Livestock Brands
About Colorado Livestock Brands
Brands are livestock’s “return address.”
Branding is not required in Colorado, but the vast majority of livestock owners—particularly cattle ranchers—brand their animals.
Colorado statutes define a livestock brand as a permanent mark on the hide of an animal that is registered with the Brand Inspection Division as a Colorado livestock brand. Tattoos, ear tags, microchips, and other forms of identification, while useful, are not legally recognized as official livestock identification.
Livestock brands are considered personal property under the law and are recorded in brand deed books. They may be conveyed or transferred by deed.
In Colorado, a brand may be placed anywhere on the animal.
There are currently approximately 30,000 registered Colorado livestock brands.
Brand Assessment
Authority
The State Board of Stock Inspection Commissioners has the authority to determine the assessment amount to be collected on each recorded brand every five years.
Current Assessment (2022–2026)
The current brand assessment covers the period January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2026.
Brand assessment notices were mailed to all current brand owners on January 10, 2022.
Assessment Amount: $300.00 per brand
Payment Deadline: June 30, 2022, to be included in the 2022 Brand Book
Important: Postmarks are not honored. Please mail payments at least 15 days prior to the due date to ensure timely receipt.
Late Fees: Apply to any assessment payment not received in the office by June 30, 2022.
Cancellation: Brands will be canceled if full payment is not received in the office by June 30, 2025.
Next Assessment (2027–2031)
The next brand assessment period will be January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2031.
The assessment fee will be $500.00 per brand for the five-year period.
Brand assessment notices will be mailed to all current brand owners in January 2027.
Please do not mail payment until an official assessment notice is received.
Late fees will not be imposed until after June 30, 2027.
Brand Book
The Brand Inspection Division publishes a new Brand Book every five years, immediately following the statewide brand assessment period.
The 2017 Brand Book is sold out.
The 2022 Brand Book includes all brands paid prior to December 31, 2022.
The price per book is $50.00.
Click link below to order a brand book:
New Brands
To apply for a new livestock brand in Colorado, you must submit an online New Brand Application and pay a $300.00 non-refundable research fee.
Most new brands contain three to four characters (letters, numbers, or approved brand symbols).
It is extremely difficult to record a two-character brand due to the large number of brands already on record and the fact that Colorado does not restrict brand placement to specific areas on the animal.
All new brand requests are researched for conflicts with brands currently on record. Simply because a design does not appear in the Brand Book does not mean it can be issued. At least two distinguishing differences must exist between your requested brand and any other brand within the same market area.
Please allow six to eight weeks for research and review.
If your brand is approved, you will receive a deed by email to sign, notarize, and return to the Brand Office within 30 days. The research fee will be applied as a credit toward the recording fee. You will also be responsible for paying the pro-rated assessment fee for the current assessment period.
If your request is denied, a notification will be emailed to you.
Click below to begin your New Brand Application and review detailed requirements and policies.
To view the previous months new brands and transfers recorded click the link below:
Brands for Sale
To Add Your Brand to the For Sale List
To add your brand to the list, email Bird Trainer at karen.lover@state.co.us with the following information:
- Either the brand number or name of the owner(s);
- The price you would like to list it at;
- Who interested buyers should contact and their contact information;
- Whatever else you would like to note in the ad.
Important Information
- Placing an ad with us is free of charge.
- This list only includes brands for sale for use in the state of Colorado.
- The For Sale list is updated once at the beginning of every month.
- We cannot help you determine value of a livestock brand. (You can refer to the for sale list to see what similar brands are listed for and/or watch the brand auctions - links below - to see what brands are actually selling for)
Other Places that Sell Livestock Brands
Transfers
A Transfer Form must be completed to add or remove a name from the ownership record of a current brand.
The transfer fee is $150.00 per brand.
All transfers of ownership for Colorado brands must be completed using the official Transfer Form supplied by the Brand Office.
All individuals currently recorded on the brand must sign the form as sellers of the brand.
Signatures must match exactly as they appear on record, and all seller signatures must be properly notarized.
All purchasers must also sign the form as buyers, and their signatures must likewise be properly notarized.
If additional space is needed for signatures, the back of the form may be used.
Click on the links below to access the deed, instructions and portal to upload the completed deed and other documents:
Lease Agreements
Brand Lease Agreement Instructions
A Lease Agreement must be completed and filed with the Brand Office to lease a brand in Colorado.
The fee to record a lease agreement is $150.00.
The terms of a lease may begin at any time during a five-year assessment period and will automatically terminate at the end of that assessment period, unless an earlier end date is specified in the agreement.
All individuals recorded as owners of the brand must sign as lessors, and all lessor signatures must be properly notarized.
All lessees must also sign the lease agreement, but their signatures do not require notarization.
Click on the links below to access the lease agreement, instructions and the portal to upload the completed agreement:
Reinstatements
Brand Reinstatement Information
Brand Reinstatements apply to brands that were once recorded but later canceled due to non-payment of an assessment fee.
Some canceled brands may be reinstated if all of the following conditions are met:
The brand has not been reissued as a new brand.
The brand does not conflict with any brand currently recorded - determined in the research process conducted by the brand recorder.
The brand complies with all current Brand Approval Policies.
Once a brand is canceled, there is no guarantee it can be reinstated.
New brands and transfers may create conflicts that did not exist at the time of the original approval, and current policies may differ from those in effect when the brand was first issued.
If you are interested in applying to reinstate a canceled brand, click the link below for more information and to access the application.
Change or Remove Name
Legal Name Change or Removal of Name
Legal Name Change
If a brand owner’s name has changed due to marriage, divorce, or another legal name change, the owner may update the name on the brand by completing the Legal Name Change Form and providing a copy of the supporting legal document (such as a marriage license, divorce decree, or court-issued name change document).
The Brand Office will update the ownership record and issue new brand cards free of charge.
Click link below to access the Legal Name Change Request form:
Remove Name
If a brand is recorded as Joint Tenants, the name of a deceased owner may be removed by completing the Remove Name Form and providing a copy of the death certificate.
The Brand Office will update the ownership record and issue new brand cards free of charge.
Click link below to access the Name Change Request form: