If you’re part of the show pig world, you already know how much time, work and heart goes into raising and showing pigs. We’re families, mentors, competitors—we live in the barn before school, after work, and all weekend long. But there’s one part of this world we don’t always talk about: we’re also pork producers.

Whether you’re raising pigs, breeding pigs, hauling pigs, or showing pigs — you ARE part of the pork industry. And being part of the bigger picture means we have a few simple responsibilities. One of the easiest? Getting a Premise ID Number (PIN).

What’s a Premise ID?

A PIN is a code tied to the location where your pigs are housed. It helps animal health officials trace and respond to disease outbreaks quickly. That means healthier pigs, safer barns, and fewer disruptions to the shows. In the case of a foreign animal disease outbreak, the faster pigs can be tracked and cleared, the faster the industry may be able to return to “business as normal”.

Even if you’re only hauling one pig to the county fair, a PIN helps. You’ll need it for:

• Getting a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), commonly known as a health paper

• Purchasing official, federally approved ear tags

• Meeting entry requirements at many state and national shows

Bottom line: if you’re moving pigs or entering shows, a PIN often comes into play.

Why It’s a Good Idea

If you do any of the following:

- Keep pigs on your property
- Show across county or state lines
- Breed, sell, or haul pigs for shows

Yes…you’re part of the pork industry. You don’t have to be shipping truckloads of hogs to matter to the entire industry. Getting a PIN is a way to show you're doing your part in keeping pigs healthy and traceable.

How to Get One

It's super simple and totally free.

Head to: www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-disease/traceability/pin

You’ll find the right contact for your state. Some states use an online form, others just need a quick call. Either way, you’ll get a 7-character code you can use on paperwork and show entries. You can utilize the Pork Checkoff-funded tool, AgView^®, to keep track of your PINs for different sites, log animal movements, and keep detailed records to ensure traceability in the event of an FAD. 

It’s One Small Step That Makes a Big Difference

We all want to keep showing pigs and growing this thing we love. Traceability programs make sure we can keep doing that—for our kids, our animals, and the whole industry.

So go ahead, take five minutes and knock it out. Easy, free, and totally worth it.