FAQs – Age Verification

Age verification (AV) is not mandatory in Canada. Alberta regulation that required AV of beef cattle was repealed in 2020. The nine-month flag was introduced to the CLTS in 2022 as requested by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for the BSE Program. Even though AV is not mandatory regulated information, some niche programs may require that animals are age verified to qualify. Producers can voluntarily record birth date information in the CLTS database administered by the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) as part of building a world-class traceability system.

If a producer chooses to voluntarily enter or modify a birth date they must do so before the animal reaches nine-months of age, after that time the CLTS database will automatically apply a flag to the animal's record. The flag is only triggered when the birth date recorded indicates the animal is nine-months of age or older at the time of submission. If the birth date is entered or modified while the animal is under nine months of age, no flag is generated.

Age verification is the process of validating an animal's age. Recording a birth date in CLTS is one component of that process. If an animal's age is in question, dentition is considered the most accurate method of age determination.

The CLTS can support age verification by recording the birth date of an animal that was born on your farm and identified with an approved CCIA indicator (tag). Producers can voluntarily record the birth date before the animal reaches nine-months of age. Recording this information in CLTS helps ensure birth date information is readily available to support domestic and export market requirements.

To record an animal's birth date, you must have a CLTS database account. To set up and activate a CLTS database account, contact CCIA at 1-877-909-2333 or email info@canadaid.ca. If you do not have access to a computer or the internet, you can authorize a third party such as a neighbor, relative or local veterinary office to submit your information to the CLTS database. For assistance call CCIA at 1-877-909-2333 or email info@canadaid.ca and our Client Support team can supply you with a list of third-party providers or help you set up an account. For instructions on how to enter a birth date in the CLTS: Click here

Only the herd of origin account (where the animal was born) can record that animal's birth date in the CLTS database. Once the animal has left the farm of origin and ownership has changed, a new owner cannot record or modify that animal's birth date in the CLTS database.

To enter a birth date, you must have a CLTS database account. To set up and activate a CLTS account, contact CCIA:

Phone: 1‑877‑909‑2333
Email: info@canadaid.ca.

For instructions on how to enter a birth date in the CLTS: Click here

If you do not have access to a computer or the internet, you may authorize a third party to submit information on your behalf. Third-party options may include a neighbour, relative, or local veterinary office. Contact CCIA by phone or email to receive a list of approved webservice providers from our Client Support Team.

The herd of origin account holder has access to birth date records in the CLTS for animals born on their farm.

Only the heard of origin account holder has the ability to record or modify the birth date records, in the CLTS and on CLTS MOBO, for animals born on their farm. Changes to these records can only be made by the herd of origin account holder.

If a birth date is recorded or modified in CLTS after an animal reaches nine months of age, a pop-up message will notify the user that a flag has been applied to the animal's record. The flag will appear on the tag history and birth date certificate, indicating that the birth date was entered or modified after the animal reached nine months of age. The purchaser of an animal cannot record or modify the birth date of an animal that wasn't born on their farm.

If the requestor is the source of the birth date, meaning the animal was born on their farm, then they can contact CCIA for support in make changes to their animal's birth date record in their CLTS account.

If the requester is not the herd of origin account holder, meaning the animal was purchased and was not born on their farm, CCIA cannot assist with requests to change the animal's birth date. Birth date information is voluntary and is not a regulatory requirement. Therefore, CCIA does not provide support for changing birth date records for purchased animals.

Some export markets require that animals/carcasses be under 30 months of age. When the CCIA tag is recorded at the abattoir, the birth date attached to that tag becomes part of the information that will follow the carcass. If the birth date is wrong, it may disqualify the carcass for the targeted market, leading to lower prices or a downgrade.

Possible CLTS birth date recording errors that could be made:

• Producers apply a birth range to a series of tags, but do not use all of them on the same calf crop. The leftovers are applied to animals born the following year, but the birth information is not updated.
• The wrong year is used when inputting the birth dates or range.

• Check the animals’ birth dates prior to purchasing. Any Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) users can see birth dates by RFID indicator (tag) number. You can also contact CCIA for support.
• Ask to see the birth certificate prior to purchasing. Any potential errors could be addressed with the seller at that time.