BRANDS AND HONORARY BRANDS

A brand is a character or combination of characters that is used to denote ownership of livestock or a livestock security interest in livestock bearing the brand. Brands are applied on cattle or horses by a hot iron brand or a freeze brand.

An honorary brand is a character or combination of characters used to promote the livestock industry or to recognize outstanding service to the livestock industry. Honorary brands can only be applied on cattle or horses with the prior written approval of Livestock Identification Services Ltd.

All brands must be registered with Livestock Identification Services Ltd. prior to being applied on livestock. You do not have to brand livestock in Alberta. You may choose not to brand and accept the risk that goes with having unbranded livestock. However, if you use a brand that is not registered in Alberta you are breaking the law.

Applying brands to livestock
The Brand Certificate proves that you are the registered owner of the brand.

You do not have the right to use the brand until your Brand Application has been approved and you have been issued a Brand Certificate by the Brand Registrar. Please do not purchase irons or brand your livestock until you have received your Brand Certificate.

When cattle or horse brands are registered, they may be used in one of six positions on an animal:
        Cattle: Shoulder, Rib or Hip on either the left or right side.
      Horses: Jaw, Shoulder or Thigh on either the left or the right side.

The brand must be applied to the exact part of the animal specified on your Brand Certificate. When the same characters that make up the brand are applied to a different position on the animal, it becomes a different brand with a different Owner. If you apply the brand to the left shoulder when your registration says left hip, you could duplicate a brand already owned by someone else.

When branding errors occur, the Brand Registrar must be notified right away. You must provide a complete description of the livestock branded incorrectly, how many, color and sex. This will prevent sale proceeds or animals from being held when livestock are sold.

APPLYING TO REGISTER A BRAND OR HONORARY BRAND

Cost of brands and honorary brands
The cost to register a brand and honorary brand is:
        $231.00 (GST included) to register a brand
        $275.00 (GST included) to register an honorary brand

Application to register a brand or honorary brand
To register a brand or honorary brand you submit a written application to Livestock Identification Services Ltd. On approval of your application, the brand or honorary brand will be registered and a Brand Certificate issued to you.

To register a brand, you can:
    • submit an application form with up to four brand choices; or
    • reserve a brand online and then submit the application form for the
      reserved brand.
An honorary brand cannot be reserved online.

The brand and honorary brand applications forms are available either online or a copy can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to you.

To download a brand or honorary brand application and the brand application information and instructions select one of the following:
       Brand and Honorary Brand Application Form
       Brand Application Form for Brands Reserved Online

The entire brand application form must be completed and submitted to LIS in order to register your brand.

To have a Brand or Honorary Brand Application Form and instructions mailed, faxed or e-mailed to you – click here and fill out the requested information.

RESERVING A BRAND ONLINE

You can use the Online Brand Builder or Online Brand Wizard to:
    • Design your brand,
    • Find out if the brand you want is available, and
    • Reserve your brand selection

Once you have reserved your brand selection online you can either charge the brand application fee to your Visa or MasterCard or simply reserve the brand and pay the application fee when you mail in your completed Brand Application Form.

LIS must receive a completed Brand Application Form within 30 days of the date the brand is reserved online, failing which your online brand reservation may be cancelled. If you paid the brand application fee by credit card LIS will issue you a credit card refund.

Please note: You do not have the right to use the brand that has been reserved online until your Brand Application has been approved and you have been issued a Brand Certificate by the Brand Registrar. Please do not purchase irons or brand your livestock until you have received your Brand Certificate from LIS.

If you accept the above terms, please click below to build and reserve your brand online.

After you have reserved your brand online click the link below to print the Brand Application Form for Brands Reserved Online  

      Brand Application Form for Brands Reserved Online

The entire brand application form must be completed and submitted to LIS in order to register your brand.  

Brand Transfers
Now that you own the brand, you have the right to sell it or give it to someone on your death.

Selling your brand
If you are interested in selling your brand, please contact the Brand Registrar at (866) 740-4105 or at brands@lis-alberta.com to have your name/brand added to a list kept current of all people wishing to sell their brands.

Once you have sold your brand, you are required to transfer your brand to the purchaser. To transfer your brand you can complete the Transfer of Brand by Owner form and mail the original and payment of the transfer fee of $52.50 to the Brand Registrar. All the information and instructions you need to transfer your brand can be found in the Transfer of Brand by Owner form.

Giving your brand away on your death
There are three ways to leave your brand to someone on your death:
  • You can complete a Designation of Beneficiary of Brand to nominate one or more beneficiaries of your brand
  • You can leave the brand to a beneficiary in your Last Will and Testament if you do not specifically give the brand to someone in your Will it will go to the beneficiary who gets the residue of your estate
  • If you do not have a Will or do not complete a Designation of Beneficiary of Brand form, your brand will go to the persons entitled to your estate under the Intestate Succession Act

Transferring a brand on the death of a brand owner
When a brand owner dies, the brand can be transferred to the deceased beneficiaries as follows:
  • If the deceased had filed a Designation of Beneficiary of Brand form with LIS, the designated beneficiary can complete the Transfer to Designated Beneficiary form
  • If the deceased owned the brand jointly with another person or persons, the surviving joint owner(s) can complete the Transfer to Surviving Joint Owner form
  • If none of the above applies, the brand can be transferred by the Personal Representative of the Estate of the deceased brand owner by completing the Transfer of Brand from Deceased Owner form.

All the information and instructions you need to transfer the deceased’s brand can be found in the transfer forms that are available on the website or from the Brand Registrar. Upon receipt of the properly completed applicable form and the transfer fee of $52.50 (GST included) the brand will be transferred to the beneficiary.

Surrendering your brand
You as a brand owner or, after you die, your personal representative, can surrender your brand back to LIS by completing the Surrender of Brand form. When a brand is surrendered the owner or owners give up their rights to the brand and the registration of the brand is cancelled. Once a brand is cancelled it is available to be registered by another person. If a brand is owned by more than one person, all of the owners of the brand must agree to surrender the brand. If only one or some of the owners wish to give up their right to the brand, they must transfer the brand to the remaining owner or owners. A partial interest in a brand cannot be surrendered. There is no fee to surrender a brand.

Note: All transfer forms are subject to the approval of the Brand Registrar.

Note: All Brand and Brand Transfer Forms are available on the LIS Forms Page.