Livestock Biosecurity Requirements in California: What Every Producer Needs to Know

California is home to one of the most agriculturally productive and biologically diverse livestock industries in the United States — and that scale creates serious disease risk. A single pathogen introduced to a California farm can spread rapidly across herds, trigger state quarantines, and disrupt commerce for thousands of producers. Biosecurity is the primary line of defense against that outcome.

If you raise cattle, dairy animals, poultry, swine, sheep, goats, or any other livestock in California, the state and federal frameworks governing how you manage disease prevention are not optional. This guide walks you through every major livestock biosecurity requirement in California — from premises registration and identification to dead animal disposal — so you understand exactly what is expected of your operation.

What Is Livestock Biosecurity and Why It Matters in California

Biosecurity is a series of management procedures designed to prevent or greatly reduce the risk of introducing new infectious agents to a farm. A related concept is biocontainment covers management strategies directed at reducing the risk of spreading existing infectious agents between groups of animals or into the environment. Together, these two frameworks form the foundation of herd health management in California.

Biosecurity is a whole-farm approach to herd health management. The risks to herd health must be assessed, prioritized, and addressed. Risk can be categorized by source of possible infection, area of the farm, or by susceptibility of animals.

Key components to both biosecurity and biocontainment include screening and testing, isolation and quarantine, immunization, selective purchasing, and monitoring and evaluating. Each of these components corresponds to specific regulatory obligations under California and federal law.

California’s livestock sector faces elevated disease pressure for several reasons. California dairies are vulnerable — they contain larger numbers of animals concentrated in small areas, purchase replacement heifers or raise heifers off-site, and most depend on outside sources for feed. These structural realities make consistent biosecurity practices especially critical.

The state’s biosecurity framework is administered primarily by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Animal Health Branch (AHB), which works in coordination with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Nationally, USDA, state departments of agriculture, and academic partners have collaborated to develop commodity-specific resources designed to provide guidance for livestock producers to prepare for an outbreak of a foreign animal disease and to limit exposure of their animals through implementation of enhanced biosecurity measures.

Beyond protecting your animals, strong biosecurity practices protect your economic viability. The Secure Food Supply (SFS) Program is designed to allow business operations that are unaffected by disease but located within a quarantine Control Area to maintain some business operations and preserve economic viability. Producers who have completed enhanced biosecurity plans before a disease event are far better positioned to continue operating if a quarantine zone is established nearby. You can learn more about related compliance obligations through California’s mandatory livestock disease reporting requirements, which work in tandem with biosecurity planning.

Premises Registration and Identification Requirements in California

Before you can implement a formal biosecurity program — and before you can legally purchase official animal identification tags — you need a Premises Identification Number (PIN) assigned to your operation.

A Premises Identification Number (PIN) is a unique alphanumeric number assigned to a geographic location where livestock or poultry are managed or other locations associated with animal agriculture. PINs are permanently assigned to a single location and must match the “911” address and physical location of the animals.

A premises is any physical location where livestock and poultry animals are managed and includes all locations where livestock are born, raised, marketed, or exhibited. A PIN is a unique number that is permanently assigned to a single physical location. This includes feed stores, feed mills, livestock markets, and exhibitions. If your operation spans multiple physical locations, each site requires its own PIN.

To obtain a Premises Identification Number (PIN), you must complete the Location Number Request form available from CDFA and follow the instructions on the form for submission. You can mail, fax, or email the completed form to CDFA. For more information, call (866) 325-5681.

Official Animal Identification

In addition to premises registration, individual animal identification is required for many livestock movements. Official identification (ID) devices are approved by USDA to aid with traceability and animal disease programs. Official ID devices must provide a unique identification number, be tamper evident, have a high retention rate, and bear the US shield.

To obtain EID eartags through CDFA or the tag manufacturer directly, you must have a Premises ID Number (PIN). California producers can obtain no-cost Electronic Identification (EID) eartags for cattle and bison through the CDFA. Producers are encouraged to contact CDFA or their veterinarian to determine if official ID is required for their animals and what type of official ID will work best.

The ability to rapidly trace movements of diseased animals or at-risk animals exposed to disease is essential for a prompt response to an animal disease event. Animal disease traceability does not prevent disease but is an indispensable element for ongoing disease control programs and for animal health officials responding to emergency diseases.

For cattle producers, brand registration is a closely related compliance layer. In order for a brand to be admissible it must be registered with the CDFA. For the right of continued brand use, the brand needs to be renewed every two years by or prior to April 30th. See the full breakdown of brand inspection requirements in California for details on how branding intersects with traceability obligations.

Biosecurity Plan Requirements in California

California does not impose a universal statutory mandate requiring every livestock producer to have a written biosecurity plan on file at all times. However, a written plan becomes a legal requirement — and a condition of continued operation — when your premises falls within or near a disease quarantine zone, or when you seek to maintain animal or product movements under the CDFA’s Secure Food Supply (SFS) Program.

In California, the CDFA has united commodity-specific requirements under a single SFS Program that focuses on all movements onto or off of a premises. To participate in this program and maintain permitted movement during a disease event, your operation must have a completed and reviewed enhanced biosecurity plan.

Even outside of active disease events, CDFA strongly recommends that every producer develop and maintain a written biosecurity plan. Developing a biosecurity plan should be done in collaboration with your veterinarian, farm advisor, or other experts to develop a plan that will work for your operation. Educating your employees about the importance of following the biosecurity plan is equally essential.

What a Biosecurity Plan Should Include

While plan templates vary by commodity, CDFA has developed specific templates for several operation types. A biosecurity plan should address training and documentation — including training employees and staff on biosecurity protocols and documenting all movements on and off the premises as well as maintenance and training logs.

• Premises description and physical layout of animal housing areas
• Traffic flow patterns for vehicles, visitors, and personnel
• Animal movement records, including arrivals, departures, and isolation logs
• Cleaning and disinfection schedules for vehicles, equipment, and facilities
• Employee training records and biosecurity protocol acknowledgments
• Vaccination and herd health management records
• Wildlife and pest control measures
• Dead animal disposal procedures

Vaccines should never be considered a sufficient solution for disease prevention and control. They should be part of a broader biosecurity plan, one that addresses the various points made across all biosecurity categories.

CDFA offers biosecurity plan templates for broiler farms, hatcheries, poultry slaughter premises, and dairy operations. To obtain a biosecurity plan template, contact SFSpermits@cdfa.ca.gov. For dairy-specific enhanced biosecurity guidance related to H5N1, CDFA has published detailed commodity-specific documents including guidance for feed haulers, livestock haulers, milk haulers, and regulatory inspectors visiting dairy farms.

Animal Isolation and Movement Control Requirements in California

Controlling when, where, and how animals move onto and off your premises is one of the most effective biosecurity tools available. California regulations impose specific movement controls that apply both during routine operations and during disease events.

Isolation of New and Returning Animals

Isolate new or returning arrivals for 30 days. Isolation paired with pre-movement testing offers the greatest protection. This 30-day isolation period is a core standard recommended by CDFA for all livestock species and is a mandatory requirement for certain movements under enhanced biosecurity protocols.

Isolate new additions and animals returning from exhibits for about 30 days, and handle only after care for other animals during this period. This sequencing — handling isolated animals last — reduces the risk that a handler inadvertently transfers pathogens from a newly arrived animal to your established herd.

Undetected, untreated illnesses can put the rest of your animals at risk. Frequent monitoring using visual observation as the base tool is essential. Prompt isolation and appropriate treatment of sick animals can assist in reducing risk of transmission to others.

Movement Permits and Interstate Entry

California imposes strict entry requirements on livestock arriving from other states. In addition to disease surveillance and response, CDFA staff monitor the movements of livestock entering California from other states and countries including Mexico and Canada. This is accomplished via livestock movement permitting, collection of Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) information, brand inspections, and agriculture inspections at ports of entry.

During active disease quarantines, movement of animals and animal products may be permitted only when specific conditions are met. Permitted movement of animals and animal products may be allowed as long as all parts of the movement chain — origin, vehicle, and destination — have completed the required biosecurity steps.

You should also be aware of how movement controls interact with livestock trailer compliance when transporting animals across state lines. Review the applicable requirements for neighboring states such as Nevada and Pennsylvania if your operation involves interstate transport.

Handling Sick Animals

Treat sick animals after all other animals, and wash all contaminating clothing, hands, and footwear. Clean and disinfect equipment that has been in contact with sick animals, or use equipment dedicated to that animal’s care. This practice prevents cross-contamination between sick and healthy animals during routine care activities.

How you manage and treat animals can impact the health of your herd or flock positively or negatively. Treatments, including vaccination, are usually thought of as a positive thing for herd health, but good sanitation practices must also be in place. Some diseases can be spread when you are treating or vaccinating for something else. For example, repeated use of needles can introduce the risk of spreading blood-borne diseases.

Visitor, Vehicle, and Equipment Sanitation Rules in California

People, vehicles, and equipment are among the most common vectors for introducing disease to a livestock operation. California’s biosecurity framework places significant emphasis on controlling these entry points through documented sanitation protocols.

Visitor Controls

Keep visitors to a minimum. Only allow those people who take care of your livestock to come in contact with your animals — this includes family and friends. Every person who enters your animal housing areas is a potential disease vector, and limiting access is one of the simplest and most effective controls available.

Keep track of everyone who is on your property at all times. Make sure everyone who has contact with your animals follows biosecurity principles. Maintaining a visitor log is a best practice that becomes a formal documentation requirement under CDFA’s enhanced biosecurity plan standards.

Wash hands before and after coming in contact with live animals. In addition to potentially spreading disease from farm to farm, you can also spread germs such as Salmonella that can impact human health.

Provide disposable boot covers (preferred), disinfectant footbaths, or both for anyone having contact with your animals. If using a footbath, remove all droppings, mud, or debris from boots and shoes using a long-handled scrub brush before stepping into the disinfectant footbath, and always keep it clean.

Vehicle and Equipment Sanitation

Vehicles are a particularly high-risk pathway for pathogen introduction because they travel between multiple premises. Do not allow vehicles that may enter other livestock premises onto your farm. If not feasible, limit their access to the periphery and non-animal areas of the farm. Requiring that any vehicles, including your own, be cleaned and disinfected entering and exiting also reduces risk of transmission.

Establish a traffic pattern for vehicles that have visited other livestock facilities — such as sales vehicles, rendering trucks, feed trucks, or cattle transporters — to prevent them from entering livestock areas. Provide facilities for washing and disinfecting the tires of vehicles before they enter livestock areas. Clean livestock vehicles after visiting another livestock facility or transporting other animals before returning to your premises.

Change your clothes and footwear after visiting a livestock facility or show before handling or feeding your own animals. Clean anything that has come in contact with manure or animal secretions before it is used for another animal or purpose.

These sanitation requirements apply not only to outside visitors but to your own workers and family members who may move between your operation and other farms, shows, or markets. Biosecurity is a shared responsibility. Other states and neighboring agricultural regions maintain similar frameworks, and cross-state awareness matters when your supply chain crosses borders.

Wildlife and Pest Control Obligations in California

Wild animals and pest species represent a biosecurity threat that is often underestimated. In California, the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak has made wildlife management a front-and-center regulatory priority, particularly for poultry and dairy operations.

Wild Bird and Rodent Management

Management practices that can help prevent wild birds and other wildlife from coming into direct contact with poultry, as well as wild bird fecal material and secretions from being accidentally transported on boots, equipment, and food to your birds, are an essential part of biosecurity planning.

For dairy cattle operations, CDFA’s H5N1 guidance specifically addresses wildlife exposure pathways. CDFA encourages all livestock owners to continue strong biosecurity practices, such as monitoring animal health, limiting unnecessary contact, and testing new animals before moving them.

Structural biosecurity measures that reduce wildlife contact include:

• Covering or enclosing feed storage areas to prevent wild bird and rodent access
• Installing bird netting or exclusion barriers around poultry housing
• Sealing gaps in building walls, doors, and ventilation openings
• Using covered water troughs and removing standing water sources that attract wildlife
• Maintaining cleared buffer zones around animal housing areas to reduce rodent habitat
• Implementing active rodent trapping and monitoring programs

Pest Control and Insect Management

Insects — including flies, mosquitoes, and biting midges — can serve as mechanical or biological vectors for diseases including vesicular stomatitis, bluetongue, and others. Effective pest control on a California livestock operation should include:

• Regular manure removal and composting to reduce fly breeding habitat
• Application of approved insecticides in housing areas per label directions
• Drainage of low-lying areas and elimination of standing water near animal housing
• Use of insect-proof barriers on windows, doors, and ventilation openings where feasible

Anyone who notices signs of illness in livestock or poultry should report it right away. Staying alert and following these steps will help protect animals and support the health of California’s livestock industry. Livestock guardian dogs can play a supporting role in deterring wildlife from approaching your operation — see this resource on livestock guardian dog facts for background on how these animals are used in agricultural settings.

Dead Animal Disposal Requirements in California

Proper disposal of dead livestock is both a biosecurity obligation and a legal requirement in California. Carcasses that are left exposed or improperly disposed of can attract scavengers, contaminate water sources, and serve as a reservoir for pathogens that spread to surviving animals.

Approved Disposal Methods

California law governs dead animal disposal through the California Food and Agricultural Code and related environmental regulations administered by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) and the State Water Resources Control Board. Depending on circumstances, large animal carcass disposal may be regulated by a state’s solid waste, medical waste, agriculture, or emergency management regulations. In California, multiple regulatory bodies share jurisdiction, and the method you choose must comply with all applicable requirements.

The primary approved disposal methods for dead livestock in California include:

1. Rendering: Contracting with a licensed rendering facility is one of the most common and biosecurally sound disposal methods. The rendering process destroys most pathogens and recycles animal byproducts. Contact your county agricultural commissioner for a list of licensed renderers in your area.
2. On-site burial: Burial is permitted in many California counties but is subject to local ordinances, setback requirements from waterways and property lines, and depth requirements. Check with your county agricultural commissioner and local health department before burying carcasses on your property.
3. Composting: On-farm composting of dead animals is permitted in California under specific conditions, including proper carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, temperature management, and site siting requirements. The CDFA and UC Cooperative Extension provide guidance on approved composting protocols.
4. Incineration: Incineration is regulated by the California Air Resources Board and local air quality management districts. Permits may be required depending on the size and type of incinerator and your location. Open burning of carcasses is generally prohibited in California.
5. Licensed disposal facilities: Some counties have designated dead animal disposal facilities or programs. Contact your county agricultural commissioner to determine what options are available in your jurisdiction.

Recordkeeping for Dead Animal Disposal

Under California’s enhanced biosecurity standards, particularly for operations participating in the Secure Food Supply Program, you are expected to document mortality events as part of your overall biosecurity recordkeeping. Your records should include:

• Date of death and animal identification (tag number, species, age/weight estimate)
• Suspected or confirmed cause of death
• Disposal method used and date of disposal
• Name of rendering company or disposal facility, if applicable
• Name of employee who managed disposal

Train employees and staff on biosecurity protocols and document all movements on and off the premises as well as maintenance and training logs. Dead animal disposal documentation falls within this broader recordkeeping obligation and should be maintained as part of your biosecurity plan file.

Reporting Unusual Mortality

If you observe unexplained or unusually high mortality in your herd or flock, you are required to report it to CDFA. If you own, manage, or provide veterinary care for livestock in California, understanding your reporting obligations under state law is not optional. You must know which diseases must be reported, who carries the legal duty to report, what signs should prompt immediate action, and what happens after you report.

Unusual mortality is one of the key triggers for mandatory disease reporting. California maintains a formal list of reportable animal conditions governed by the California Food and Agricultural Code and Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 797. These regulations identify diseases that pose a significant risk to animal populations, agricultural commerce, or human health — and require prompt notification to state authorities when suspected or confirmed.

For a full breakdown of your reporting obligations, timelines, and enforcement consequences, see the companion guide on livestock disease reporting in California. You should also be familiar with rabies vaccine requirements in California, which intersect with biosecurity obligations for certain species and operation types.

Biosecurity compliance in California is not a one-time checklist — it is an ongoing operational commitment. Registering your premises, maintaining accurate animal identification records, developing and following a written biosecurity plan, enforcing isolation and movement controls, sanitizing entry points, managing wildlife and pest pressure, and disposing of dead animals properly are all interconnected practices that together determine whether your operation can withstand a disease challenge. Start with your Premises ID Number, engage your accredited veterinarian in developing a written plan, and review CDFA’s commodity-specific guidance at cdfa.ca.gov to ensure your protocols align with the most current state standards.