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National Livestock Identification System (NLIS)

The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) is Australia's system for the identification and traceability of cattle, sheep and goats. NLIS reflects Australia's commitment to biosecurity and food safety and provides a competitive advantage in a global market.

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The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) is Australia's system for the identification and traceability of cattle, sheep and goats. NLIS reflects Australia's commitment to biosecurity and food safety and provides a competitive advantage in a global market.

log in to NLIS

How does the NLIS work?

The NLIS combines three elements to enable the lifetime tracebility of animals:

1. All livestock are identified by a visual or electronic eartag/device.

2. All physical locations are identified by means of a Property Identification Code (PIC)

3. All livestock location data and movements are recorded in a central database

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How does the NLIS work?

Traceability through the supply chain

All animals are identified with an accredited NLIS tag or device from their property (PIC) of birth. As animals are bought, sold and moved along the supply chain, each movement is recorded centrally on the NLIS database. Using this information, the NLIS is able to provide a life history of an animal's movements.

Key ASPECTS
Animal Identification Animal Identification
Property Identification Property Identification
Buying, Selling and Moving Livestock Buying, Selling and Moving Livestock

NLIS Standards

NLIS is endorsed by major producer, feedlot, agent, saleyard and processor bodies. In addition to this, it is underpinned by State/Territory legislation, which forms the regulatory framework for the system, NLIS Ltd is ISO9001 certified.

Access the NLIS Standards 

What You'll Need

Property Identification Code (PIC)

A Property Identification Code (PIC) is an eight-character code allocated by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) or an equivalent authority in each state or territory to identify a livestock-producing property. Producers must have a PIC to move livestock on and off a property – it forms the basis of Australia’s food safety and traceability programs.

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LPA NVD

Each time livestock are moved off a PIC they must be accompanied by some form of movement documentation. For LPA accredited PICs, this must be an LPA NVD.  LPA NVDs guarantee that on-farm practices meet LPA requirements, and ultimately customer expectations.

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Record Keeping

Australia’s on-farm assurance and traceability systems underpin our reputation for producing safe, high quality livestock products for both domestic and export markets. The effectiveness of these systems depends on compliance and accurate record keeping.

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Need NLIS Technical Support? 

If you're receiving warning emails, having issues with the NLIS database or are having trouble logging in we have an overview of tips.

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Early Warning Status 

Early Warning (EW) is a status within the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database that is automatically assigned to a property carrying a high-risk animal or animals.

The EW status helps monitor and manage food safety and biosecurity risk along the entire value chain.

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NLIS Updates

News & Events

Tools & Resources

Information For New Users
Producers, Feedlots & Third Parties - NLIS Database User Guide
Processors - NLIS Database User Guide
Sporting Events, Transit Centres & Live Exporters - NLIS Database User Guide
Agents & Saleyards - NLIS Database User Guide
Meeting integrity system requirements for Goat producers

NLIS FAQs

What is my NLIS password and user ID?

You can recover your NLIS user ID and password here.

I’m a small hobby farmer. Do I still have to record livestock movements?

Yes, you do. All livestock movements must be recorded on the NLIS database, regardless of the size of your property or the number of animals on the property.

Whose responsibility is it to record livestock movements?

If livestock are bought, sold or moved through a saleyard, the livestock movement must be recorded by the saleyard. For private sales (i.e. sales and movements that do not take place via a saleyard), the buyer/receiver of the livestock must record the livestock movement onto their property.

The vendor/sender of the livestock is not obligated to record the movement off their property, although they may do so.

What are my responsibilities around tagging livestock?

All animals leaving a property (PIC) must be identified with an NLIS accredited device before moving, unless a permit is obtained from the state or territory authority.

More information on tagging requirements for cattle, sheep and goats is available here.

What should I contact my local authority about regarding NLIS?

You should contact your local authority about:

  • PIC registration
  • Ordering NLIS devices
  • Livestock movement requirements
  • NLIS compliance, including timeframes for completing transfers on the database
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