Livestock brands must register with state Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity

Owners of livestock brands in Hawaiʻi have until Dec. 31, 2025 to reregister their brands with the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity or risk losing their rights to their brands. Hawaiʻi law requires owners of livestock in the state to register their brand to secure its validity and individuality. While it is not mandatory to use brands in Hawaiʻi, it is mandatory for owners using brands to register them every five years. The registration fee is $10. 

During the period 2020 – 2025, there were 803 registered brands in Hawai‘i.  

“Owners of existing brands may re-register at any time before Dec. 31, 2025,” said Dr. Isaac Maeda, state veterinarian. “If they do not reregister by Dec. 31, they may potentially lose the right to their brand if someone else applies for it.”

Typically, cattle are branded prior to one year of age so owners have a permanent and unique identification on their animals that traces them back to their ownership. In Hawai‘i, there are about 1,100 cattle operations ranging from herds of about 25,000 head of cattle to those with just a few head.  

The DAB’s Animal Disease Control Branch reviews brand applications and approves brands after determining that the brand is not the same or similar to others that are registered. Branding continues to be the most practical and approved means by which cattle ownership is determined, particularly in the Western U.S. where most states require cattle moving interstate to be brand inspected.

To view registered brands in the Hawai‘i Brand Book, go to:  https://dab.hawaii.gov/ai/ldc/hawai%CA%BBi-brand-registry/

To obtain a brand registration form, go to:  https://dab.hawaii.gov/ai/files/2012/12/DC29.pdf

For more information and applications, brand owners should contact the Animal Disease Control Branch at 808-483-7106 (O‘ahu) or e-mail: dab.adc@hawaii.gov