Montana Brand Search
For questions regarding new brands, or brand transfers please call 1-406-444-3812. For any
other questions regarding the brands department please call 1-406-444-2045.
All Mail should be addressed to:
Dept. of Livestock
Brands Enforcment Division
PO BOX 202001
Helena, MONTANA 59620-2001
To purchase a copy of Montana Book of Brands go to the link below:
Montana Book of Brands
The Montana Cattlemen’s Association has recently compiled all of the registered Livestock
brands listed in Montana and have made this accessible on our web site. There are
approximately 54,000 brands registered in the State of Montana.
This is a completely searchable data base. You may search by specie, county, brand position or
by characters of the brand or by brand owner.
They say, "We acknowledge the need for livestock identification and are firm believers in our
brand system, and hope that this will aid the livestock industry in identifying branded animals from
our state.
This is has been a very large and costly undertaking and so we made this service available to our
members, as we are a non-profit organization. Anyone can join and the cost is 50.00 per year.
There are 3 free searches for you to try."
Here is the web address Montana Cattlemen.
Nebraska database of 8000 brands from Nebraska
Nebraska Brand Book
Nevada Department of Agriculture,
Division of Livestock Identification.
Address: 1351 Elm St., Elko, NV 89801
Phone: 775 738-8076
Nevada Brand Photos
New Mexico
For Information on New Mexico Brand Laws
Contact the
New Mexico Livestock Board
New Mexico Brand Book
300 San Mateo Blvd. NE
Suite 1000
Albuquerque, NM 87108-1500
(505) 841-6161 Main Number
(505) 841-6160 Fax
South Dakota
STATE BRAND BOARD
413 S. Fort Street
Pierre, South Dakota 57501
Phone: (605) 773-3324
Texas
The state of Texas records brands by county. Texas brands are recorded with the county clerk of
the county in which the animals are located. Each Texas county also sends a copy of the brand
registration to the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, who enters the brands
into a database for retrieval by their officers / inspectors, and can be used by other law
Enforcement entities in their theft investigations. Texas also stations over 70 inspectors at
livestock sales facilities around the state to monitor animals, as well as sellers passing through
these facilities.
The organization has jurisdiction in both Texas & Oklahoma for its Law Enforcement functions,
and Field Inspectors are Commissioned in Texas & or Oklahoma, as Sworn Peace Officers. The
association is also the go-to agency for Texas Brand Inspection documents for those animals
traveling to or through mandatory inspection states.
Washington State Department of Agriculture
Livestock Identification Program
P.O. Box 42560
Olympia, WA 98504-2560
(360) 902-1855
Email
Website
Wisconsin Contact Information
Mustang Brands
The BLM uses a series of angles and bars to denote numbers, which are freeze-branded on the
left side of the neck of captured horses to indicate that animal's year of birth and registration
number. The brand symbols used are as follows:
For questions regarding new brands, or brand transfers please call 1-406-444-3812. For any
other questions regarding the brands department please call 1-406-444-2045.
All Mail should be addressed to:
Dept. of Livestock
Brands Enforcment Division
PO BOX 202001
Helena, MONTANA 59620-2001
To purchase a copy of Montana Book of Brands go to the link below:
Montana Book of Brands
The Montana Cattlemen’s Association has recently compiled all of the registered Livestock
brands listed in Montana and have made this accessible on our web site. There are
approximately 54,000 brands registered in the State of Montana.
This is a completely searchable data base. You may search by specie, county, brand position or
by characters of the brand or by brand owner.
They say, "We acknowledge the need for livestock identification and are firm believers in our
brand system, and hope that this will aid the livestock industry in identifying branded animals from
our state.
This is has been a very large and costly undertaking and so we made this service available to our
members, as we are a non-profit organization. Anyone can join and the cost is 50.00 per year.
There are 3 free searches for you to try."
Here is the web address Montana Cattlemen.
Nebraska database of 8000 brands from Nebraska
Nebraska Brand Book
Nevada Department of Agriculture,
Division of Livestock Identification.
Address: 1351 Elm St., Elko, NV 89801
Phone: 775 738-8076
Nevada Brand Photos
New Mexico
For Information on New Mexico Brand Laws
Contact the
New Mexico Livestock Board
New Mexico Brand Book
300 San Mateo Blvd. NE
Suite 1000
Albuquerque, NM 87108-1500
(505) 841-6161 Main Number
(505) 841-6160 Fax
South Dakota
STATE BRAND BOARD
413 S. Fort Street
Pierre, South Dakota 57501
Phone: (605) 773-3324
Texas
The state of Texas records brands by county. Texas brands are recorded with the county clerk of
the county in which the animals are located. Each Texas county also sends a copy of the brand
registration to the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, who enters the brands
into a database for retrieval by their officers / inspectors, and can be used by other law
Enforcement entities in their theft investigations. Texas also stations over 70 inspectors at
livestock sales facilities around the state to monitor animals, as well as sellers passing through
these facilities.
The organization has jurisdiction in both Texas & Oklahoma for its Law Enforcement functions,
and Field Inspectors are Commissioned in Texas & or Oklahoma, as Sworn Peace Officers. The
association is also the go-to agency for Texas Brand Inspection documents for those animals
traveling to or through mandatory inspection states.
Washington State Department of Agriculture
Livestock Identification Program
P.O. Box 42560
Olympia, WA 98504-2560
(360) 902-1855
Website
Wisconsin Contact Information
Mustang Brands
The BLM uses a series of angles and bars to denote numbers, which are freeze-branded on the
left side of the neck of captured horses to indicate that animal's year of birth and registration
number. The brand symbols used are as follows:
| Brand Resource Information |
| 214-606-2452 |
| A-C |
| D-F |
| G-I |
| J-L |
| M-O |
| P-T |
| Home |
| W-Z |
| Numbers /Symbols |
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| Other Sate Agriculture Agencies |
| Ranch Photos |
The bar N brand on the left shoulder, -N , is the brand of the Navajo Nation in Arizona
and New Mexico. That, along with the three character brand on the animal's left hip designate
the grazing permittee that owns the stock.
For more information contact:
Navajo Nation Veterinary and Livestock Program (928) 871-6615
Navajo Nation Switchboard (928) 871-6000
and New Mexico. That, along with the three character brand on the animal's left hip designate
the grazing permittee that owns the stock.
For more information contact:
Navajo Nation Veterinary and Livestock Program (928) 871-6615
Navajo Nation Switchboard (928) 871-6000
| Here is an example of a US Government brand |
The registration numbers for mustang brands fall into these number ranges
depending on the state where the horse was gathered.
depending on the state where the horse was gathered.
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Bureau of Land Managment, Wild Horses & Burro
Here are telephone numbers for BLM offices with local jurisdiction.
AZ 888-231-2582
CA 916-978-4637
CO 719-269-8500
ID 208-373-3822
MT, SD, ND 406-896-5223
NV 775-861-6400
NM, KS, OK, TX 800-237-3642
OR, WA 541-573-4400
UT 801-539-4057
WY, NE 307-352-0292
East of the Mississippi River 703-440-1560
Mustangs are freeze branded on the left neck by the BLM after they are captured. Details such as age
and registration number can be deciphered from the brand
Tattoo on a thoroughbred horse.
These numbers are tattooed on the inside of the upper lip and registered with the Jockey Club. This is
a permanent manner of identification, however not easily seen.
Here are telephone numbers for BLM offices with local jurisdiction.
AZ 888-231-2582
CA 916-978-4637
CO 719-269-8500
ID 208-373-3822
MT, SD, ND 406-896-5223
NV 775-861-6400
NM, KS, OK, TX 800-237-3642
OR, WA 541-573-4400
UT 801-539-4057
WY, NE 307-352-0292
East of the Mississippi River 703-440-1560
Mustangs are freeze branded on the left neck by the BLM after they are captured. Details such as age
and registration number can be deciphered from the brand
Tattoo on a thoroughbred horse.
These numbers are tattooed on the inside of the upper lip and registered with the Jockey Club. This is
a permanent manner of identification, however not easily seen.
| Click on Photo for Larger View |
First, a special symbol that denotes the horse is registered with the US Government is branded onto the
neck. Then, two angles are placed to tell the horse's year of birth (these are read top to bottom), and
finally an underlined string of angles denote the horse's registration number.
neck. Then, two angles are placed to tell the horse's year of birth (these are read top to bottom), and
finally an underlined string of angles denote the horse's registration number.
This made-up brand reads, "US Govt. Registered horse, born in '89, registration # 037512.
There-- now you can understand the symbols you see on round-up mustangs!
There-- now you can understand the symbols you see on round-up mustangs!