Earmarking sheep and goats

To possess or use sheep and goat earmarking pliers, you must first register an earmark.

Earmarks must be placed in the off (right) ear of a male animal and the near (left) ear of a female. All earmarks must be made using pliers. It is illegal to use any instrument (e.g. a knife) other than earmarking pliers.

The marks must be of the shape and on the portions of the ear or ears as indicated on the registration certificate.

View the shapes and patterns of sheep earmarks.

Registered earmark districts

Queensland is divided into registered sheep and goat districts.

Earmarks are allocated to and registered for use in relation to specific earmark districts.

View the map and districts for registered sheep brands and earmarks (PDF, 103KB).

Assessing your earmark application

Earmarks that are too similar or easily changed to look like a neighbour's earmark will not be registered.

If you intend to use a sheep earmark in a district other than the one it is registered to, you must notify the Registrar. The earmark will automatically be cancelled, and you will need to apply for the earmark in the new district.

If you want to use the earmark in a different sheep district in addition to the original district, you must:

  • apply to register the same earmark in the new district (if available)
  • or
  • apply for a new earmark in the new district.

Important: There is no guarantee you will be able to re-register the same earmark in a new district.

Age or class marks

An owner of a registered sheep and goat brand or earmark may use any number of distinctive marks to denote the age or class of their sheep or goats. These distinctive earmarks do not need to be registered.

These marks must not be made on the same ear as the registered sheep earmark. The Brands Registrar or a Stock Inspector also must not consider them similar to or readily convertible into any sheep earmark registered and used in the same locality.

How to register an earmark

Your earmark must be registered before it can be legally used in Queensland.

Branding and earmarking submissions

You must consider the following submission information when applying for a brand or earmark:

  • The exemption allowing temporary COVID-19 branding relief for cattle producers ceased as of 30 June 2023, coinciding with the scaling back of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
  • Email all brand and earmark applications to brands@dpi.qld.gov.au.
  • Do not enter credit card details on the application form.
  • Payments are processed via BPoint. You will be contacted by a member of staff regarding payment when your application is being processed.
  • There is currently a 40-working-day turnaround period for all applications.

Applying for an earmark

To apply, submit your completed application for a sheep brand and/or earmark with the correct fee. Include the property identification code (PIC) with your application to make sure your earmark is established in the correct district.

Applications are processed in the order we receive them and only if they have been fully completed.

When your earmark has been approved, you will be issued a registration certificate.

Earmark pliers

Earmarks must be of the shape and on the portions of the ear or ears as shown in your registration certificate. You must not remove more than one-third of the ear, and earmarks must be made using earmark pliers. It is illegal to use any instrument (e.g. a knife) other than earmarking pliers.

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