Moving or selling livestock

Here's practical guidance to help you meet legal and welfare requirements when you're selling, transporting or transferring animals in NSW. Including fit to load, traceability, permits, and essential documentation.

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To correctly move livestock, you must:

  • have a PIC
  • have a National Vendor Declaration and/or Transported Stock Statement form
  • ensure all livestock have correct NLIS tags in place, and
  • ensure animals are fit to load and their welfare needs, including food and water, are met and planned for.

Getting started

Review the essentials on what you need to know and do well ahead of moving or selling livestock.

Transporting livestock

Guidance on fit to load, managing welfare, and responsibilities from loading to unloading.

Tagging and documentation

Details on traceability, NLIS tagging, property identification, NVD, TSS documentation.

Buying stock online or privately

Do your property-to-property stock transfers correctly.

Moving stock on public roads

As a drover or driver you're responsible for keeping our roads safe.

Transported stock statements

Required for transporting certain livestock by road, rail, water or air in NSW.

Getting started

Here's a summary of what you must do when moving, transporting, or selling livestock in NSW. Each step includes practical actions and links to guidance from Local Land Services (LLS).

What you need to know and do

Tag and register your livestock
  • Apply approved NLIS tags or devices to each animal.
  • Ensure your property has a valid Property Identification Code (PIC).
  • Record livestock movements in the NLIS database within 2 days of arrival.

See Tagging and documentation essentials and other Transport pages above.

Prepare animals and facilities
  • Check animals are fit to load: able to stand and walk, not injured, not in late pregnancy.
  • Use low-stress handling techniques and segregate animals appropriately.
  • Inspect and prepare yards, ramps, and vehicles to ensure they are safe, clean, and well-ventilated.

See Transporting livestock

Complete movement documentation
  • Fill out a National Vendor Declaration (NVD) or Transported Stock Statement (TSS) for each movement.
  • Ensure all paperwork is accurate and retained for auditing purposes.

See Tagging and documentation essentials and Transported Stock Statements

Plan and carry out the journey
  • Plan the route and rest stops, considering weather and livestock type.
  • Load animals with correct density and monitor their welfare during transport.
  • Provide feed and water spells as required by regulations.

See Transporting livestock

Finalise records after delivery
  • Ensure the buyer, saleyard, transporter, or abattoir records the movement in the NLIS database.
  • Retain all movement records and documentation for traceability.

See Tagging and documentation essentials and other Transport pages above.

Other useful resources

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LLS and Agriculture and Biosecurity NSW have a range of useful resources to help you get your sheep, goats, cattle, pigs and other livestock moving.

Contact Local Land Services NSW

Our team welcome your enquiries, feedback and comments.  Contact our team

Find your nearest LLS office

Our website is in the final stages of migrating to nsw.gov.au.  
Use the search function to find the information or resources you need.

Phone:1300 795 299
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