Equine Movement Requirements

Important Notice

While currently not in Florida, New World screwworm (NWS), has been detected in the United States. An NWS Certificate of Animal Movement with prior permission number is required for all warm-blooded animals originating from Infested Zones. For a list of NWS-affected states and the additional interstate import requirements, please visit www.FDACS.gov/nws.

Livestock requiring a prior permission number for routine interstate import into the state of Florida must obtain a species-specific permit in addition to an NWS permit (if required).

Intrastate (Movement Within Florida)

All horses moving within the state must have an official report of a negative equine infectious anemia test (EIA or Coggins test) dated within 12 months of the blood sample being taken. Foals under 6 months of age accompanied by their dam that has proof of an official, negative EIA test are exempted from test requirements. An official EIA test must be conducted at a state and federally approved laboratory. Accepted EIA tests include:

Agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test
Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (cELISA) test
Other U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-licensed test approved by the State Veterinarian (none currently)

Requirements for Change of Ownership

A current owner’s original copy or laboratory-certified copy of an official, negative EIA test, dated within 12 months of the blood sample being taken, must be transferred to the new owner with the horse.

Requirements for Assembly

Horses congregated at a public or private assembly must have a report of a negative EIA test conducted within the previous 12 months. Such assemblies include but are not limited to boarding stables and pastures, shows, exhibitions, fairs, rodeos, racetracks and trail rides. The owner of a boarding stable or pasture, the sponsor of an event, or the person designated in charge of an event is responsible for ensuring that the EIA test requirements have been met and must maintain records for a period of two years. These records must be available for inspection by a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) representative whenever requested and must include the following information:

The name of the horse;
The name of the owner of the horse or the name of the owner's representative;
The EIA test date, which is the date the blood sample was obtained to be submitted; and
The laboratory accession number of the report of the EIA test;

Requirements for Breeding Stock

Stallions and mares used for breeding purposes must have a report of a negative EIA test conducted within 12 months prior to breeding regardless of movement on or off the premises.

Negative EIA Test Verification Card

FDACS offers Florida horse owners a convenient laminated card, the Negative EIA Verification Card, as proof of the required negative EIA test. This card is convenient for trail riding and equine movement within the state and can easily fit in a wallet or pocket.

Learn more about Negative EIA Test Verification Cards.

Interstate (Movement Between States)

Requirements for Movement (Import) into Florida

All horses imported into the state must have an official report of a negative EIA test dated within 12 months of the blood sample being taken. Foals under 6 months of age accompanied by their dam that has proof of an official, negative EIA test are exempted from test requirements. An official EIA test must be conducted at a state and federally approved laboratory. Accepted EIA tests include:

Agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test
Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (cELISA) test
Other USDA-licensed test approved by the State Veterinarian (none currently)

In addition to the negative EIA test, all horses imported into the state must have an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. The certificate of veterinary inspection must be in the possession of the driver of the vehicle or person otherwise in charge of the animals. The certificate of veterinary inspection must accompany the animals to their final destinations in Florida. The certificate of veterinary inspection must be legible and fully completed by the issuing accredited veterinarian and must include the following:

The name and address of the consignor;
The name and address of the consignee;
The point of origin and premises identification number, if assigned by state officials in the animal’s state of origin;
The point of destination;
The date of examination;
The number of animals examined;
The sex, age, name and breed of each identified animal;
The establishment or premises location at which the animal was examined;
The body temperature at examination;
Color and markings of each animal; and
Prior permission number, if required.

Prior Permission Number

A prior permission number may be obtained by emailing EquinePrograms@FDACS.gov or calling (850) 410-0900, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The prior permission number is required for:

Equine that do not have appropriate documentation for interstate movement but have been consigned directly to a veterinary medical treatment facility for emergency medical care;
Equine imported into the state from countries where contagious equine metritis (CEM) is endemic.
Equine imported from U.S. territories, possessions or states where equine piroplasmosis (EP) is endemic.
Vesicular Stomatitis affected states.

Extended Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection

As of June 30, 2019, FDACS is no longer issuing Equine Event Extensions or Equine Passport documents. Horse owners traveling out of state may still apply for an Extended Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (EECVI) through their private veterinarian in conjunction with Global Vet Link. For more information, visit the Global Vet Link website.

Additional EECVI vendors may eventually become available through an approval process by the United States Animal Health Association.