Brucellosis Laws in Arkansas: What Livestock Owners Need to Know

Brucellosis is one of the most closely watched livestock diseases in the United States, and Arkansas has a well-defined regulatory framework built around preventing its spread. If you raise cattle, bison, or swine in the Natural State — or move animals across state lines — understanding these rules is not optional. Violations can trigger quarantines, mandatory testing at your expense, and financial penalties that add up quickly.

This guide walks you through every layer of Arkansas’s brucellosis regulations, from the state’s current disease classification to vaccination mandates, movement documentation, quarantine procedures, and the consequences of non-compliance. Whether you are a first-time livestock owner or an experienced producer, knowing where the lines are drawn helps you protect your herd and stay on the right side of state and federal law.

What Is Brucellosis and Why It Is Regulated in Arkansas

Brucellosis is a contagious bacterial disease caused primarily by Brucella abortus in cattle and bison. It spreads through contact with infected birth materials, aborted fetuses, or unpasteurized milk, and it causes reproductive losses — most notably spontaneous abortions and reduced fertility — that can devastate a herd’s productivity. Beyond livestock, brucellosis is a recognized zoonotic disease, meaning it can infect humans who handle infected animals or consume contaminated dairy products.

Because of its dual threat to animal agriculture and human public health, brucellosis has been the subject of a long-running cooperative federal-state-industry eradication program. APHIS regulations support a cooperative federal-state-industry program that has made considerable progress in eradicating brucellosis from the United States, and by 2007 the national brucellosis program had achieved an all-time low national herd prevalence of 0.0001 percent — one affected herd in approximately one million cattle herds.

In Arkansas, regulation falls under two primary authorities: the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission (ALPC), which governs livestock movement and concentration points, and the Arkansas State Board of Health, which handles human disease reporting and dairy-related controls. Federal oversight is provided by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under 9 CFR Part 78. Together, these agencies set the rules you must follow as a livestock owner or producer in the state. You can also review goat ownership laws in Arkansas for related livestock regulations that may apply to your operation.

Arkansas’s Brucellosis Classification Status

The most important starting point for understanding Arkansas brucellosis law is the state’s official disease classification. Under 9 CFR § 78.41, Arkansas is listed as a Class Free state — the highest possible brucellosis classification — alongside Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, and all other U.S. states and territories.

In February 2008, every state, along with Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, achieved Class Free status for the first time in the brucellosis eradication program’s 74-year history. Arkansas actually reached this milestone earlier than most. A Federal Register final rule adopted in March 2000 reclassified Arkansas from Class A to Class Free, confirming that Arkansas met the standards for that status.

What does Class Free status actually mean in practice? A Class Free state is one that meets standards for classification as such and is certified by the state animal health official, the Veterinarian in Charge, and the APHIS Administrator. For initial classification or reclassification, all cattle herds in the state must have remained free of Brucella abortus for 12 consecutive months, and the state must have a cattle herd infection rate of 0.0 percent or zero herds per 1,000.

Maintaining Class Free status is an ongoing obligation, not a permanent designation. The Administrator may reclassify a state or area to a lower status upon finding that continued detection of brucellosis presents a risk that the disease will spread. This is precisely why Arkansas maintains active surveillance, vaccination programs, and movement controls even in the absence of active disease.

For swine, Arkansas holds an equally strong designation. Federal regulations were amended to add Arkansas to the list of validated brucellosis-free states for swine, confirming that Arkansas meets the criteria for that classification. This action relieves certain restrictions on the interstate movement of breeding swine from Arkansas.

Vaccination Requirements for Cattle and Bison in Arkansas

Even as a Class Free state, Arkansas maintains calfhood vaccination requirements as a key tool for preserving that status. The rules distinguish between in-state cattle, cattle entering Arkansas, and cattle presented at exhibitions or concentration points.

Calfhood Vaccination for In-State Cattle

All female bovines between the ages of four and twelve months that have not been vaccinated for brucellosis and that are sold through Arkansas cattle markets or concentration points must be vaccinated. Each calf vaccinated must be identified in accordance with the Brucellosis Uniform Methods and Rules of the USDA. Official identification typically takes the form of an ear tag, tattoo, or brand that permanently marks the animal as a vaccinate.

Vaccination Requirements for Cattle Entering Arkansas

Heifers in the age range of four to twelve months must be calfhood vaccinated prior to entry into Arkansas. This rule applies regardless of the classification status of the state of origin. Intact beef females born after January 1, 1985, over one year of age that have not been officially calfhood vaccinated may not enter Arkansas unless they are S-branded prior to entry and consigned to slaughter or a quarantined feedlot, or they may be S-branded and consigned to an approved market to be sold for slaughter or to a quarantined feedlot.

Vaccination at Exhibitions

All heifers that are four to twelve months of age shall be vaccinated before entering a show. Heifers that were born on or after January 1, 1985, that are over twelve months of age and are not official calfhood vaccinates will not be allowed to show unless they are from a Brucellosis Certified Free Herd. This rule effectively means that any heifer you plan to exhibit must have documented vaccination history or certified free-herd status on file.

Testing Requirements for Cattle and Bison in Arkansas

Testing requirements in Arkansas are structured around the animal’s origin, age, sex, and intended use. The rules differ for cattle moving within the state versus those entering from other states, and they include specific exemptions for Class Free origin states and certified free herds.

Testing for Cattle Entering Arkansas

All intact male or female animals eighteen months of age or older — or any age if they have already calved or are in the third stage of pregnancy — must have tested negative for brucellosis prior to movement into Arkansas. Animals originating from Class Free states are exempt from testing requirements, provided that the entire state is classified as such and proper documentation is present.

The situation is more restrictive for animals from lower-classification states. All tested cattle from a Class B state shall be quarantined to the point of destination upon arrival and shall be retested, at the owner’s expense, for brucellosis not sooner than 45 nor more than 120 days after arrival.

Testing at Cattle Markets and Concentration Points

If Arkansas is a Class Free state, Arkansas cattle are exempt from brucellosis testing at regular and special cattle sales. However, this exemption does not apply universally. If Arkansas were not a Class Free state, the following testing requirements would apply: a negative brucellosis test within 90 days prior to exhibition for females and bulls 18 months of age and over, and all heifers that have calved or are bred must be tested.

Testing for Cervids

Deer, elk, and other cervids face their own testing standards. All cervidae over six months of age shall have a negative test for brucellosis within 30 days, or originate from a Certified Brucellosis-Free Cervid Herd, or originate from a Brucellosis-Monitored Cervid Herd within 90 days prior to movement. If you keep cervids on your property or plan to move them, these requirements apply separately from the cattle framework. See also hunting laws in Arkansas for additional regulations that may affect how you handle cervids on your land.

Certified Brucellosis-Free Herd Exemptions

Animals originating from a Certified Brucellosis Free Herd are exempt from testing requirements if the Certified Free Herd number is shown on the certificate. A certified brucellosis-free herd is defined as a herd of cattle or bison that has qualified for and whose owner has been issued a certified brucellosis-free herd certificate signed by the appropriate state animal health official and the Veterinarian in Charge. Pursuing this certification can significantly reduce your ongoing compliance burden.

Interstate and Intrastate Movement Rules in Arkansas

Moving cattle into or within Arkansas requires attention to documentation, identification, and testing compliance. The rules vary based on where the animals are coming from, their purpose, and whether they qualify for any exemptions. You can compare how these requirements stack up against neighboring states by reviewing brucellosis laws in Missouri and brucellosis laws in Nebraska.

Certificate of Veterinary Inspection

All cattle entering Arkansas must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) showing individual identification by ear tag, fire brand, or ear tattoo number, except for those cattle moving directly to a recognized slaughtering establishment or to an approved livestock market, which can be moved on a waybill if the waybill shows the name and address of the shipper, point of origin, destination, number and type of animals, and purpose of movement.

A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection is defined as a certificate issued by a licensed graduate, accredited veterinarian after a physical examination certifying that the livestock described are free from symptoms of contagious, infectious, or communicable diseases, and shall include a statement certifying the origin of the livestock. The certificate shall include the name and address of the caretaker of such livestock if the owner’s residence is other than the premises where the livestock are to be maintained.

Identification Exemptions

For the purpose of feeding, grazing, or roping in large truck loads, no test requirements apply with a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection within 30 days. No individual identification is required for spayed heifers, steers, or heifers less than 18 months of age.

Entry Permits

Permits are required on all swine, zoo, fur-bearing and other wild or exotic animals, ratites, camelids, cervids, and all other avian except poultry entering the state of Arkansas. Rodeo bulls are required to have an entry permit unless they are brucellosis tested within 30 days of entry. Permits are also required on all cattle entering Arkansas from any state that is not a tuberculosis-free state, unless that state has a reciprocal agreement with Arkansas.

Permits shall be issued upon the condition that the consignee, owner, or purchaser hold the imported livestock, upon arrival in this state, pending compliance with the provisions of the permit. Requests for permits should be directed to the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission in Little Rock.

Reporting and Quarantine Requirements in Arkansas

When brucellosis is detected or suspected in an Arkansas herd, a structured response process kicks in. Both the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission and the Arkansas Department of Health have roles to play, depending on whether the concern is animal-to-animal transmission or a potential human exposure through dairy products.

Reporting Brucellosis in Livestock

Brucellosis is a notifiable condition in Arkansas. Veterinarians and laboratory personnel who identify a positive or suspect result are required to report findings to the state veterinarian. When blood test results on animals or herds are not definitive, or when blood tests of brucellosis ring test suspicious dairy herds are not productive, additional diagnostic procedures will be done under supervision of the State Epidemiologist. The evaluation of all diagnostic test results and the final determination of infection will be made by the State Epidemiologist.

Dairy Herd Reporting

When a case of brucellosis is confined on the premises where a dairy is maintained, the Arkansas Department of Health shall prohibit the use, sale, or disposal of such milk except by a method approved by the Director until the Director is satisfied that such milk is safe for human consumption. This provision underscores the public health dimension of brucellosis regulation and applies specifically to dairy operations.

Quarantine Procedures

Once infection is confirmed in a herd, a formal quarantine is imposed. Once infection has been ascertained, the herd will be placed under a state quarantine. Quarantine may be issued by state and federal animal health regulatory officials and accredited veterinary practitioners. One copy of the quarantine will go to the county sheriff’s office. The quarantine shall include all cattle except for steers and spayed heifers (identified with an S-brand in the left jaw and a spay tag in the left ear) in all herds and premises maintained by the recipient of the quarantine.

Adjacent Herd Testing

Quarantine is not limited to the infected premises. All herds within a one-mile radius of the fence line perimeter of the infected pasture or premises, or all herds located on the first two farm premises on a tangent extending out each direction from the fence line perimeter, whichever condition is satisfied first, are subject to testing requirements. This means that if your neighbor’s herd is quarantined, your cattle may be subject to mandatory testing even if your animals appear healthy.

Quarantine Release Requirements

Getting a quarantine lifted is a multi-step process. A minimum of three consecutive negative complete herd tests, with the last one coming at least six months after the removal of the last reactor from the herd, will be required for the herd to qualify for quarantine release. A retest of those animals remaining from the previously quarantined herd shall be done six to ten months after the quarantine is released.

Management Options for Infected Herds

If your herd is confirmed infected, Arkansas regulations give you defined options. Every cattle herd in which Brucella abortus field strain infection has been confirmed falls under the jurisdiction of Arkansas’s infected herd management rules. Factors considered in qualifying a herd for federally funded depopulation include the number of reactors on the first test, the persistence of reactors on subsequent tests, the danger of exposure to surrounding herds, and other matters such as public health risk. Herd owner-managers have three options in the management of their infected herds, including complete herd depopulation. The other options involve adult vaccination under state supervision or a managed test-and-remove protocol, depending on eligibility and available indemnification funds.

For a comparison of how other states handle similar quarantine and reporting obligations, see brucellosis laws in Michigan and brucellosis laws in Minnesota.

Penalties for Brucellosis Violations in Arkansas

Failing to comply with Arkansas brucellosis regulations carries real consequences. Penalties can be criminal, civil, or both, depending on the nature and severity of the violation, and they can compound quickly because each day of non-compliance may be treated as a separate offense.

Criminal Penalties

Every firm, person, or corporation violating any of the provisions of the applicable act or any of the orders, rules, or regulations made in pursuance thereof shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500, or by imprisonment not exceeding one month, or both. Each day of violation shall constitute a separate offense. This means a week of non-compliance could theoretically result in seven separate misdemeanor charges.

Civil Penalties

Every firm, person, or corporation who violates any of the rules or regulations issued by the State Board of Health, or who violates any condition of a license, permit, certificate, or any other type of registration issued by the board, may be assessed a civil penalty by the board. The penalty shall not exceed $1,000 for each violation. Each day of a continuing violation may be deemed a separate violation for purposes of penalty assessments. However, no civil penalty may be assessed until the person charged with the violation has been given the opportunity for a hearing.

Additional Consequences Beyond Fines

Financial penalties are only part of the picture. Violations can also trigger mandatory quarantine of your entire herd, mandatory testing at your own expense, loss of movement privileges, and — in cases involving fraudulent documentation — referral to the county prosecuting attorney. Any cattle herd in which “S” or “B” branded cattle shall appear shall be immediately quarantined and all associated cattle subject to immediate brucellosis testing at the owner’s expense.

If you raise other livestock or keep animals in Arkansas, related state regulations may also apply to your operation. Explore beekeeping laws in Arkansas, backyard chicken laws in Arkansas, and rooster laws in Arkansas for additional guidance on keeping animals legally in the state. For broader context on animal disease regulations across state lines, brucellosis laws in Nevada offers a useful comparison point.

Final Thoughts

Arkansas’s brucellosis regulatory framework is built on a simple principle: the state worked hard to achieve and maintain Class Free status, and that status is worth protecting. As a livestock owner, your compliance with vaccination requirements, movement documentation, testing protocols, and reporting obligations is the foundation that keeps that designation intact — and keeps your herd, your neighbors’ herds, and the public safe.

If you are unsure whether a specific movement, sale, or exhibition requires a test, permit, or certificate, contact the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission directly before moving animals. The cost of a phone call is far lower than the cost of a quarantine, mandatory testing, or a misdemeanor conviction. Stay current with any regulatory updates through the Arkansas Department of Health rules page, and work with an accredited veterinarian who is familiar with both state and federal brucellosis requirements.