Livestock Permits

A Livestock Permit is required to transport cattle and horses from Alberta to a destination outside of Alberta, and from an inspection site to a destination in Alberta. They are issued after a Livestock Inspector has inspected the livestock and is satisfied that the person requesting the Livestock Permit is the owner of the livestock or otherwise lawfully entitled to be in possession of the livestock.

Expiry 

Livestock Permits are a one-way single destination transportation document.  With the exception of Livestock Permits for grazing, Livestock Permits expire on
the earliest of:

  • seven days from the date it is issued;
  • when the livestock is delivered to its destination; or
  • when an inspection of the livestock is required.
Terms & Conditions 
  • The livestock must remain in the possession and control of the person to whom the Livestock Permit is issued or that person's agent.
  • The livestock must be transported or driven together to the livestock's destination.
Exceptions

Out of Province

A Livestock Permit is not required to transport cattle and horses if these animals are:

  • accompanied by a Special Permit or Lifetime Horse Permit, as long as the animal is not being transported out of Alberta for sale or slaughter.
  • transported directly to a destination for which the producer has obtained an Alberta Border Livestock Permit Exemption. This exemption is available for property owned or leased that is within 10 km of the Alberta border and is part of the producer's operation in Alberta.
  • transported directly to an approved livestock market in British Columbia or Saskatchewan, where the livestock will be inspected on arrival.

If cattle and horses are  transported out of Alberta under the second and third exemption, the animals must be accompanied with a Livestock Manifest.

From Inspection Sites

A Livestock Permit is not required to transport livestock to the following inspections sites:

  • feedlots;
  • country sale site, as long as the livestock weren't inspected there; or
  • an inspection site where the livestock entered and remained for the purpose of rest.

If cattle and horses being transported out of these inspection sites must be accompanied with a Livestock Manifest.

Copies of a Livestock Permit 

Every Livestock Permit can have up to five copies:

  • a copy to accompany the livestock to the destination;
  • a copy for the Transporter;
  • a copy for the person who is issued the Livestock Permit;
  • a copy for the LIS Head Office; and
  • a copy for the inspection site to release the livestock from the facility.

All five of these copies are in the Livestock Permit book.

For the automated Livestock Permits, the system can print either two or four copies and there is no Head Office copy. If four copies of the Livestock Permit are not required, for example, when the Livestock Permit is issued to the person transporting the livestock to his farm, only two copies are printed – a copy for the person who is issued the permit and the copy for the inspection site.

Alberta Border Livestock Permit Exemption

A Livestock Permit is not required to transport or drive cattle from Alberta to a destination outside Alberta if the cattle are transported or driven from Alberta directly to a destination in Saskatchewan or British Columbia that is:

  • owned or leased by the producer;
  • contiguous or near the Alberta border (within six miles / ten kilometers); and
  • approved by LIS as part of the producer’s operation in Alberta

Only property within six miles (10 kilometers) on either side of the Alberta border will be approved as being near the Alberta border.

Application and Approval

The producer must apply for the exemption by completing the Alberta Border Livestock Permit Exemption Application and submitting the signed application to the local Livestock Inspector, along with a copy of the necessary documentation proving that the producer owns, leases, or rents land within the six miles of both sides of the Alberta border.

The application and recommendations will be reviewed by the LIS Head Office. Once approved, the application will be assigned a Livestock Permit number. A copy of the approved application will be sent to the applicant by the LIS Head Office. The approval will include the Livestock Permit number.

A copy of the approved application form will be sent to the inspection service in Saskatchewan or British Columbia, as the case may be. The following criteria must be met for the application to be approved:

  • The cattle must be transported or driven directly to the destination in Saskatchewan or British Columbia indicated on the application.
  • If the cattle are driven or transported on a highway to their destination in Saskatchewan or British Columbia, the cattle must be accompanied with an Alberta Livestock Manifest completed for “Transport Only”.
  • The Livestock Permit number issued when the application is approved must be written on the Livestock Manifest in the “Livestock Permit #” box in Part D of the Livestock Manifest. The applicant must produce a copy of the approved application if requested to do so.
  • The cattle must not be transported or driven from the Saskatchewan or British Columbia destination indicated on the application except to be returned to Alberta, to be sold in Saskatchewan or British Columbia, as the case may be, or to receive veterinary care.
  • If the cattle are sold in Saskatchewan or British Columbia, the cattle must be inspected by the livestock inspection services of Saskatchewan or British Columbia, as the case may be, and a copy of the inspection documents will be provided to LIS.

The permit exemption only applies to the transportation of cattle from Alberta to Saskatchewan or British Columbia, as the case may be, and the laws of Saskatchewan or British Columbia apply to the transportation of cattle back to Alberta.  If the producer fails to comply with the terms of the Alberta Border Livestock Permit Exemption, the approval can be revoked by LIS.  This is an annual approval that has to be renewed every year.

If a producer’s application is not approved, he or she will need to have their livestock inspected and obtain a Livestock Permit to transport their livestock to either Saskatchewan or British Columbia. The producer may be eligible for a Livestock Permit for Grazing.