Most imported ruminants and birds must sit through a minimum 30-day federal quarantine before they can move to their final destination, and animal and livestock quarantine regulations under the Animal Health Protection Act let the USDA block, seize, or destroy animals that threaten U.S. agriculture. Get the paperwork wrong or move an animal before release, and civil penalties can reach $50,000 per violation for an individual or $250,000 for a business, on top of daily boarding fees that run into the hundreds of dollars per animal.
Who Regulates Animal Movement
The Animal Health Protection Act, at 7 U.S.C. ยง 8301 and following, is the federal foundation. It authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit or restrict the importation of any animal, article, or means of conveyance that could introduce a livestock pest or disease, and to require post-importation quarantine under federal supervision.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 8303 – Restriction on Importation or Entry In an extraordinary emergency, the Secretary can hold, seize, treat, or destroy any animal, facility, or means of conveyance necessary to stop disease spread, and can override state measures after consulting the governor or state animal health official and finding those measures inadequate.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 8306 – Seizure, Quarantine, and Disposal
Within USDA, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) runs the day-to-day work: import centers, permits, inspections, and enforcement. International imports go through APHIS. Interstate movement is primarily regulated by State Veterinarian offices, which issue health certificates, enforce testing requirements, and can impose hold orders freezing all movement of a species within a defined geographic area during a local outbreak. The Act specifically authorizes the Secretary to cooperate with states, tribes, foreign governments, and private organizations to carry out these purposes.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 8310 – Cooperation Both layers apply at once, and failing either one can hold up your animals.
When Quarantine Is Required
Quarantine is triggered by disease risk tied to species and origin. Three diseases drive the strictest import rules:
- Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), which affects cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and other cloven-hoofed animals. Even pet dogs arriving from FMD-affected countries must be bathed and kept away from livestock for five days after entry.4Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Bring a Pet Dog Into the United States
- African Swine Fever (ASF), a viral disease of swine with no approved vaccine. APHIS keeps a running list of ASF-affected regions, which currently includes much of Africa, China, Russia, Southeast Asia, parts of South America, and restricted zones within the European Union.5Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Animal Health Status of Regions
- Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which spreads rapidly through poultry. Imported birds from affected regions face mandatory isolation and testing.
All ruminants imported into the United States, except those from Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies, must be quarantined for at least 30 days from the date of arrival at the port of entry.6eCFR. 9 CFR Part 93 Subpart D – Ruminants Imported birds other than ratites face the same 30-day minimum on an all-in, all-out basis.7eCFR. 9 CFR 93.106 – Quarantine Requirements for Birds and Poultry The Administrator can extend any of these periods.
Horses coming from countries affected by Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) face a more demanding process. Stallions must be cultured for the disease, test-bred to two mares already confirmed CEM-free, then treated for five consecutive days. Release happens only if all cultures from the stallion and the test mares come back negative; a positive result restarts treatment, with retesting no sooner than 21 days later. Horses temporarily imported for competition events lasting 90 days or fewer can skip U.S.-side CEM testing, but they still must be tested in the country of origin.8eCFR. 9 CFR 93.301 – General Prohibitions; Exceptions
Domestically, a hold order from state or federal officials during an active outbreak can also freeze movement of the affected species inside a defined zone until testing confirms containment.
Permits, Health Certificates, and Identification
Nothing crosses the border legally without the right paperwork. The core documents:
- Import Permit (VS Form 17-129). No animal, semen, embryo, or hatching egg can be imported without an approved application, now submitted through the APHIS eFile portal with commodity details, shipper and recipient information, transportation routing, quarantine facility, and individual animal identification numbers.9United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. VS Form 17-129 Application for Import or In Transit Permit10Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. APHIS eFile VS 17-129 Application Guide
- Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI). A health certificate signed by a licensed, accredited veterinarian confirming the animal was examined and showed no signs of infectious disease. The animal’s description, identification, vaccination history, testing, and treatments must match every supporting document exactly.11Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. USDA-Accredited Veterinarians: Certifying Animals for International Travel (Export)
- Disease test results. Requirements depend on species and origin. Goats imported from Mexico, for example, must have negative tuberculosis and brucellosis tests completed within 30 days of export, with the certificate listing dates, methods, and full animal descriptions.6eCFR. 9 CFR Part 93 Subpart D – Ruminants
All testing for regulated diseases must be done at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories or another APHIS-approved lab.12Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. APHIS-Approved Testing Laboratories Results from unapproved labs get rejected, and your animals sit in quarantine at your expense while you arrange retesting.
Every animal moving interstate or entering through import must carry official identification. Approved devices under federal animal disease traceability rules include electronic ear tags, visual ear tags, and injectable transponders. Official ear tags must show an official identification number and the official ear tag shield, and must be tamper-evident with high retention.13Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Animal Disease Traceability Official Animal Identification Device Standards The numbers on the animal must match every health certificate and test result. A single mismatched digit can delay release.
What Happens During Quarantine
Once the permit is approved and the animal arrives, the quarantine clock starts at the port of entry. Animals are held in secure environments that prevent contact with domestic livestock and wildlife. Federal or state-accredited veterinarians conduct periodic inspections and additional blood tests or cultures as needed. Wild ruminants get whatever inspections, disinfection, and testing the Administrator deems necessary to confirm they are disease-free. When the observation period ends and all results come back negative, APHIS issues a formal release order.
Do not move an animal before receiving that release order. Doing so can lead to seizure and federal enforcement.
APHIS operates two animal import centers. The Miami Animal Import Center, next to Miami International Airport, handles pet birds and commercial bird shipments. The New York Animal Import Center, near JFK and Newark Liberty, receives birds, poultry, horses, ruminants, swine, and certain zoo animals.14Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Animal Import Centers Private quarantine facilities can also be used, but APHIS holds them to strict physical, waste-disposal, and oversight standards; ruminant facilities, for example, must have double-security perimeter fencing with at least 30 feet between fence lines.15eCFR. 9 CFR 93.412 – Ruminant Quarantine Facilities
What Quarantine Costs
APHIS charges daily user fees at its import centers. As of January 2026:
- Cattle, bison, bulls, camels, or zoo animals: $341 per animal per day.
- Sheep, goats, swine, alpacas, llamas, and other non-equine species: $69 per animal per day.
- Horses (excluding miniature horses): $586 per day for the first three days, then $196 per day from the fourth day onward.
- Miniature horses: $204 per animal per day.
Veterinary services requested outside normal business hours run $196 per hour on weekdays, Saturdays, and holidays, and $221 per hour on Sundays.16Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Veterinary Services Import/Export User Fees A herd of 20 cattle held the standard 30 days runs over $200,000 in boarding alone. Paperwork errors that extend the quarantine even by a few days can cost thousands, which is why getting documentation right before arrival matters so much.
Penalties for Violating Quarantine Rules
Civil and criminal penalties both apply, and they escalate quickly.
On the civil side, anyone who violates the Act or forges, alters, or misuses a certificate or permit can face penalties after notice and an opportunity for hearing. The maximum for an individual is $50,000 per violation, though a first-time individual violation involving regulated articles moved without monetary gain caps at $1,000. For any other person, including businesses and corporations, the maximum is $250,000 per violation. When multiple violations are resolved in one proceeding, the aggregate cap is $500,000 for non-willful violations and $1,000,000 if at least one was willful. The penalty can also be set at twice the gross gain or gross loss caused by the violation, whichever is greater.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 8313 – Penalties
Knowing violations carry criminal exposure. A person who knowingly violates the Act or forges a federal animal health document faces up to one year in prison. If the violation involves importing, exporting, or moving animals for distribution or sale, the maximum jumps to five years. Second and subsequent convictions carry up to 10 years.
Beyond fines and prison, the Secretary can seize, quarantine, treat, or destroy any animal moved in interstate commerce or imported in violation of the Act, and the government can recover from the owner the costs of care, handling, or disposal during remedial action. You can lose both the animal and the money spent on it.
If Your Animals Are Destroyed for Disease Control
When APHIS depopulates a herd or flock to contain a disease, the agency pays indemnity so producers report outbreaks early rather than hide them. APHIS pays fair market value using species-specific appraisal calculators updated monthly for feed costs and market values. Total payment equals the per-animal value multiplied by the number of each animal type in the herd or flock. In most cases, APHIS covers 100 percent of the appraised amount, and indemnity also covers materials like tools or pallets that must be destroyed because they cannot be disinfected. It does not cover lost production income while the farm sits idle after depopulation.18USDA APHIS. Emergency Response Procedures – Appraisal and Indemnity
To get paid, you must sign the appraisal document before depopulation begins and complete all required paperwork. For HPAI and similar high-consequence diseases, a flock plan describing how the disease will be eradicated and the facility returned to production must be developed and signed. Producers who don’t participate in certain voluntary programs, such as the National Poultry Improvement Plan, may receive a reduced percentage.
How to Appeal an APHIS Action
Owners have recourse when they disagree with a federal action. Under the domestic quarantine regulations in 7 CFR Part 301, if APHIS withdraws a certificate or limited permit, or cancels a compliance agreement, the affected person can appeal in writing within 10 days of receiving notification. The appeal must state the facts and reasons supporting the claim that the action was wrongful. The Administrator responds in writing as promptly as circumstances allow, and if there is a dispute over material facts, a hearing will be held.19eCFR. 7 CFR Part 301 – Domestic Quarantine Notices
The 10-day window is tight, especially while you are simultaneously dealing with quarantined or seized animals. If a withdrawal or cancellation notice arrives, get the written appeal drafted immediately. Missing the deadline effectively waives your right to challenge the decision administratively.