up the carcass. Double-bag the carcass and throw it out with the regular trash. Wash your hands and disinfect your clothing and shoes after handling a dead wild bird. Be mindful of any health symptoms that may develop afterward.

When livestock death is sudden, unexplained, or involves multiple animals in a short period, do not dispose of the carcass before contacting the DAB. Surveillance for regulatory diseases is conducted routinely to identify diseases which constitute a threat to the state’s livestock industries and public health. Premature disposal of a carcass before veterinary examination can destroy the evidence needed to identify a reportable disease and trigger a state response.

Hawaii’s biosecurity framework is also evolving rapidly at the legislative level. Governor Josh Green signed into law Act 236 on June 27, 2025, which among other provisions renames the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB). Governor Green also approved the State Budget (Act 250) on June 30, 2025, which includes an unprecedented $26.6 million appropriation and 44 new positions to DAB for biosecurity. These investments signal that enforcement capacity and regulatory requirements are likely to expand in the coming years.

Staying current with DAB administrative rules is essential. Administrative rules establish the guidelines, limitations, and parameters for specific types of actions within the context of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Review the DAB Administrative Rules page regularly, and sign up for DAB news releases to receive updates on rule changes before they take effect. You may also find it useful to compare Hawaii’s approach with livestock disease reporting frameworks in other states, including livestock disease reporting in Florida, for a broader perspective on how biosecurity obligations vary across the country.

Whether you raise a small backyard flock or operate a large commercial cattle ranch, your compliance with Hawaii’s livestock biosecurity requirements protects not just your animals — it protects every producer on every island in the state. The interconnected nature of Hawaii’s agriculture means that a disease event on one farm can ripple across an entire island’s livestock industry within days. Build your biosecurity practices into daily routines now, and you will be far better positioned to prevent, detect, and respond to threats before they become crises.