Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson has taken aggressive action and issued emergency rules that place heightened restrictions on the importation of warm-blooded animals into Florida from high-risk areas and USDA- or state-designated infested zones.

Florida Emergency Rule: 

The emergency rule, 5CER26-14, imposes the following temporary restrictions on the importation of warm-blooded animals originating from designated infested zone(s) within the previous 14 days or from high-risk areas:

Infested Zones: Any county where the USDA or the State Animal Health Official has confirmed a breeding population of NWS, as well as adjoining counties. 

Infested Zone Counties as of September 4, 2026:

• Texas counties and subsequent surrounding counties: Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Brewster, Brooks, Concho, Crane, Crockett, Duval, Edwards, Frio, Hidalgo, Irion, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Maverick, Medina, Menard, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Real, Reeves, Schleicher, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Tom Green, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Webb, Zapata and Zavala.
• All warm-blooded animals originating from an infested zone being imported into Florida must receive an FDACS Certificate of Animal Movement with prior permission number, applied for two days in advance of arrival. Apply for an FDACS Certificate of Animal Movement.
• The FDACS Certificate of Animal Movement will require the following:
  • An Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI), valid for 5 days from the date of inspection, documenting that all animals listed on the OCVI have been inspected and found free of contagious and infectious disease and pests, including NWS. No alternative movement documents will be accepted in lieu of an OCVI.
  • OCVI documentation that all animals listed on the OCVI have been treated with an effective treatment for NWS.
• No shelter animals may be imported into Florida from an infested state. Shelter animals include any warm-blooded animals within the custody or care of a public or private animal shelter, humane organization or animal control agency originating from an infested state.

In addition to the requirements above:

High-Risk Areas: Any geographic area which is designated as a High-Risk County or areas of an Infested State outside of the Infested Zone. 

• High-Risk County: All U.S. counties within 125 miles of an infested Mexican state. 
• Infested State: A U.S. state with one or more infested zones. 

High-Risk Areas as of August 31, 2026:

• Arizona counties: Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma. 
• California counties: Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego. 
• New Mexico: Catron, Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Sierra and Socorro. 
• Texas: All counties that are not listed as an Infested County.
• All warm-blooded animals originating from a high-risk area being imported into Florida must be accompanied by an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI), valid for 5 days from the date of inspection, documenting that all animals listed on the OCVI have been inspected and found free of contagious and infectious disease and pests, including NWS. No alternative movement documents will be accepted in lieu of an OCVI.
• The OCVI must include the statement, “All animals listed on the OCVI have been inspected and are free from screwworm larvae infestation.”
• The OCVI is valid for no more than 5 days from the date of veterinary inspection.

NWS is a devastating pest and can affect all warm-blooded animals. NWS has recently moved northward into Central America, including Mexico, breaking though a protective barrier that was located in the country of Panama. For more information on the current situation, visit: www.FDACS.gov/NWS.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the detection of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the Dominican Republic. View the announcement and other ASF resources.