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Kansas.gov: The Official Web site of the State of Kansas

Import Requirements

General Information

All animals entering the state of Kansas shall be accompanied by an official health certificate. All species imported for breeding purposes or which require testing shall be individually identified by a method approved by the livestock commissioner (USDA ear tag, breed registration tattoo, microchip, registered ear notch, etc).

Note: A brand will be accepted as identification on cattle moved to Kansas directly from a farm of origin in a free state, as long as a copy of the brand certificate is attached to the health certificate. The Dairy Herd Improvement Association tag will also be accepted on cattle moving directly from a farm of origin in a free state.

Cattle

Test Eligible

  • All females eighteen (18) months and older.
  • All females which have calved or are expected to calve within 2 weeks.
  • Bulls imported for breeding purposes 12 months or older.

    Steers and spayed females will not need a test.

Brucellosis

Free States

Brucellosis testing is not required if cattle are moved to Kansas from a free state, except for those originating from the GYA. Test eligible cattle from the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA - the Yellowstone National Park and a twenty-mile area surrounding it) must have a negative brucellosis test prior to entry.

"A" States

Brucellosis testing is not required if cattle are moved to Kansas directly from a certified free herd. All test eligible animals not originating from a certified free herd shall be tested negative for brucellosis within 30 days prior to entry.

Cattle going direct to an approved slaughter facility do not need test. Kansas currently does not have any quarantined feedlots.

Tuberculosis

Cattle originating from accredited free or modified accredited free states are not required to be tested. States or areas of lower status and all cattle of Mexican origin shall be tested negative for tuberculosis within 60 days prior to entry into Kansas and will be required to be retested 60 to 90 days post entry, unless going direct to a licensed feedlot. Mexican cattle originating from a Mexican state that has a TB eradication program in place and the program has met the requirements of the Bi-National TB Committee will not be required to be retested. Entry permit is required on all Mexican cattle. 24 hour permit number (785) 296-2328.

Dairy Cattle

Until further notice:

  • All cattle, intended for breeding and/or milking purposes, 6 months of age or older, will be required to have a negative TB test within 60 days prior to entry into Kansas or to come from herd that is accredited TB "free" (TB accredited number must be shown on health paper).
  • Colorado has an ongoing TB testing program in their dairies. Colorado dairy cattle, if they are current on the routine TB testing, can be imported, as if they are from accredited herd.
  • Cull cows coming to a feedlot to be slaughtered, without change of ownership, will not need to be tested.
  • Feeder cattle and calves will not be required to have a negative test.

Beef Cattle

Accredited Free States or Zones (Free)

  • Cattle and Bison - interstate without restrictions except for Certificate of Veterinarian Inspection (CVI)

Modified Accredited Advanced States or Zones (MAA)

These 3 classes do not need a TB test, but do need a CVI except direct to slaughter:

  • Moved directly to slaughter
  • Steers and heifers, for feeding purposes, officially identified (840 RFID, 840 bangel, or silver USDA alpha numeric tag)
  • Cattle from an accredited herd with a whole herd negative test within a year.

All other cattle must have negative test within 60 days of import and a CVI.

Modified Accredited States or Zones (MA)

  • Directly to slaughter - no TB test required.
  • Sexually intact heifers (moved to an "approved" feedlot), steers or spayed heifers: CVI and negative test within 60 days
  • Originate form accredited herd with negative results within 1 year
  • Officially identified, from herd with whole herd test within previous 12 months and negative (individual) test within 60 days. (individual test are not required if movement is within 6 months of whole herd test.
  • All need a CVI within 30 days except for direct to slaughter.

Calves

Calves under 60 days of age and not accompanied by their dams are required to have a special permit issued by the Kansas Animal Health Department (KAHD). They are quarantined to the consignee for 60 days. Call the 24 hour Permit Desk at (785) 296-2328.

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Rodeo Stock

All rodeo contract stock shall be accompanied by an official health certificate with a permit number issued by the KAHD. Bulls and horses must be individually identified on the health certificate. Contract stock would include bucking bulls, bucking horses, bull dogging and roping steers, roping calves and any specialty acts containing test eligible cattle or horses.

Rodeo Bulls 12 months of age and older shall be tested negative for brucellosis and tuberculosis within 12 months prior to entry.

Rodeo Horses 6 months of age and older shall be tested negative for equine infectious anemia (EIA) within 12 months prior to entry.

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Bison, Watusi, Highlander, Yak and Mini-cattle

These animals shall meet the same requirements as cattle.

Free roaming bison from the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) are not permitted in Kansas. Domestic bison from the GYA are required to have a negative brucellosis and tuberculosis test prior to entry and will be quarantined for retest upon importation. A permit number is required only from this area. Call the Permit Desk: 785-296-2328.

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Domesticated Deer and Captive Cervidae

All captive cervidae coming into Kansas must be in the CWD program for at least 5 years and their CWD status number must be on the health certificate. Additionally, all capitive cervidae are required to have a permit number.

These animals shall be tested negative for brucellosis at 6 months of age and older within 30 days prior to entry, and tuberculosis at 6 months of age and older within 90 days prior to entry using official tests. Domestic elk from the GYA shall be tested negative for brucellosis and tuberculosis and quarantined for retest upon arrival. Free roaming elk from the GYA and the Wind River Reservation are not permitted in Kansas. Other free roaming elk shall test negative twice at least 90 days apart, but not more than 150 days before entry into the state. Captive cervidae, from certified herds, are not required to test.

Reindeer from Alaska are required to have permit number, negative brucellosis and TB test within 30 days of entry. They will be quarantined for 180 days, be required to retest negative for brucellosis and TB before quarantine release.

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Swine

All swine, except feeder pigs entering Kansas including pot bellied pigs and Russian hogs shall meet one or more of the following requirements: be tested negative for pseudorabies and brucellosis within 30 days prior to entry, originate directly from a qualified/validated herd, or originate from a Stage IV or V state.

Breeding swine from Stage IV and lower status states will be quarantined and are required to have a pseudorabies post-shipment test, 30 to 60 days after arrival, to qualify for quarantine release. This post entry test will be done on 95/5 random-sample basis. Each segregated group of swine on an individual premises must be considered a separate herd and sampled as follows:

  • Less than 100 head - test 45
  • 100-200 head - test 51
  • 201-999 head - test 57
  • 1,000 and over - test 59

Breeding swine from Stage V states will not be quarantined for post-entry test.

All feeder pigs entering Kansas must be retested negative for pseudorabies and brucellosis, originate from a state of pseudorabies stage III or higher status or from a qualified or monitored pseudorabies herd. Feeder pigs shall be quarantined to premises until slaughter.

Swine which have been vaccinated for pseudorabies will not be allowed to enter Kansas. Offspring of vaccinated swine are allowed as long as tested negative for pseudorabies within 30 days of entry using the serum neutralization or latex test.

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Camelids (Llamas, Alpacas, Camels, etc.)

These animals, entering into Kansas, need to be individually identified on a certificate of veternaian inspection paper (CVI) within the last 30 days. Identify with either a tattoo, micorchip, registered ear notch, USDA ear tag, or etc.

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Equidae (Horses, Asses, and Zebra)

These animals shall be tested negative for equine infectious anemia (EIA) within 12 months prior to entry. Foals under six months of age, nursing their negative dams are not required to be tested. The AGID (Coggins) and Elisa tests are approved.

Equine viral arteritis (EVA) regulations are the responsibility of the Kansas Racing Commission (913-299-9779 ext. 6993)

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Ratites (Ostrich, Emu, Rhea, etc.)

These animals shall be individually identified by microchip or leg band. The manufacturer, number and location of this implant must appear on the health certificate.

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Sheep and Goats

In addition to the general requirements sheep from other states must:

  • Be free of any signs of “sore mouth”. 
  • Be free of signs of active fungal (ringworm) infection, including club lamb fungus.
  • All sexually intact (ewes & rams) and wethers must be identified with an official USDA premise ID tag.  Lambs, under 8 weeks of age, accompanying their dams, are exempt from identification requirements.

GOATS

  • Goats originating from other states must meet the general requirements.
  • All sexually intact (does & bucks) and wethers must be identified with a registered tattoo or an official USDA premise ID tag.  Kids, under 8 weeks of age, accompanying their dams, are exempt from the identification requirements.

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Birds and Fowl

All poultry, except waterfowl, must show proof that they are pullorum – typhoid clean by one of the following methods.

  • Originate from a NPIP certified U.S. Pullorum – Typhoid clean flock as evidenced by an official VS Form 9-3, certifying all adult poultry in the flock  have had a negative test for pullorum – typhoid within the past year.  (Adult poultry are any turkeys over 12 weeks of age and any other poultry over 16 weeks of age)
  • Be accompanied by an official VS Form 9-3 signed by the official NPIP representative in the state of origin or by a health certificate that has been issued within the previous 90 days.
  • In addition to the VS9-3 or health certificate, out of state poultry must have a "Permit to Ship Poultry or Hatching Eggs" that has been issued by the KAHD within the previous year, or a permit number that has been issued by the KAHD office within the previous 15 days.

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Dogs and Cats

These animals require a health certificate to enter Kansas. Animals over 3 months of age must have proof of current rabies vaccination.

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Zoo and Exotic Animals

These animals (other than those listed above) require a health certificate. Species susceptible to brucellosis and/or tuberculosis must be tested negative within thirty (30) days of entry or meet the American Zoo Association recommendations.

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updated Dec. 18, 2009