Swine Ear Notching Laws in Nebraska: What Producers Need to Know
July 10, 2026
If you raise pigs in Nebraska — whether you run a commercial farrow-to-finish operation, breed purebreds, or show hogs at the county fair — swine identification rules directly affect how you move, sell, and register your animals. Ear notching is one of the oldest identification methods in the pork industry, and it still carries legal weight under both federal and Nebraska-specific rules, but only under the right conditions.
Understanding exactly when a notch qualifies as official identification, how the numbering system works, and where newer methods like RFID tags have replaced notching can save you from costly compliance mistakes. This guide walks through each piece of Nebraska’s swine ID framework so you know what is required before your next sale, show, or interstate shipment.
What Is Swine Ear Notching and When It Is Used in Nebraska
Ear notching is a permanent identification method that uses V-shaped cuts placed in specific positions on a pig’s ears to encode a numeric identity. Ear notching helps identify a pig’s litter and which individual pig it is within that litter, giving each animal a unique identity number. Notches are placed in one of five locations in the pig’s right ear to show the litter number and in one of three locations in the left ear to show the individual pig number.
Ear notching is widely used in the swine industry as a system of animal identification, and while there are variations in systems, all of them identify a pig by litter number and individual pig number. In Nebraska, producers apply ear notches primarily in two contexts: purebred registry compliance and certain movement scenarios where breed-registered animals are involved.
If pigs are notched at one to three days of age, the task is much easier. If you allow pigs to become large — around 100 pounds — the task is considerably more demanding mentally and physically. Most Nebraska producers who use notching apply it at farrowing, when the piglets are easiest to handle and the ear tissue heals quickly.
Pro Tip: Always disinfect your notching tool between each piglet. It is important to have some disinfectant available to dip the notchers in after each use. This simple step reduces the risk of spreading infection through the litter.
Nebraska producers involved in transporting livestock should understand that ear notching alone is rarely sufficient to satisfy movement documentation requirements — the context of the move determines whether a notch qualifies as official identification.
When Ear Notching Qualifies as Official Identification in Nebraska
Not every notched pig carries a legally recognized identification. Under federal rules that Nebraska aligns with, ear notching achieves official ID status only in specific, documented circumstances. Ear notching qualifies as official identification if the ear notching has been recorded in the book of record of a purebred registry association. Approved swine ID methods may change depending on technological advances or changes in the code of federal regulations.
The USDA APHIS National Veterinary Accreditation Program (NVAP) reference guide (as of January 2026) lists the full set of approved swine identification methods. Ear notching appears on that list alongside official eartags, USDA backtags, and official swine tattoos — but the notching entry carries a hard condition: the notches must be on record with a purebred registry.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture’s swine import requirements reflect this same standard. For swine moving to slaughter, acceptable identification includes EID, NUES tags, approved back tags, official swine tattoos or ear tags bearing a PIN, NE tattoos, ear notches if breed registered, and tattoos if breed registered. The phrase “if breed registered” is the operative condition — without that registry backing, an ear notch does not satisfy Nebraska’s official ID requirement.
If you are moving commercial, non-registered hogs, you need a different form of official identification. Ear notching alone will not cover you for those animals regardless of how precisely the notches are cut.
Important Note: Nebraska requires a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) for swine entering the state. The CVI must be issued by an accredited veterinarian within 30 days prior to entry into Nebraska. Even when ear notching qualifies as official ID, the CVI requirement is separate and must be met independently.
How the 1-3-9 Ear Notching System Works
The standard system used by purebred swine associations across the United States — including registries active in Nebraska — assigns numeric values to specific notch positions on each ear. The right ear has five locations for notches, and each location is assigned a number. Those five numbers are 1, 3, 81, 9, or 27. The right ear encodes the litter number by adding the values of all notches present in that ear.
The left ear has three locations for notches, and each location is assigned a number. Those three numbers are 1, 3, and 9. The left ear identifies the individual pig within the litter. You add the values of any notches present in the left ear to determine the pig’s individual number within its litter group.
Each ear is divided into four parts, with each area representing the numbers 1, 3, 9, or 27. In each of the four areas, you can have up to two notches. The right ear is used for the litter mark, and all pigs in the same litter must have the same notches in the right ear. The left ear identifies individual pigs in the same litter, and all littermates must have different notches in the left ear.
When litter numbers grow large enough to fill all right-ear positions, the system has a built-in extension. When these positions are filled in the right ear, an 81 notch placed in the tip doubles the system. This allows producers with large farrowing operations to continue assigning unique litter numbers without starting over.
Technique matters as much as placement. Avoid placing a notch midway in the outside edge of either ear. Such marks can easily be mistaken for either a 1 or a 3 or a 9 or a 27. An ambiguous notch can create record-keeping disputes and may cause a registry to reject a registration application.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension publication on ear notching — available through the UNL Extension Publications portal — provides a detailed diagram of each notch position and is a practical reference for 4-H members and first-time producers learning the system.
Pro Tip: The reference to left and right ear refers to the pig’s left or right ear as viewed from the rear of the pig. Left and right does not refer to the viewer’s left or right when the pig is facing you. Confirm your orientation before every notching session to avoid mis-recording an animal’s identity.
Ear Notching for Purebred Registry Compliance in Nebraska
For Nebraska producers who breed and sell registered purebred swine, ear notching is more than a management tool — it is a registry requirement. Breed associations use the notch pattern as a cross-reference against pedigree records, and the notch must match what is on file before a pig can be fully registered.
When using the system of ear notching required by the purebred swine associations of the United States, the litter number is notched in the pig’s right ear and the individual pig number is notched in the pig’s left ear. The notches from the right and left ear should combine to give each pig a unique identification number. This combined number is what the registry records in its book, and it is that recorded entry that gives the notch its legal force as official identification.
At the Nebraska State Fair, the registry connection is actively verified. Ear notches listed on the registration papers will be verified. If the physical notches on the animal do not match what is recorded on the registration certificate, the animal can be disqualified. This makes accurate notching at farrowing and accurate recording with the registry equally important steps.
Nebraska producers registering animals with the National Swine Registry (NSR) or Certified Pedigreed Swine (CPS) follow the same universal notching system. January 1 and July 1 of each year are the starts of each farrowing season for registry purposes, so your litter numbering sequence resets on those dates — a detail that affects how you assign right-ear notch values across the production year.
Producers working with registered breeding stock should also be aware of Nebraska’s brucellosis laws, since breeding swine moving into or within Nebraska must meet brucellosis-related origin requirements that layer on top of identification rules.
Ear Notching vs. Ear Tags, Tattoos, and RFID in Nebraska
Nebraska producers have several identification options, and the right choice depends on the animal’s purpose, destination, and registration status. The table below compares the four primary methods across the dimensions that matter most for compliance and day-to-day management.
| Method | Official ID Status | Best Use Case | Key Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ear Notching | Yes — if recorded with purebred registry | Registered purebred swine, litter tracking | Not accepted at Nebraska State Fair as standalone ID |
| 840 USDA EID Tag (RFID) | Yes — for all movement categories | Show pigs, interstate movement, all commercial swine | Requires Premises ID number to order |
| Official Ear Tag (NUES / PIN) | Yes — PIN tags for slaughter/harvest channels | Slaughter swine, feeder swine | PIN tags cannot be removed by law |
| Tattoo (Registry or Official) | Yes — if recorded with registry or issued by state/federal officials | Breeding and exhibition swine, slaughter channels | Requires restraint and close inspection to read |
The shift toward electronic identification has been significant at Nebraska events. The universal ear notch system with notches will not be an acceptable form of identification at the Nebraska State Fair. All market swine to be shown at State Fair must be tagged with an official 840 USDA EID tag, owned by the exhibitor, with the online nomination completed and a DNA hair sample submitted to their county Extension office by June 15.
840 tags comply with the requirements of the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) framework for both visual and electronic identification. These tags are recognized in a standardized information system between federal, state, and industry officials. Each tag contains 15 digits and begins with the numbers 840 — the USA country code — and the remaining 12 digits are unique to the individual animal.
Tattoos offer a different set of trade-offs. Tattoos win on permanence. Ink placed inside the ear lasts the life of the animal and cannot be lost or altered easily, which is why breed registries often require them. The limitation is readability: you need to restrain the animal and flip the ear to read a tattoo, making it impractical for quick sorting at a distance.
Official PIN tags are not intended for use in show pigs being exhibited at NSR or NJSA events because they are specifically designed for use in breeding stock prior to entering harvest channels. Official PIN tags cannot be removed by law and are used to assist animal health authorities in tracing an animal back to its farm of origin.
Key Insight: The standard backup rule is: every animal carries two identifiers, and at least one must be permanent. For registered purebreds in Nebraska, pairing a registry-recorded ear notch with an 840 EID tag gives you both the registry compliance and the electronic traceability that shows and interstate shipments increasingly require.
State-Specific Swine Identification Rules That Affect Ear Notching in Nebraska
Nebraska’s swine identification framework draws from both state statute and federal regulation, and the two interact in ways that directly affect how much weight an ear notch carries in any given transaction.
At the state level, Nebraska Revised Statute §54-1358 governs swine identification responsibilities at auction markets. All auction markets responsible for identifying swine in accordance with the provisions of Neb. Rev. Stat. §54-1358 shall maintain adequate records of such identification as prescribed in the recordkeeping provisions of the regulations. This means that even when a producer brings breed-registered hogs with valid ear notches to a Nebraska auction market, the market itself carries a separate recordkeeping obligation.
For swine moving interstate into Nebraska, the state requires official identification on all breeding animals, with the official identification number recorded on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. All swine changing ownership and moving to a destination in Nebraska shall move directly or through no more than one concentration point, and shall be confined to the premises of destination for not less than thirty days, unless moving direct to slaughter or permission has been granted for other movement by the Department.
Disease status rules add another layer. Feeder swine imported into Nebraska shall originate from a herd located in a state or area of a state classified as Stage IV or V, or a country recognized by APHIS as being free of pseudorabies. Ear notching does not replace or waive these origin requirements — it simply satisfies the identification component of the movement paperwork when the animal is breed registered.
Nebraska producers who show swine at county fairs should check county-level fair rules independently. While the Nebraska State Fair has moved fully to 840 EID tags, individual county fairs may still accept ear notches for certain classes, particularly for locally farrowed purebreds shown in breeding classes. Contact your county Extension office to confirm current fair rules before tagging day.
For a broader look at how Nebraska regulates livestock movement and animal ownership, the following resources on this site cover related topics:
- Goat Ownership Laws in Nebraska
- Pet Import Laws in Nebraska
- Backyard Chicken Laws in Nebraska
- Hunting Laws in Nebraska
Nebraska’s swine identification rules reward producers who plan ahead. If you raise registered purebreds, notch accurately at farrowing, record immediately with your breed association, and keep the registration papers with the animal whenever it moves. If you raise commercial hogs or show at the Nebraska State Fair, an 840 EID tag is the default identification method that satisfies both state and federal requirements without the registry condition attached to ear notching. Knowing which category your animals fall into — and which ID method applies — keeps you compliant and your herd moving without delays.