Interest among producers in the Equine Interstate Movement Program continues to grow as word spreads of the program throughout the state.  We expect interest in this program to continue to expand, so it will become more important that veterinarians statewide know the process to obtain a permit for their client.  As a reminder, this document is equivalent to a health certificate with the exception that it is good for six months in participating states.  Participating states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

Horse owners may complete the application printed from the TDA web page and submit it to their veterinarian.  In addition to the completed form, the veterinarian must submit a current health certificate and a negative EIA test form that is valid for the complete duration of the "passport".  The veterinarian is encouraged to forward the pink and canary copies of the issued health certificate as part of the submission.  Under the destination address box, list "Equine Interstate Movement Permit Program."  The health certificate should list only the horse(s) that are being submitted for a passport document.  Additional unique identification is required as part of the program.  Approved forms of identification include a unique tattoo, unique brand, unique ID number such as is encoded on an implanted microchip, or three digital photographs of the horse submitted in low resolution .jpeg format.  Digital photos can be submitted by email or with the application on a computer disk.

We continue to be excited about this program and its benefits to our horse owners and animal health professionals.  For more information, please call (615) 837-5189 or visit http://state.tn.us/agriculture/regulate/animals/passport.html.