Importation requirements for show swine include:

1. ALL show swine must be inspected by an ADA Livestock Officer or Inspector prior to going to any show. The Livestock Officer or Inspector will complete a certificate of inspection of exhibition swine. This certificate must be presented to show officials in order to be admitted to any show in Arizona. The certificate documents the origin of the swine and when required, the post-entry testing for pseudorabies.

2. For show swine imported from other states, the swine must be inspected within 30 days after entry into the state. For native Arizona show swine (born in Arizona), the inspection may occur anytime prior to the show.

3. In order to obtain an inspection certificate, the Livestock Officer or Inspector will check your paperwork to ensure that the swine you intend to exhibit are native Arizona swine (born in Arizona), or that they were imported from another state legally.

4. Imported show swine must originate from a pseudorabies Stage IV or V state. No show swine are allowed from pseudorabies Stage I, II, and III states.

5. Imported show swine must be individually identified with BOTH a premise identification number and ear notches.

6. Imported show swine from pseudorabies Stage IV states must be re-tested for pseudorabies 15 to 30 days after arrival in Arizona. The test paper must include the individual identification of the swine (BOTH a premise identification number and ear notches). Swine from Stage V states are exempt from pseudorabies re-testing.

Requirements for native Arizona show swine include:

1. A bill of sale from the Arizona premises of origin.

2. The bill of sale should list the seller and buyer, individual identification of the swine using BOTH ear notches and the premises identification number of the Arizona premises, and the date of sale. A premises identification number is a unique number assigned by the State Veterinarian to all premises that raise swine. This number is applied to all swine born on that premises. This number is applied as a tattoo applied in the ear or on the side of the swine, or as a "tamper-proof" eartag. Several farm supply companies sell specially made identification tags for swine that are "tamper-proof."

Ear notches are marks placed in the margins of the ears of swine when they are young that assist in identification. A universal code called the "Universal Ear-Notching System" has been established to relate the notches to numbers. The specific location of the notch in the ear stands for a number (see diagram below). For instance, a notch placed in the margin of the ear nearest to the jowl stands for the number "1". A notch placed further out from this area stands for the number "3".

Notches are "added up" for each ear. The number arrived at for the right ear indicates the litter number of the swine, and the number arrived at for the left ear indicates the animal’s number in the litter. Ear notches combined with a premises identification number make this "individual identification".