Idaho’s Scrapie Eradication Program: What Sheep and Goat Producers Need to Know
August 24, 2026
If you raise sheep or goats in Idaho, you are legally required to participate in the National Scrapie Eradication Program — a federal and state cooperative effort designed to eliminate one of the most destructive diseases in the small ruminant industry. Whether you manage a small backyard flock or a large commercial operation, understanding your obligations under this program protects your animals, your business, and Idaho’s broader livestock community.
This guide walks you through every layer of Idaho’s scrapie regulations, from what the disease actually is to how you can achieve the highest level of flock certification available. Knowing these requirements in advance helps you avoid costly compliance failures and positions your operation for better marketability both in-state and across state lines.
What Is Scrapie and Why It Is Regulated in Idaho
Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It belongs to a group of diseases characterized by the formation of holes in cells of the brain and the accumulation of an abnormal protein, resulting in loss of tissue and function. There is no cure or treatment once an animal is infected.
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. Scrapie was first reported in the United States in 1947. In the United States, scrapie has primarily been reported in the black-face meat breeds and their crosses.
Scrapie is estimated to cost the U.S. sheep industry over $20 million a year and cause significant production losses. Since being introduced to the U.S. in 1947, more than 1,000 flocks have been attacked by this infectious disease. The presence of classical scrapie in the U.S. sheep and goat population affects industry economically through production losses, lost exports, and increased production and disposal costs.
Idaho regulates scrapie because the disease spreads silently. Its control is complicated because the disease has an extremely long incubation period without clinical signs of disease. 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. Without robust identification and traceability systems, an infected animal can move through multiple flocks before the disease is ever detected.
Idaho is also home to a wide variety of livestock-adjacent wildlife. If you want to understand more about Idaho’s broader animal landscape, explore resources on venomous animals in Idaho or learn about exotic pets that are legal in Idaho to better understand the state’s animal regulatory environment.
Idaho’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. The program, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has reduced the prevalence of scrapie in adult sheep sampled at slaughter by more than 99%.
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 to Idaho producers, and the state has built its own administrative framework around these federal standards.
Idaho is among all 50 states that have been evaluated and determined to be Consistent States under the NSEP — meaning Idaho conducts an active state scrapie control program that meets federal requirements. The Scrapie Eradication Program is the cooperative State-Federal program administered by APHIS and Consistent States to control and eradicate scrapie.
At the state level, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture oversees livestock regulations through several sets of rules, including the Sheep and Goat Rules of the Idaho Sheep and Goat Health Board (IDAPA 02.08.01). These rules govern animal health, identification, and movement. The program’s goals are to eradicate classical scrapie from the United States and to meet World Organization for Animal Health criteria for disease freedom.
The cooperation of sheep and goat producers is needed to find and eliminate the last few cases in the United States. As an Idaho producer, your participation is not optional — it is a legal requirement under both federal and state law.
Official Animal Identification Requirements in Idaho
One of your most fundamental obligations under the scrapie program is ensuring your animals carry approved official identification before they leave your premises. Owners and possessors of breeding sheep and goats bear the cost and responsibility of obtaining the identification devices and placing the device in or on the animal.
All owners or possessors of breeding sheep and goats in Idaho must identify all breeding stock in the flock of any age with a premises/flock identification number before transfer of ownership or possession, show, sale, or other movement, unless the animals are under eighteen (18) months of age and are in slaughter channels.
Breeding sheep or goats imported into the state must be identified with a premises/flock identification number before entry into the state. Breeding sheep or goats sold within the state retain the original premises/flock identification number. In the event an animal loses a premises/flock identification device, the owner of the animal must re-identify the animal with his or her flock identification number and maintain records to document the original and new flock identification numbers.
Accepted Identification Devices
Acceptable devices for application of the premises/flock identification number to breeding sheep and goats include: APHIS-approved ear tags bearing the premises/flock identification number, legible tattoos bearing the premises/flock identification number, approved Scrapie Flock Certification Program identification devices (except electronic identification), and other identification devices approved by APHIS except electronic 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. Devices that use RFID must conform to ISO 11784 and ISO 11785 standards unless otherwise approved.
Tattooing is also permitted: 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.
Microchip and Premises Identification Numbers
If you are planning to use microchips for identification, you will require a Premises Identification Number (PIN) in addition to your flock ID. With other identification types, such as RFIDs and registration tattoos, the PIN is still available but optional.
Identification Exemptions
Not every animal requires official identification. Animals exempt from the requirement for identification with a premises/flock identification number include: neutered animals under eighteen (18) months of age, and sexually intact market lambs under eighteen (18) months of age shipped directly to an approved slaughter establishment or shipped directly to a feedlot for finish feeding for slaughter only.
Flock Registration and Recordkeeping Requirements in Idaho
Getting your flock registered and maintaining accurate records are non-negotiable requirements under Idaho’s scrapie rules. An Idaho Premises/Flock Identification Number is a unique identification number or alphanumeric designation approved by APHIS and assigned by the Board to each premises/flock of breeding sheep or goats in the state of Idaho.
The Board or its designee will assign APHIS-approved Idaho premises/flock identification numbers with unique individual animal identification numbers to Idaho sheep and goat flocks and herds. This number anchors your flock to a specific premises and is required on all movement documentation.
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 are essential for disease tracing if a scrapie case is ever identified in your region.
What Your Records Must Include
- Individual animal identification numbers for all breeding stock
- The premises/flock ID number of the seller for any animals you purchase
- Documentation of animals that left your flock and their destination
- Re-identification records if any animal loses its tag
- Any transfer of ownership forms or registration certificates for tattooed animals
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. While electronic ID is not universally mandated in Idaho for all classes of animals, transitioning to RFID-based systems can streamline your recordkeeping considerably.
For more information on Idaho’s broader animal regulations and ownership laws, you can review resources on hunting laws in Idaho and roadkill laws in Idaho, which reflect the state’s comprehensive approach to animal management and traceability.
Interstate and Intrastate Movement Rules for Sheep and Goats in Idaho
Moving sheep and goats across or within Idaho’s borders triggers a specific set of regulatory requirements. The rules differ depending on whether you are importing animals into Idaho, exporting them to another state, or moving them within Idaho itself.
Importing Sheep and Goats Into Idaho
Sheep and goats being imported into Idaho are regulated by the Idaho Sheep and Goat Health Board (ISGHB). Entry permits can be obtained through the online permit system or by contacting the ISGHB at 208-803-5084. The producer’s flock ID must be listed on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI).
Intact dairy breed goats six months of age and older require a negative brucellosis melitensis test within 30 days before entry. This is waived for animals entering Idaho for a show and returning home.
All breeding sheep and goat imports must also meet scrapie identification requirements. All sheep breeding stock and goats entering the state of Idaho shall be accompanied by a permit issued by the Board together with a certificate of veterinary inspection certifying that such sheep or goats are free from scrapie, scabies, foot rot, or symptoms of any communicable disease, and are not known to have been exposed to any communicable disease for at least thirty (30) days immediately prior to date of inspection.
Exporting Sheep and Goats From Idaho
All goats leaving Idaho must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued by a licensed inspector, or a waybill stating the owner’s name and destination. This requirement applies regardless of the mode of transport. The same principle applies to sheep moving out of state.
The scrapie regulations require the official identification of sheep and goats not in slaughter channels (except low-risk commercial goats) and any sheep over 18 months of age in interstate commerce, with some exceptions. States are also 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.
Intrastate Movement Within Idaho
Moving animals between premises you own within Idaho without a change of ownership is permitted under specific conditions. Sheep or goats moved for grazing or similar management reasons without a change of ownership — when the animals are moved from a premises owned or leased by the owner to another premises owned or leased by the owner — are generally exempt. However, the premises must be recorded in the National Scrapie Database as additional flock premises, and commingling must not occur with unidentified animals born in another flock or any animal not part of the flock.
Idaho also maintains an interstate grazing permit system for Idaho-origin sheep that graze across state lines seasonally. The Idaho Origin Sheep Interstate Grazing Permit is a specific provision within Idaho Administrative Code (IDAPA 02.08.01) that accommodates the state’s large range sheep operations.
Reporting, Testing, and Quarantine Requirements in Idaho
If you suspect scrapie in your flock, you are legally required to act quickly. The accreditation standards require reporting of live or dead scrapie suspects to State and Federal authorities. Delayed reporting can result in wider disease spread and greater economic loss for your operation and neighboring flocks.
Reporting Scrapie Suspects
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, scrapie testing on obex, lymph node, third-eyelid lymphoid tissue, or rectal lymphoid tissue, and issue Certificates of Veterinary Inspection for interstate movement.
Testing Procedures
Producers, accredited veterinarians, APHIS representatives, and State animal health employees may collect and submit samples from adult sheep or goats. 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. If you need assistance, you can contact the APHIS Area Veterinarian in Charge in Idaho or the state’s designated scrapie epidemiologist.
Post-Exposure Monitoring and Management Plan (PEMMP)
If your flock is found to contain exposed animals, Idaho requires participation in a structured monitoring plan. The Post-Exposure Monitoring and Management Plan (PEMMP) is a written agreement signed by the owner of the flock and a representative of the Division of Animal Industries and an APHIS representative, in which each participant agrees to undertake actions specified in the agreement to monitor for the occurrence of scrapie in the flock for at least five (5) years after an approved Flock Plan has been completed. The PEMMP requires at least once-a-year flock inspections and prompt reporting of any animal over fourteen (14) months of age which dies in the flock so that some of these animals can be selected and submitted for scrapie testing.
Quarantine
Infected, source, and trace flocks, or flocks that have received high-risk animals, shall be placed and held under quarantine until the infected or high-risk animals have been slaughtered or depopulated and the flock has qualified for and has been enrolled in the Voluntary Scrapie Flock Certification Program. Flocks not participating in the certification program shall remain under quarantine until the entire flock has been depopulated.
If an affected, suspect, or scrapie-positive animal dies or is destroyed, tissues must be submitted for diagnostic testing to a laboratory authorized by the Administrator, and the carcass must be completely destroyed. A Flock Plan is a written flock management agreement signed by the owner of a flock, the accredited veterinarian if one is employed by the owner, and a State or APHIS representative, in which each participant agrees to undertake actions specified in the flock plan to control the spread of scrapie from, and eradicate scrapie in, an infected flock or source flock. As part of a flock plan, the flock owner must provide the facilities and personnel needed to carry out the requirements of the flock plan.
Idaho’s wildlife also plays a background role in the state’s overall animal health ecosystem. For context on the broader range of species managed in Idaho, see resources on types of snakes in Idaho and types of hawks in Idaho.
Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program (SFCP) in Idaho
Beyond mandatory compliance, Idaho producers have the opportunity to enroll in the Scrapie Free Flock Certification Program — a voluntary program that elevates your flock’s marketability and demonstrates a verified commitment to scrapie-free status.
The SFCP is a voluntary program 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.
The SFCP identifies scrapie-free flocks by monitoring them over a 5- to 7-year period. 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. The revised program additionally enhances scrapie surveillance strategy, contributing to the final push to eradicate this disease from the United States.
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 | Working toward certified scrapie-free status for international trade eligibility |
| Export | Export Certified | Full certification for exporting live animals, semen, and embryos internationally |
| Select | Select Monitored | Domestic market improvement and reduced scrapie risk verification |
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.
Export Trade Benefits
U.S. exports are also affected by the presence of scrapie in the United States. Breeding stock, semen, and embryos are prohibited from being shipped to many other countries due to the risks associated with the disease. Producers exporting live sheep and goats or embryos and semen will find SFCP participation to be especially useful and possibly required by receiving countries. Achieving Export Certified status removes these barriers and opens your operation to international buyers.
How to Enter the SFCP in Idaho
Owners may request to join the Scrapie Flock Certification Program after two (2) years of participation in the PEMMP. If your flock has no prior exposure history, you can apply directly through the Idaho Sheep and Goat Health Board in coordination with your APHIS Area Veterinarian in Charge.
Idaho Administrative Code (IDAPA 02.08.01) incorporates by reference the Voluntary Scrapie Flock Certification Program Standards, USDA, June 2013. This means Idaho’s SFCP requirements mirror the federal standards, and enrollment is managed through a coordinated State-Federal process.
Annual Inspection and Sampling Requirements
Once enrolled, your flock will be subject to ongoing oversight. Annual inspections include a full reconciliation of your animal inventory against your records. You will also be required to submit samples from animals that die or are culled, and your flock must remain free of additions from lower-status flocks to maintain your certification level.
To date, the program has eliminated scrapie in 99 percent of U.S. flocks. Your enrollment in the SFCP contributes directly to that progress and positions Idaho’s sheep and goat industry as a reliable, disease-managed source for both domestic and international buyers.
For additional reading on Idaho’s agricultural and wildlife regulatory landscape, explore guides on types of eagles in Idaho, types of owls in Idaho, and squirrels in Idaho — all part of the broader ecosystem that Idaho’s livestock producers share and manage alongside their operations.