NSW Sheep and Goat eID Equipment Rebate Program
This program will provide eligible producers and agents 50% of the cost back, up to $1,500, when they buy a handheld eID reader. Applications open 2 March 2026 and close 31 August 2026, or earlier if the program’s funding is fully allocated. See the Sheep and Goat eID Equipment Rebate Program page for more details.
Key dates for agents
Current requirements
- All sheep and goats born from 1 January 2025 must have an eID device applied, prior to leaving the property of birth
- All sheep and goats with eID devices moved between properties must be scanned and individually uploaded in the NLIS database
From 1 January 2027
- All sheep and goats must have an eID device applied prior to leaving any property, regardless of age
What you need to do to be eID ready
Key tasks
- Keep updated by attending training to support implementing the eID system for sheep and goats at saleyards and other sites where sheep and goat auctions and sales are held.
- Refresh understanding of current NLIS requirements and how moving to an eID system for sheep and goats is working, especially for on-property livestock sales where you are the sale operator.
- Be competent in completing NLIS property to property transfers for mobs and individual animals, and able to assist livestock owners to complete transfers on request.
- Ensure that sheep and goats that you sell or purchase on behalf of clients are correctly identified with an NLIS accredited eID device as per the implementation timeline.
Support available
For support on what you need to do, contact us at sheepgoateid@dpird.nsw.gov.au.
eID in Saleyards Online Q&A- March 2024
NSW DPIRD invited agents from Victoria to share their experiences with NSW agents and to answer questions about the logistics around eID use in large saleyards over video call. You can watch the recording here: eID in Saleyards Online Q&A with Victorian agents and saleyard operators
NLIS Support
NLIS database user guide for saleyards and agents
NLIS rules for on-property sheep and goat sales
For more information about NLIS requirements for sheep and goats in NSW visit the NSW DPIRD NLIS Sheep and goats page.
For more information on how to complete NLIS transfers, or to find a current list of accredited NLIS tags, visit the Integrity Systems Company Website.
Saleyards and agents webinars
NSW DPI invited agents from Victoria to share their experiences with NSW agents and to answer questions about the logistics around eID use in large saleyards over video call.
Watch eID in Saleyards Online Q&A - March 2024 now
NSW Agriculture and Local Land Services hosted a webinar for agents across NSW, offering insights on what to expect and how to support their clients during the transition to mandatory electronic identification (eID) for sheep and goats.
NSW Sheep and Goat Equipment Rebate Program
The NSW Government has announced a new rebate program to help sheep and goat producers, as well as livestock agents, buy electronic identification (eID) equipment.
Eligible producers and agents can get 50% of the cost back, up to $1,500, when they buy a handheld eID reader. Applications open 2 March 2026 and close 31 August 2026, or earlier if the program’s funding is fully allocated.
For more information visit the Sheep and Goat Equipment Rebate Program page.
Supporting your clients
Client Support
Agents should be aware of all aspects of sheep and goat eID that impact livestock owners to best support their clients. For further details, please visit Livestock Owners.
Sheep and goats that are not appropriately tagged are not allowed to move according to NSW legislation. As an agent, you may support clients by informing them of their eID tagging responsibilities and where NLIS accredited devices can be purchased from before the stock can be moved.
An agent might be committing an offence if they sell, offer, assist, or attempt to sell sheep and goats that are not correctly identified or if the required information has not been provided.
As an agent, you may be requested to scan individual animals and complete NLIS transfers to facilitate the purchase and sale of stock for producers. To do this, it is recommended that you have a suitable RFID reader, and appropriate software to download the RFID numbers for completion of NLIS transfers. Note: it is not a requirement for agents to complete NLIS transfers, but an agent can do this on behalf of a producer if the producer has arranged for the agent to do so.
NLIS Support
FAQS
What is an eID device?
An eID device is an electronic identification device that has an internal microchip and is printed with a unique serial number, which is attached to individual sheep and goats in the form of an ear tag, or sometimes a leg band for goats.
Will there be changes to the current tag colour system?
No. NSW strongly recommends use of the year of birth colour system for eIDs, although it is not mandatory. Post-breeder eID devices for sheep or goats that have lost their permanent identifier and are no longer on their property of birth must be pink.
Will the NLIS database be upgraded as part of eID implementation?
The Commonwealth Government announced $22.5 million for an upgrade of the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database.
Integrity Systems Company will use this investment to develop a new database that has improved functionality, user-friendliness, analytics, reporting and cybersecurity. The new database will be developed independently to avoid impacting the functionality of the current database.
When do clients need to use an eID device?
- Any sheep or goats that are born from 1 January 2025 onwards, must be moved or sold with an NLIS approved eID device.
- Any sheep or goats that are born during 2024 or earlier must be moved or sold with an NLIS approved eID from 1 January 2027. Until this time they can be moved or sold with an NLIS visual tag.
Do lambs/kids that are born in 2024 need an eID device when clients sell them in 2025?
No, if you have any sheep or goats that are born during 2024, they can still be moved or sold with an NLIS visual tag until 1 January 2027.
What will agents need to do differently for sheep and goat clients?
As agents are a trusted source of information, selling and purchasing livestock for their clients, agents are strongly encouraged to become familiar with eID requirements for producers and themselves. More detailed information and training can be found on the eID Training page.
When operating for a client outside of a saleyard or an on-farm sale, it is not the responsibility of livestock agents to purchase, apply, or scan eID devices for their clients, or to complete any NLIS transfers on their clients’ behalf. However, agents may do this if arranged with the client, especially for recording of sheep and goats’ movements onto their clients’ PICs after buying stock privately or online, eg. via Auctions Plus.
What will agents need to do differently at saleyards?
It is the responsibility of the saleyard operator to discuss with vendors and agents the role and responsibility changes associated with eID implementation.
Agents will be required to utilise eID readers supplied by saleyard operators to scan and record all sheep and goat eID devices and supply information to the saleyard operator before the sheep and goats leave the saleyard. This includes:
- date of sale
- sale lot number
- species
- number of head in each sale lot
- vendor’s PIC
- RFIDs of the sheep/goats in each lot
- serial number of the NLIS movement document.
The destination PIC provided by the buyer or the Agent’s PIC or Buyer code, must be given to the saleyard operator by the end of the sale, or sooner if required by the saleyard operator.
A client’s animals currently have non-NLIS eID devices, what do they need to do for eID implementation?
When animals are required to have an eID device, you must remove the non-NLIS accredited eID device and replace with an NLIS-accredited eID device. Animals must only ever have one eID device attached when they leave the property, which must be NLIS accredited.
If producers tag an animal with an eID device that already has a visual NLIS tag in its ear, do they need to remove the visual tag (and is this legally allowed?)
No, you do not need to remove the visual tag. A sheep or goat may have several NLIS visual tags, but they can only have one eID device, which must be an NLIS approved eID device. If you attach an eID device to a sheep or goat, the visual NLIS tag/s must be left in.
Upcoming events
To find out where our team will be delivering information about sheep and goat eID, visit the LLS Upcoming Events page or sign up for our newsletter.
Contact us
If you have any questions you can contact us at sheepgoateid@dpird.nsw.gov.au.