How To Register A Brand In Texas

Brand Registration Overview
Often Asked Questions
Register Your Brand

Download Brand Registration Form
Observe Your Canton Clerk

Texas Canton Courtroom Clerks
Search Brands
How To Design A Brand
How To Read A Brand
TSCRA Law Enforcement
Texas Agriculture Code - Marks and Brands
Report Stray Livestock
County Clerk and Sheriff Login
Asking Login

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I brand my livestock?

How are brand records used?

Where do I need to register my brand?

How do I register my brand?

How long is my make registration adept?

Practice I take to re-register my make?

If I register a make on Aug. i, 2011, will I have to re-register my brand after Aug. 31, 2011?

Does my brand registration automatically renew?

If a make is not re-registered by the current owner within the half dozen-month grace flow (Aug. 31, 2011, to Feb. 29, 2012), tin I register it?

How much does it price to register or re-register my make?

How can I find an sometime make by ancestors used?

How can I find out if the brand design I desire to register is already being used?

Can I register more than one brand?

Can I annals more than i brand on a form?

Is brand location important?

If I register my brand design on the left hip, can someone else register the aforementioned make design in another location in the same county?

Can someone else have the same brand design registered that I do?

Exercise I need to register ear marks, electronic devices or tattoos?

Tin can I transfer a brand to another family member?

What if the owner passes abroad and the heir wants to register the brand?

Can a small have a registered brand?

I bought a horse with a make. How do I locate where the horse came from?

Who do I contact if I detect an animal that does not belong to me?

What should I practise if I am bringing cattle in from some other state to exist grazed in Texas?

Is there a penalty for using a brand that is not registered?

Can I brand my livestock without registering a brand?

Where I can I find the Texas law regarding livestock brands?

Why is TSCRA involved in this?

Why should I brand my livestock?
Your brand is your proof of ownership and the best manner to identify your livestock.

How are make records used?

Police enforcement criminal investigations use brands on a local, state, and federal level;
Texas Creature Health Commission and USDA-APHIS trace back for animal disease;
Agricultural lending institutions use brands to secure livestock loans;
County sheriff offices make up one's mind buying of estray livestock;
Judges and attorneys reference brands in many types of civil litigations involving livestock; and
County clerks often receive a amendment to testify in court as to the accuracy of their brand registration procedure.

back to peak

Where exercise I demand to register my make?
The Canton Clerk's office in the county or counties you are running livestock.

back to elevation

How practice I register my brand?
Brands are registered in Texas by the canton clerk of the county in which yous run livestock. The make must be registered by the canton clerk for the brand to be considered a legal ways of ownership.

In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Cattlemen'south Association is responsible for make registration.

How long is my brand registration skilful?
Texas brand registration is adept for a 10-twelvemonth catamenia. The new menstruation starts on Aug. 31, 2011, and goes through Feb. 29, 2012. At that time all brands must be re-registered.

Practice I have to re-register my brand?
Yes. In Texas brands have to be re-registered every 10 years.

Make re-registration always begins in the year catastrophe with a 1. For example, the side by side make re-registration menses begins Aug. 31, 2011, and closes Feb. 29, 2012.

If you do not re-register inside that flow, then your brand is up for grabs by someone else. Brands must be re-registered within that menstruum regardless of the date it was originally registered. -Section 144.04 Texas Agriculture Lawmaking

In Oklahoma brands are re-registered every 5 years and is the responsibleness of the Country Board of Agriculture (Title 2-four-seven of the Oklahoma Agronomics Code). While brand re-registration dates are non specified, the lawmaking explains that the owners of currently registered brands will be notified about the re-registration menstruum.

dorsum to superlative

If I annals a brand on Aug. 1, 2011, will I take to re-register my brand after Aug. 31, 2011?
Yeah, all brands must be re-registered regardless of original registration date.

back to height

Does my brand registration automatically renew?
No.

dorsum to summit

If a make is not re-registered by the current owner within the 6-month grace period (Aug. 31, 2011, to February. 29, 2012), can I register it?
Aye, after six months the make is available to anyone.

How much does it toll to register or re-annals my make?
Cost may vary by county. The canton clerk role may charge the same fee for make transfers as for registering a new brand.

CLICK Hither Discover your county clerk part online.

How can I find an old brand my ancestors used?
The canton clerk function is the only place that has archived files.

dorsum to top

How can I detect out if the brand pattern I want to annals is already being used?
The canton clerk office can give you that data.

Can I annals more than i brand?
Yes, it is lawful for whatever owner to have, own and use more than i brand and/or marking.

dorsum to top

Can I annals more than than one brand on a form?
No. Utilize ane form for each make you wish to register.

back to height

Is brand location important?
The brand location is as of import as the brand itself. The same make may be registered in the aforementioned canton equally long as the location on the animal is different. Shown beneath, these are considered 2 distinct markings:

back to superlative

If I register my brand design on the left hip can someone else register the same brand design in another location in the same county?
Yes, the same brand blueprint can be registered in the same county by different individuals every bit long and the location of the brand is unlike.

Can someone else accept the same brand pattern registered that I do?
Aye, in other counties. Your brand registration is good only in the county or counties where you annals it.

Practice I need to annals ear marks, electronic devices or tattoos?
Yes.

Can I transfer a brand to another family member?
Brands may exist transferred. This requires a notarized affirmation signed by the current make holder tht relinquishes title of the make to the transferee. Brand transfers must exist sent to TSCRA

back to elevation

What if the owner passes away and the heir wants to register the make?
The heir must provide proof of will or family unit agreement along with death certificate.

back to tiptop

Can a minor take a registered brand?
Yes. A parent or legal guardian can sign for the kid. The proper apply of a brand is the parent/guardian'south responsibleness.

I bought a horse with a brand. How practise I locate where the horse came from?
If the horse came from Texas, you volition need to know in which canton the owner registered the make. The county clerk's office has the current and the archived brand registration files. There is no statewide registry in Texas.

Who do I contact if I notice an animal that does not belong to me?
According to Chapter 142 of the Texas Agriculture Code,

"If an estray, without being herded with other livestock, roams about the belongings of a person without that person's permission or roams about public property, the owner of the private holding or the custodian of the public property, as applicable, shall, as before long as reasonably possible, study the presence of the estray to the sheriff of the county in which the estray is discovered."

Please help the sheriff past providing the location, number and clarification of the estray livestock.

dorsum to top

What should I do if I am bringing cattle in from another state to be grazed in Texas?
You should register your brand in the Texas canton in which you volition be grazing the cattle. Check with the Texas Animal Health Commission for permits needed to enter the land.

dorsum to acme

Is there a penalty for using a brand that is non registered?
Aye, this is considered a misdemeanor.

Tin can I brand my livestock without registering the make?
No, it is illegal to brand an creature unless the brand has beginning been properly registered.

Where tin can I find the Texas law regarding livestock brands?
See the Texas Agriculture Code CHAPTER 144. MARKS AND BRANDS or read the relevant section here:

Section 144.041 of the Texas Agriculture Code addresses recording of marks and brands:
- § 144.041. MARKS AND BRANDS TO Exist RECORDED. (a) Each person who owns cattle, hogs, sheep, or goats shall record that person's earmarks, brands, tattoos, and electronic devices with the canton clerk of the canton in which the animals are located.
- (b) A person who owns a horse shall tape an identification mark authorized past Department 144.001(b) with the canton clerk of the county in which the animal is located.
- (c) The county clerk shall keep a record of the marks and brands of each person who applies to the clerk for that purpose.
- (d) A person may record that person's marks and brands in as many counties as necessary.
- (e) A person may record any marker or brand that the person desires to use if no other person has recorded the mark or brand, without regard to whether that person has previously recorded a mark or brand.
- (f) Not later than the 30th mean solar day subsequently the date a county clerk receives a record relating to cattle or horses nether this department, the clerk shall forward a re-create of the record to the association authorized to audit livestock under 7 U.Southward.C. Department 217a (Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association).

dorsum to summit

Why is TSCRA involved in this?
TSCRA traces its start to 1877, when a group of ranchers formed an clan to combat livestock theft. Every bit the largest and oldest livestock association in Texas, TSCRA represents more than 15,000 beefiness cattle producers, ranching families and businesses who manage approximately 4 1000000 head of cattle on more than 51 million acres of range and pasture state, primarily in Texas and Oklahoma. TSCRA provides constabulary enforcement and livestock inspection services, legislative and regulatory advocacy, industry news and information, insurance services and educational opportunities for its members and the industry.

The 29 commissioned peace officers who serve as the TSCRA special rangers investigate approximately ane,000 agricultural crime cases each year and recover an average of $v one thousand thousand in stolen cattle and assets for ranchers each yr.

TSCRA special rangers are commissioned through the Texas Section of Public Safe or the Oklahoma Country Agency of Investigation. Those special rangers stationed along the Texas/Oklahoma border are dually deputed to investigate agronomical law-breaking in both states.

TSCRA special rangers are stationed in districts in Texas and Oklahoma where they:

investigate thefts of cattle, horses, saddles, trailers, equipment, and even poaching
pursue white-collar criminals who commit agricultural fraud
inspect livestock to decide ownership and prevent theft after a natural disaster such as wildfire, overflowing or hurricane
determine the buying of estray, or stray, livestock
educate landowners on how to preclude theft and spoil the plans of thieves
keep the peace

Questions from county court clerks:

How should we handle similar brands?
If a party comes in to register a brand which the clerk feels is too similar to a brand currently registered, the clerk has the right/authority to refuse to register that make. Information technology's the clerk's duty to make sure duplicate brands are not registered in the same location on an creature.

How practise I handle a dispute over the rightful possessor of a brand?
The party who has registered or used the brand the longest has ownership of the brand.

back to meridian

How often should I send in the brand registrations?
You lot may submit brands daily or weekly, only no afterwards than thirty days from the fourth dimension registered.

Records may be sent to TSCRA several means:

E-mail scanned forms to brands@tscra.org
Fax forms to 817-887-4402
Mail to TSCRA offices
Electronic Records (spreadsheets, etc.) may be submitted to TSCRA. For more data, contact TSCRA.
Some software providers now offer Automated Transfer of brand records to TSCRA. For more information, contact TSCRA or your service provider.

• TSCRA stores these records electronically.

• Records may be searched by proper noun, county, brand or other criteria.

• Through TSCRA, canton clerks and sheriff's offices volition also have access to a searchable brand database.

back to height