eID for sheep and goat owners

Basic requirements for producers, hobby farmers, and pet owners

The new requirements apply to anyone who owns one or more sheep or farmed goats, even if kept as pets.

• Property identification code (PIC) – needed if you have livestock on your property, regardless of numbers
• eID tags – see all NLIS approved sheep and goat eIDS (PDF)
• NLIS database account – a requirement for producers who conduct property-to-property (P2P) movements
• Scanning equipment – non-essential but may be beneficial if you conduct P2P movements for many animals or want to use eID for management purposes

Tagging

For many sheep and goat owners the only change is switching from visual tags to eID tags – see eID tags explained.

• Sheep and farmed goats born on or after 1 January 2025 must be identified with an NLIS-accredited eID tag before leaving their property of birth.
• From 1 January 2027, all other sheep and farmed goats leaving a property must be identified with an NLIS-accredited eID tag.

Breeder tags are colour coded under the NLIS year-of-birth colour system. This system is voluntary in South Australia and used by some producers for management purposes. For information about discounted tags see Funding and rebates.

Sheep and farmed goats born before 1 January 2025 don’t need an eID tag if they’re sold or processed before 1 January 2027 – an NLIS visual tag will meet requirements. If keeping stock past 1 January 2027 (ewes, for example), you can choose to eID tag them before the mandatory date.

Animals introduced to your property that have lost their eID tag will need to be re-tagged with a post-breeder eID device before they move off the PIC. Post breeder tags are pink and are used to permanently identify non-vendor bred animals that have lost their original tag.

Farmed goats can be identified with an NLIS-accredited eID leg band or hock strap, instead of an ear tag. This is most commonly used for some dairy and earless goat breeds.

See more information for South Australian hobby farmers and lifestyle owners ( PDF 1.0 MB ).

Applying tags

Sheep and goats must only be identified with one electronic device. Once applied, the tag must remain with the animal for life and cannot be reused.

eID tags are species specific. It is important to order the correct tags for the species you are running (sheep or goats) – see the step-by-step guide for Ordering approved NLIS electronic devices for sheep and goats ( PDF 900.7 KB ).

When you receive your tags after ordering, they don't need to be scanned or recorded on the NLIS database – the eID tags will already be linked to your PIC by the manufacturer.

It's important to use a compatible applicator for the type of tags being applied – see the applicators listed for NLIS approved sheep and goat eIDs (PDF).

eID tags should be applied according to the tag manufacturer’s instruction. Good hygiene and correct placement is important for tag retention. See Integrity Systems Company (ISC) NLIS tips and tricks for more information on applying tags correctly.

If you experience issues with tag retention, please contact your tag supplier. Complaints can be lodged with Integrity Systems.

Recording movement

As of 1 January 2025, producers who conduct property-to-property (P2P) movements must scan or manually read eID tags and upload individual tag data to the NLIS database. P2P movements include:

• moving stock between multiple PICs, even if you own both properties
• moving stock onto your property for agistment
• buying stock privately (with or without an agent)
• buying stock via an online platform (like Auctions Plus or Farm Gate).

See the NLIS step-by-step guide on how to upload eID tag data to the NLIS database.

Producers are not required to scan and record individual stock movements if they:

• buy or sell at a saleyard – this responsibility will lie with the saleyard operator
• buy at a public auction – this responsibility will lie with the selling agent
• consign to a processor – this responsibility will lie with the processor.

See the diagram to understand who's responsible for recording movements on the NLIS database.

Download the brochure for moving sheep and farmed goats tagged with eID ( PDF 829.6 KB ).

Movement documentation

Sheep and goats moving to an SA property or location with a different PIC must be accompanied with a valid movement document. Sheep must also have a sheep health-declaration. Failure to do so is an offence under the Livestock Regulations 2013 and can result in expiation notices and fines.

Find out about sheep and goat movement documentation.

Harvested rangeland goats

Harvested rangeland goats (HRG) will continue to access tag-free pathways from property of capture direct to processor or approved goat depot with required movement documentation.

This tag-free movement is permitted through the national Harvested rangeland goat (HRG) accreditation (PDF).

HRG accreditation is through the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program and authorised by the relevant state or territory jurisdiction. Only accredited producers will be able to access HRG National Vendor Declaration (NVD) waybills for device-free movements of harvested rangeland goats.