Bovine Tuberculosis Testing Requirements in New York: A Cattle Owner’s Compliance Guide
August 28, 2026
If you raise, sell, exhibit, or move cattle or bison in New York, bovine tuberculosis testing is not optional paperwork you can skip. It is a federally backed, state-enforced program that determines whether your animals can legally cross state lines, enter a show ring, or even stay on your own property after a positive result.
New York’s rules trace back to a national eradication effort that began in 1917, and the state’s current requirements blend federal regulations from the USDA with specific import and identification rules from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Below, you will find a section-by-section breakdown of what triggers testing, which methods are approved, how movement rules work, and what happens if a test comes back suspect or positive.
Pro Tip: Keep copies of every Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) and tuberculin test record for at least two years. Buyers, show organizers, and state inspectors will ask for them.
What Is Bovine Tuberculosis and Why It Is Regulated in New York
Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious, infectious, communicable disease of animals and humans caused by Mycobacterium bovis (Mycobacterium bovis). It is commonly a chronic, debilitating disease but occasionally may assume an acute, rapidly progressive course. TB is a widespread zoonosis of global magnitude and affects nearly all species of vertebrates, and disease spreads through direct contact, inhalation of droplets expelled from infected lungs, and ingestion of contaminated feed or milk.
The regulatory framework in New York did not appear overnight. In 1917, the U.S. Bureau of Animal Industry began the National Tuberculosis Eradication Program due to human and livestock concerns regarding bovine tuberculosis, starting out as strictly an eradication program for cattle but eventually including both bison and farmed cervids. New York was involved from the beginning of that debate. In 1910, State Veterinarian of New York, Veranus A. Moore, believed detection of cattle in the early stages of disease through tuberculin testing was not necessary, and felt the US approach to eradication was too harsh given the chronic nature of the disease, insisting that control of the disease should be in the hands of the owner rather than the government. That debate eventually gave way to the mandatory tuberculin-testing model still used today.
APHIS and State animal health agencies collaborate with U.S. livestock producers to administer the National Tuberculosis Eradication Program, which has nearly eradicated tuberculosis from the Nation’s livestock population since its inception, and several factors, including the eradication program and pasteurization of milk, have reduced the number of human tuberculosis cases in the United States. Because infected cattle rarely show outward symptoms, infected cattle are typically asymptomatic, and detection usually occurs during live animal skin testing or, more commonly, at slaughter through the national slaughter surveillance program. That is exactly why New York’s testing rules exist: without them, an infected animal could move through sale barns, dairies, and pastures without anyone knowing until far more damage was done.
New York’s TB Classification Status and Risk Zones
The USDA sorts every state into a tuberculosis risk tier under federal regulation, and New York’s position in that system shapes almost every testing rule that follows. An accredited-free State or zone is one that has the authority to enforce and complies with the provisions of the Uniform Methods and Rules—Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication, has zero percent prevalence of affected cattle and bison herds, and has had no findings of tuberculosis in any cattle or bison herds in the State or zone for the previous 5 years. New York, like the overwhelming majority of states, operates within this top tier for cattle and bison, which is why routine intrastate testing is not required for most herds.
That status is not permanent or automatic. Accredited-free State or zone status must be renewed annually, and to qualify for renewal, a State must submit an annual report to APHIS certifying that the State or zone complies with the provisions of the Uniform Methods and Rules, submitted each year between October 1 and November 30. If two or more affected herds are detected in an accredited-free State or zone within a 48-month period, the State or zone will be removed from the list of accredited-free States or zones and reclassified as modified accredited advanced. That single rule is why individual producers who skip testing put every other cattle owner in the state at risk of tighter movement restrictions.
Michigan remains the primary risk zone New York producers need to watch, because parts of that state carry a lower TB status tied to a wildlife reservoir in white-tailed deer. Producers who source cattle from areas with known wildlife-associated TB should review the livestock biosecurity requirements in New York to understand how risk-zone sourcing intersects with broader herd health obligations. Deer hunters and landowners curious about the wildlife side of disease surveillance can also review hunting license requirements in New York, since wildlife testing programs run parallel to livestock rules in affected counties.
Who Must Test and Which Animals Are Covered in New York
Not every animal on a New York farm needs an annual tuberculin test. Testing obligations in an accredited-free state are triggered by specific events rather than a blanket annual mandate. You are most likely to face a testing requirement in New York if you fall into one of these categories:
- Importers bringing cattle or bison in from a state or zone with a lower TB status, particularly parts of Michigan
- Herd owners seeking accredited herd status, which requires a documented testing history
- Exhibitors moving cattle to fairs, sales, or shows that require a current CVI
- Owners of herds under investigation after a slaughter surveillance detection or an epidemiologic trace-back
- Owners of newly assembled herds on premises where a tuberculous herd was previously depopulated
Age matters when testing does apply. In Accredited Free States or zones, testing for herd accreditation applies to all cattle or bison 24 months of age and older, while in Modified Accredited Advanced States or zones the threshold drops to 18 months, in Modified Accredited States or zones to 12 months, and in Accreditation Preparatory States or zones all cattle and bison regardless of age must be tested. Because New York sits in the top accredited-free tier, most herd owners only encounter the 24-month threshold when pursuing formal accreditation rather than routine compliance.
Cattle and bison are the primary animals covered under the federal cattle-and-bison TB program, but captive cervids (deer, elk, and related species raised commercially) fall under a separate set of classification rules within the same regulatory chapter. If you raise both cattle and farmed deer on the same property, expect to track two different compliance calendars rather than one.
Approved TB Testing Methods in New York
New York follows the same USDA-approved testing hierarchy used nationwide, starting with a screening test and escalating only when results demand it. The first test used is called the Caudal Fold Test (CFT), and if the result is either a suspect (reactor) or positive, the CFT is followed up with the short interval comparative tuberculin test (SICTT), sometimes referred to as the comparative cervical test. Following the SICTT, if the test is positive, the animal is slaughtered and tissues are collected for culture of the organism and histopathology.
| Test | Purpose | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Caudal Fold Test (CFT) | Initial screening test | First-line test for movement, accreditation, and surveillance |
| Short Interval Comparative Tuberculin Test (SICTT) | Follow-up on suspect or reactor animals | Confirms or rules out a CFT response |
| Gamma Interferon (BOVIGAM-type) Assay | Blood-based confirmatory test | Used alongside or instead of skin testing in some cases |
| Culture and Histopathology | Definitive diagnosis | Performed on tissue after slaughter of a confirmed reactor |
The caudal-fold test is used as a presumptive diagnostic procedure, and animals classified as suspect must be evaluated further by the comparative cervical test, gamma interferon test, or sent directly to slaughter under permit. Only licensed material may be used for the initial screen: official testing must use only bovine purified protein derivative tuberculin (PPD bovis) licensed by USDA.
Reading the test correctly matters as much as administering it. Test observation without palpation is unacceptable, and results are recorded using VS Form 6–22, entering “N” for negative when no change is observed at the injection site, or “S” for suspect when an increase in caudal fold thickness, size, or sensitivity is observed or palpated. A positive response usually begins within 8 to 12 hours and peaks about 72 hours after injection. Only a USDA-accredited veterinarian is authorized to conduct and record an official test in New York, so producers cannot self-administer tuberculin and expect the results to count for movement or accreditation purposes.
Pro Tip: Schedule the follow-up reading appointment with your accredited veterinarian before the test is even given. Missing the 72-hour reading window can force a full retest.
Interstate and Intrastate Movement Testing Requirements in New York
Movement is where most New York producers actually encounter TB testing rules, since the state does not require blanket intrastate testing for accredited-free herds. Import rules published by the state are specific about origin. Tuberculosis testing is required for cattle that have been in Michigan in the last 60 months: cattle from the counties of Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, or Oscoda must originate in a herd that underwent a negative whole herd test within one year prior to movement plus an individual negative test in the 60 days preceding movement into New York, while animals from accredited free zones in Michigan over six months of age must be negative to a test conducted in the 60 days preceding movement.
Outside of that Michigan-specific rule, brucellosis tests are not required for cattle originating from within the United States, and there is no permit number required for importation into New York State. Cattle imported into New York from outside the United States must comply with USDA testing policies for import into the United States.
Identification requirements now run alongside testing requirements at every movement checkpoint. USDA’s final rule for cattle ID requires all official tags applied to cattle after November 5, 2024 to be both RFID and visually readable, and beginning that date, the only official ear tag which can be applied is an RFID-capable AIN tag. Cattle moving interstate should be permanently identified with a USDA approved ear tag and should move with an interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (also called health papers). Federal movement rules build directly on classification status: cattle or bison from an accredited herd may move interstate if officially identified and accompanied by an ICVI stating the accredited herd completed accreditation testing with negative results within 1 year, while sexually intact animals not from an accredited herd need an ICVI showing a negative official tuberculin test within 60 days of movement.
For anyone managing multiple animal-health compliance obligations on the same property, cross-checking related state requirements such as rabies vaccine requirements in New York alongside cattle movement paperwork helps keep your entire animal-health documentation consistent when inspectors or buyers ask for records.
What Happens When a Suspect or Positive Result Occurs in New York
A single “S” on a test chart sets a specific chain of events in motion, and none of them are optional. All accredited veterinarians must immediately report every suspected or diagnosed bovine TB case promptly to both the Assistant District Director and the State Animal Health Official. If the test produces any type of response, the veterinarian must immediately notify APHIS Area Offices and State animal health officials.
Once an animal is flagged, its movement options narrow dramatically. CFR Part 77.5 prohibits the interstate movement of suspect cattle and bison, and negative cattle or bison in herds containing suspect animals, except for slaughter, until the tuberculosis status of all suspects has been determined. Cattle, bison, and captive cervids classified as exposed to tuberculosis, whether by moving from an infected herd or by nursing a reactor dam, must be removed direct to slaughter.
The follow-up testing itself is designed to be conclusive rather than fast. Only animals that test positive receive further testing, which maximizes specificity and positive predictive value, though this approach can reduce sensitivity; series testing is an important part of disease eradication programs because it helps prevent unnecessary removal of false-positive animals. Producers dealing with a suspect result should expect a multi-week process involving the SICTT, possible gamma interferon testing, and, for any animal that remains positive, slaughter with laboratory confirmation.
Quarantine and Herd Depopulation Rules in New York
When a herd is confirmed affected, New York follows the same federal quarantine-and-clearance sequence used across every accredited-free state. All livestock herds within a 10-mile radius will be tested within 6 months of any diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis, and testing for accreditation or reaccreditation covers all eligible animals in the affected area. This radius testing is designed to catch any spread before it reaches neighboring farms.
For herds with confirmed disease, depopulation is often the fastest route back to normal operations, though quarantine release comes with strict follow-up testing obligations. In herds with a history of lesions suggestive of bovine tuberculosis but not confirmed, two negative annual herd tests must be conducted after the herd is released from quarantine, with the first test applied approximately 1 year after release. In a newly assembled herd on premises where a tuberculosis-affected herd has been depopulated, two negative annual herd tests must be applied to all cattle, bison, and other livestock, with the first test applied approximately 6 months after assembly of the new herd.
New York’s accredited-free status also depends on how quickly an affected herd is handled. If an affected herd is detected in an accredited-free State or zone, and the herd is depopulated with an epidemiologic investigation completed within 90 days showing no evidence of spread, the State or zone may retain its accredited-free status. That 90-day window is a major reason state and federal officials move quickly once a confirmed case is identified, since delays put the whole state’s trading status at risk.
Important Note: Quarantine and depopulation decisions are made jointly by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets veterinarians and USDA APHIS officials. If your herd is placed under quarantine, work directly with your assigned regulatory veterinarian rather than relying on general guidance, since case-specific factors affect timelines and indemnity eligibility.
Penalties for Non-Compliance in New York
New York’s authority to enforce testing, movement, and quarantine rules for livestock disease sits in the state’s Agriculture and Markets Law, specifically the article covering diseases of livestock that governs the state’s cattle and bison health program. Failing to comply with a testing order, movement restriction, or quarantine typically results in state seizure or destruction authority over affected or exposed animals, denial of movement certificates, and potential civil penalties under that statute.
Federal rules add another enforcement layer on top of state authority. Federal tuberculosis regulations preempt all state and local laws and regulations that are in conflict with the federal rule, meaning New York’s own testing and movement requirements must align with, and cannot fall below, the federal baseline. Practically, this means a producer cannot avoid federal testing requirements by pointing to a looser state rule, because the federal floor always applies.
The most costly consequence of non-compliance rarely falls on a single producer alone. Because two or more affected herds detected in an accredited-free State or zone within a 48-month period trigger reclassification to modified accredited advanced, a pattern of untested or improperly documented cattle moving through New York sale barns can push the entire state into a lower TB tier. That downgrade adds mandatory testing burdens, tighter movement paperwork, and reduced market access for every cattle and bison owner in the state, not just the herd where the disease was found. Anyone weighing the cost of skipping a $20-and-under skin test against that scenario is looking at a lopsided trade-off.
Pro Tip: Before any interstate sale, verify with your accredited veterinarian that the CVI, ear tag identification, and any required TB test dates line up exactly with the destination state’s import rules. Small paperwork gaps are the most common reason shipments get turned back at the border.
Staying current on New York’s bovine tuberculosis testing rules protects more than your own herd’s market value. It keeps the entire state’s accredited-free status intact, which is what allows New York cattle and bison to move across state lines without the heavier testing burden producers in lower-status states face. When in doubt about a specific animal, movement route, or quarantine situation, contact the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets or your USDA-accredited veterinarian directly rather than relying on general guidance alone.