Livestock Biosecurity Requirements in Montana Every Producer Should Know

Montana’s livestock industry is one of the most economically significant in the American West, and protecting it starts long before a disease ever reaches your gate. Biosecurity failures can cost individual producers tens of thousands of dollars, trigger statewide movement restrictions, and threaten markets that Montana ranchers depend on year-round.

Whether you run a commercial cattle operation, a small sheep flock, a swine herd, or a mixed-species homestead, understanding the livestock biosecurity requirements in Montana is both a legal obligation and a sound business decision. This guide walks you through every major requirement — from how your premises must be registered to how you must handle a dead animal on your property.

What Is Livestock Biosecurity and Why It Matters in Montana

Biosecurity is more than a checklist — it is the foundation of responsible livestock management. Biosecurity is a series of management practices designed to prevent the introduction, delivery, and spread of disease pathogens that can harm or adversely affect livestock, crops, environments, and people. These practices may also help eliminate or control diseases already existing on the premises.

In practical terms, biosecurity means controlling who and what enters your property, how animals move on and off your land, and how you respond when something goes wrong. By practicing good biosecurity, you can reduce the risk of people, animals, equipment, or vehicles carrying infectious diseases onto your property — either accidentally or on purpose. You will also help protect other flocks by preventing the spread of disease.

Montana’s geography makes biosecurity especially important. The state’s open ranges, shared grazing allotments, and proximity to wildlife corridors create natural pathways for disease transmission that more confined agricultural regions do not face. From what to do if you are in a traffic accident with a horse trailer to having a biosecurity plan in place should a contagious animal disease threaten Montana’s livestock, there are many ways to prepare today to help minimize hardship during unexpected events. The care of Montana’s animal population during disasters or disease outbreaks is important for safety, health, economic, environmental, and emotional reasons.

The Animal Health Bureau of the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) is responsible for the prevention, control, and eradication of animal diseases. This involves safeguarding the health and food production capacity of the state’s livestock and poultry and preventing the transmission of animal diseases to man. Understanding what the MDOL requires — and what it strongly recommends — is the starting point for every producer in the state. You can also review how neighboring states handle similar obligations, such as livestock disease reporting in Colorado or livestock disease reporting in California, to see how Montana’s framework compares.

Premises Registration and Identification Requirements in Montana

Before you move animals, sell livestock, or participate in any disease-response program, your operation needs to be properly registered and your animals properly identified. These two steps are the backbone of Montana’s animal traceability system.

Animal owners can participate by registering their premises — a location where livestock or poultry are raised, held, or boarded — with their state, tribal, or territorial animal health authority. During the registration process, owners provide basic contact information for their premises and obtain a unique Premises Identification Number for that location. In Montana, this is administered through the MDOL Animal Health Bureau, reachable at livpermits@mt.gov or by phone at 406-444-2976.

Montana requires you to report all livestock, even if you only have one horse or a few chickens. If you reported livestock last year but no longer own livestock, you need to submit a report to let the state know your livestock count is zero. This reporting obligation applies to alternative livestock as well, including elk, deer, and other cervids raised under permit.

For animals moving into or out of Montana, official identification requirements are clearly defined. A health certificate must be issued within 30 days of entry under ARM 32.3.202 and ARM 32.3.206. Cattle from Colorado and New Mexico must have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued within 7 days of entry due to current disease concerns. An import permit is only required for handwritten CVIs issued on paper and is not required for electronic health certificates under ARM 32.3.207.

All sexually intact animals require official identification, with limited exceptions for animals moved directly to an approved tagging site, and beef calves less than 6 months of age with their dams if the dams are identified.

Montana’s brand inspection system works alongside premises registration as a second layer of animal identification and ownership verification. If you raise cattle, horses, or mules in Montana, you should also review the full brand inspection requirements in Montana to ensure your identification practices are fully compliant. Producers in neighboring states can find parallel guidance for brand inspection requirements in Washington.

Biosecurity Plan Requirements in Montana

Montana does not impose a single mandatory biosecurity plan template on all producers, but having a written plan is strongly encouraged by the MDOL — and in certain voluntary certification programs, it becomes a formal requirement. More importantly, a documented plan is what positions your operation to keep moving animals and products during a disease outbreak.

The following are voluntary programs, organized by species, that the DOL strongly recommends livestock producers participate in to reduce animal loss and financial hardship should a foreign animal disease outbreak occur. Additionally, producers with these plans in practice will be given priority to restart movement of products and maintain business and may help qualify producers for indemnity.

A Secure Beef Supply (SBS) Plan is a plan that beef producers can create to prepare for a stop movement order, enhance biosecurity, and minimize risk of disease exposure before and during a disease outbreak such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). A SBS plan will better position a beef premises with cattle that show no evidence of infection to limit exposure of their animals through enhanced biosecurity and to obtain movement permits issued by regulatory officials.

The Swine Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) was modeled after the NPIP program and aims to safeguard and improve the health status of swine across participating production sites. SHIP evaluates a site’s biosecurity plan, movement data, and premise information to provide certification to qualifying sites.

Regardless of whether you enroll in a formal program, your written biosecurity plan should cover the following core elements:

• Premises identification number and contact information for your herd veterinarian
• Animal isolation and quarantine procedures for new arrivals
• Visitor, vehicle, and equipment entry protocols
• Cleaning and disinfection schedules for housing, equipment, and transport vehicles
• Wildlife and pest management strategies
• Dead animal disposal methods and timelines
• Disease reporting contacts and emergency response steps

Producers should develop and implement a biosecurity plan and complete a regular review of their farm’s biosecurity practices that focus both on cattle and human health and safety. Proactive implementation of biosecurity measures could reduce the risk of a disease outbreak in your herd, along with its negative economic impact, and protect animal agriculture in the state.

Writing down a specific protocol and set of practices is essential. You, your employees, and everyone else that visits your farm needs to have something they can reference. Even if the protocol is simple, write it down.

Animal Isolation and Movement Control Requirements in Montana

Controlling how and when animals move on and off your property is one of the most effective biosecurity tools available. Montana’s regulations address both the formal movement documentation requirements and the practical isolation standards that protect your existing herd.

When you bring new animals onto your property, isolation is not optional — it is the standard of care that every responsible producer follows. Keeping infected animals and contaminated material away from uninfected animals is the most important and effective part of biosecurity. Maintaining a closed flock is the preferred approach. If this is not possible, only purchase animals that appear healthy and have been inspected by a veterinarian within the last 30 days, and keep them separate from your flock for at least 30 days.

For swine specifically, Montana’s import requirements are detailed and enforced. Live animals, including swine and other livestock species, transported to Montana for immediate slaughter require a health certificate and an import permit number. To obtain an import permit, call the Import Office at 406-444-2976. Swine being transported to Montana for feeding require a health certificate, an import permit number, and need to be individually identified with an ear tag.

For cattle, brucellosis testing requirements apply to sexually intact animals moving into the state. Non-virgin bulls and bulls over 24 months of age require a test, with one negative PCR result within 60 days being acceptable (pooled PCR is acceptable). Bulls imported for exhibition or competition only may qualify for an exemption if the CVI carries specific language confirming the animal will not be sold, loaned, leased, or used for breeding while in Montana.

Movement control during a disease event is an entirely different matter. During active outbreaks, states can impose emergency quarantine zones, movement restrictions, and mandatory reporting requirements. Having a pre-established biosecurity plan and premises registration in place before an outbreak occurs puts you in a far stronger position to maintain operational continuity.

If you transport livestock across state lines, you should also be familiar with trailer compliance rules. See the requirements for livestock trailers in Nevada, livestock trailers in Wisconsin, and livestock trailers in Pennsylvania if your routes cross those borders.

Visitor, Vehicle, and Equipment Sanitation Rules in Montana

Every person, vehicle, and piece of equipment that enters your property is a potential disease vector. Montana producers are expected to implement and enforce sanitation protocols at the farm gate — not just in the barn. Biosecurity can be defined as those practices designed to prevent the introduction of a harmful agent into a defined setting. In livestock operations, this means preventing harmful agents such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, or toxins from coming in contact with livestock.

Your obligations as a producer include setting clear expectations for anyone who enters your operation. Ask all visitors and service providers to employ biosecurity practices: contact visitors before they arrive at the farm, use signage where helpful, use disposable footwear or completely disinfect their footwear, utilize single-use coveralls or clean clothing that can be washed after a farm visit, and clean and disinfect equipment and tools used on other farms prior to bringing them onto your farm.

Vehicle sanitation deserves particular attention. Always remember that vehicles are as much a risk for spreading disease pathogens as people are. Before visiting, ask where vehicles can park to reduce contamination with organic material such as mud and manure. Try to park in an area away from livestock areas.

Recommended sanitation practices for your operation include:

• Establish a designated clean/dirty line at the entry to your livestock areas
• Require visitors to sign a log recording their name, date, and recent farm contacts
• Provide footbaths with appropriate disinfectant at barn entrances
• Keep a supply of disposable boot covers and coveralls for unexpected visitors
• Designate parking areas away from animal housing and feed storage
• Clean and disinfect all equipment — including borrowed items — before use on your property
• Require delivery drivers to remain in or near their vehicles when possible

Keep facilities well maintained and in good repair. Maintain up-to-date, accurate records for animal health — including vaccination, antimicrobial treatment, and surgical procedures — as well as feed delivery and cattle transportation.

Biosecurity only works if everyone follows the protocols. One person who is not on board can derail the whole thing. Post written instructions at every entry point, brief new employees on your protocols before they begin work, and review your procedures with seasonal workers and contractors at the start of each season. You can find additional guidance on livestock guardian practices that complement biosecurity efforts in this overview of facts about livestock guardian dogs.

Wildlife and Pest Control Obligations in Montana

Montana’s landscape is home to a wide range of wildlife species that can serve as disease reservoirs and transmission vectors for your livestock. Managing the boundary between your operation and surrounding wildlife habitat is a core biosecurity obligation — not a secondary concern.

To the extent possible, prevent contact between your animals and poultry, pets, wildlife — particularly ruminants and waterfowl — and rodents. If this is not practical, it is important to prevent the use of feed and water sources for your livestock by these other animals.

Brucellosis remains a specific concern in Montana, particularly in areas adjacent to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem where bison and elk populations carry the disease. The MDOL enforces strict testing and movement requirements for cattle in designated surveillance areas precisely because wildlife contact creates ongoing transmission risk. Producers in these zones should maintain heightened biosecurity at all times, not just during active outbreak investigations.

Pest control is equally important. Use insect control measures, as these pests can transmit pathogens. Flies, mosquitoes, and biting insects can carry diseases including anaplasmosis, bluetongue, and vesicular stomatitis — all of which affect Montana cattle and sheep. Rodents are vectors for leptospirosis and can contaminate feed and water supplies.

Practical wildlife and pest control measures for Montana producers include:

• Store all feed in sealed, rodent-proof containers and elevated off the ground
• Repair gaps in barn walls, floors, and rooflines that allow rodent entry
• Install wildlife-exclusion fencing around feed storage and water troughs where practical
• Remove standing water near livestock areas to reduce mosquito breeding habitat
• Use fly control programs — including baits, traps, and approved insecticides — throughout the warm season
• Keep brush and tall grass trimmed near livestock housing to reduce rodent habitat
• Monitor for signs of wildlife contact, including tracks, scat, and disturbed feed areas

The DOL reminds Montanans that domestic pigs can revert to a feral state quickly if not housed and managed appropriately. A lot of work has been completed to prevent the introduction of feral swine into the state, and now is the time to be especially diligent due to Montana’s growing swine population. Escaped or improperly managed swine can establish feral populations that become permanent disease reservoirs — a risk that proper fencing, housing, and management practices directly address.

Dead Animal Disposal Requirements in Montana

Proper carcass disposal is one of the most critical — and most commonly overlooked — components of livestock biosecurity. A dead animal left improperly on your property can serve as a disease reservoir, attract wildlife and pests, contaminate water sources, and create regulatory violations.

Depending on circumstances, large animal carcass disposal may be regulated by a state’s solid waste, medical waste, agriculture, or emergency management regulations. If your state does not provide specific guidance or regulations relating to large animal carcass disposal, check with your local health department or city and county laws and ordinances. In Montana, the MDOL and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) share jurisdiction over carcass disposal, and the applicable rules depend on the size of the animal, the cause of death, and your property’s location relative to water bodies and public lands.

Montana producers generally have several approved disposal options available:

1. Burial: Permitted in most areas of Montana, but subject to setback requirements from water bodies, wells, and property lines. Carcasses must typically be buried at a depth sufficient to prevent access by scavengers — generally a minimum of three to four feet of soil cover. Do not bury animals in areas with high water tables or within 300 feet of any water source.
2. Composting: An increasingly common option for smaller carcasses and operations with existing composting infrastructure. Montana has participated in large-scale composting exercises for biosecurity preparedness. During fall 2022, the National Pork Board sponsored a swine depopulation and disposal full-scale exercise in five states including Montana. Each exercise occurred over four days. The exercise was designed to learn about keeping African Swine Fever out of the U.S. and preparing for a foreign animal disease outbreak.
3. Incineration: Permitted for on-farm use with appropriate equipment. Check with your county for any air quality permit requirements before installing an incinerator.
4. Rendering: Contracting with a licensed rendering company is an approved and environmentally preferred option, particularly for large animals or multiple carcasses.
5. Licensed landfill: Some Montana counties permit delivery of livestock carcasses to licensed solid waste facilities. Contact your county solid waste district for current acceptance policies.

For disease outbreak scenarios, the MDOL has established emergency depopulation and disposal protocols that supersede normal carcass disposal rules. DOL, USDA, NPB, and Montana Disaster and Emergency Services veterinarians and staff have worked with Montana swine producers to practice humane euthanasia of hogs using a foam technique. Foam euthanasia was successfully used as an alternative to traditional methods of depopulation. If you are ever directed by MDOL officials to participate in a depopulation event, follow their instructions precisely — your compliance directly affects your eligibility for indemnity payments.

Timely disposal matters regardless of the method you choose. Leaving carcasses exposed for extended periods invites scavengers, accelerates pathogen spread, and may trigger nuisance complaints from neighbors. As a general rule, dispose of carcasses within 24 to 48 hours of death under normal conditions, and sooner during warm weather when decomposition and pathogen release accelerate rapidly.

Producers who want to compare how other states handle disease reporting and disposal obligations can review resources on livestock disease reporting in Florida for a Southern state perspective, and fishing license requirements in Montana for additional context on how Montana manages its broader natural resource regulatory framework.

Staying compliant with livestock biosecurity requirements in Montana is an ongoing commitment, not a one-time task. Revisit your biosecurity plan at least annually, update it after any disease event or significant operational change, and keep your premises registration and animal identification records current. The MDOL Animal Health Bureau at liv.mt.gov is your primary state resource for regulatory guidance, outbreak alerts, and voluntary program enrollment. Proactive producers who build strong biosecurity systems before a crisis are the ones best positioned to protect their animals, their operations, and Montana’s livestock industry as a whole.