Premises Identification Number (PIN)

Tracing livestock and poultry movements during a disease emergency is critical for controlling and eradicating the disease locally or nationally. This process is only successful if animals and their origins and destinations are properly identified and recorded.

What is a Premises?

What is considered a "premises"? A premises is any physical location where livestock and poultry animals are managed and includes all locations where livestock are born, raised, marketed or exhibited.

  • A PIN or a location identifier (LID) is a unique number that is permanently assigned to a single physical location known as a premises.
  • A premises is any physical location where livestock or poultry are managed, or other locations associated with animal agriculture such as feed stores, feed mills, livestock markets or exhibitions.
  • If a business holds livestock or poultry in more than one location, each location should have a unique PIN.
  • A PIN or LID is validated with a 911 address or GPS coordinates. GPS coordinates are necessary in the case of a pasture with no buildings or a barn with no postal address.
  • PIN registration is managed by each state. PINs can be used by animal health officials to quickly and precisely identify where animals are located in the event of a disease or food safety emergency.

Producers and processors are encouraged to validate their PIN with their state animal health officials (SAHO) to ensure their data accurately represents the location of the animals, and not a residence mailbox or business affiliated with the animal premises. Validated PINs will speed up communication and response time during an outbreak. (Secure Milk Supply, p. 5-6)

Quick Facts About a PIN

  • One PIN is assigned for a location regardless of the types of animals on the premises.
  • The PIN is a permanent number and will not change if a premises is sold.
  • PINs are used by animal health officials for animal disease traceability and emergency response.
  • PINs are required by producers to request movement permits during a disease outbreak or to apply for indemnity.

A PIN is not the same as a Location Identification Number (LID):

  • An LID is also a location-based numbering system for livestock and poultry operations.
  • It is used by states for traceability and emergency disease response.
  • An LID is issued by states only but not every state manages LIDs.

How to Acquire a PIN

Aerial view of a red barn in Vermont surrounded by green fields on a sunny day.

All 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands issue PINs. A livestock or poultry producer can contact their department of agriculture, either by phone or filling out an online application, to register. To register for a PIN, producers should be prepared to provide information that includes:

  • Name of entity or company.
  • Contact information for the owner or other appropriate individual.
  • Type of operation.
  • Street address, city, state, and ZIP code.
  • Telephone number.
  • Latitude and longitude if needed.
  • Species of livestock and/or poultry if needed.

Note: The number of livestock is not required to register for a PIN. Only whether livestock are present, or that the premises is involved with the livestock industry, is recorded.


U.S. State Contacts for a Premises ID

If you do not have a PIN, find your state in the list below and either call or visit the state website for information on how to acquire a PIN.

StateNo.Ask forWeb Link
Alabama334-240-7253PIN personAL premises ID website
Alaska907-375-8215PIN person
Arizona602-542-4293PIN personAZ premises ID website
Arkansas501-225-1598PIN personAR premises ID website
California916-900-5002Program analystCA premises ID website
Colorado303-869-9130PIN personCO premises ID website
Connecticut860-713-2560NAIS program coord.CT premises ID website
Delaware302-698-4561InspectorDE premises ID website
Florida850-410-0900PIN reg.FL premises ID website
Georgia404-656-3667Office assoc.GA premises ID website
Hawaii808-483-7100PIN personHI premises ID website
Idaho208-332-8540Traceability coord.ID premises ID website
Illinois217-782-4944Traceability coord.IL premises ID website
Indiana317-544-2400PIN personIN premises ID website
Iowa888-778-7675Program plannerIA premises ID website
Kansas785-564-6601PIN personKS premises ID website
Kentucky502-573-0282ADT program coord.KY premises ID website
Louisiana225-925-3980Asst. state vet.LA premises ID website
Maryland410-841-5810InspectorMD premises ID website
Massachusetts617-626-1797Traceability coord.MA premises ID website
Maine207-287-3701Office assoc.ME premises ID website
Michigan888-565-8626Licensing personMI premises ID website
Minnesota651-296-2942PIN personMN premises ID website
Mississippi601-359-1170Animal ID coor.MS premises ID website
Missouri573-751-3377Licensing personMO premises ID website
Montana406-444-1587Program spec.MT premises ID website
Nebraska402-471-6865PIN personNE premises ID website
Nevada775-738-8076PIN personNV premises ID website
New Hampshire603-271-2404Online/PIN dept.NH premises ID website
New Jersey609-671-6400PIN personNJ premises ID form
New Mexico505-841-6161PIN person
New York518-457-3971Office assistant
North Carolina919-707-3250PIN personNC premises ID website
North Dakota701-328-2655Animal ID coord.
Ohio614-728-6220PIN personOH premises ID website
Oklahoma405-522-6124PIN personOK premises ID form
Oregon503-986-4681Livestock IDOR premises ID website
Pennsylvania717-787-4737PIN personPA premises ID website
Rhode Island401-222-2781PIN reg.
South Carolina803-726-7812PIN personSC premises ID website
South Dakota605-773-3321PIN personSD premises ID website
Tennessee615-837-5120PIN personTN premises ID website
Texas512-719-0733Permits personTX premises ID website
Utah801-982-2239PIN personUT premises ID website
Vermont802-828-2421Admin. service coord.VT premises ID website
Virginia804-692-0600PIN personVA premises ID website
Washington360-725-5493PIN personWA premises ID website
West Virginia304-558-2214PIN personWV premises ID website
Wisconsin888-808-1910Livestock IDWI premises ID website
Wyoming307-777-7515PIN personWY premises ID website
Puerto Rico787-796-1650Dir. of vet. services