Missouri Laws on Horse Coggins Tests

The Coggins test was developed as a way to check the antibodies in horses' blood for signs of equine infectious anemia (EIA), a highly infectious and incurable disease that can affect horses throughout the United States. Missouri has specific laws put in place to prevent the spread of EIA within the state's horse population.

  1. Basic Requirements

    • Missouri requires every horse to have current proof of a negative Coggins test before the horse is brought into the state, moved within the state or brought to a public event such as a horse show, rodeo or trail ride. The test must have been performed during the previous 12 months. Horse owners can provide either the original certificate or an official photocopy completed by a veterinarian certifying that a horse passed its Coggins test. Failure to provide a current form or altering or substituting one can cost the horse's owner up to $10,000 in fines.

    Coggins Form Requirements

    • The official EIA test certificate must show that the horse tested negative for the disease. The document must also give a detailed graphic description of the horse's markings, list the horse's name and information correctly, provide the name of the state or federally approved laboratory that performed the test and supply the test accession number that the laboratory assigned the horse.

    Horses Arriving at Licensed Sales

    • A horse transported to a licensed Missouri equine or livestock sale without a current Coggins test must come directly from a farm of origin where the horse resided at for a period of 120 days or longer. The owner of the horse is required to provide a statement that verifies the horse's origin and destination. A horse that arrives at a sale without a current negative Coggins test certificate will have blood drawn on site for testing, and the horse must be quarantined until the the horse is verified negative for EIA.

    Horses Brought Into the State

    • Any horse that is brought into the state of Missouri is required to have an official certificate of veterinary inspection that verifies the horse is free of any type of transmittable disease, including EIA. The certificate must be completed by a fully licensed veterinarian and must be issued within 30 days of the horse's being brought into the state. A horse without an official certificate may be denied entry to the state, or the owner may face fines. Proof of a negative Coggins test is not required for nursing foals traveling with their dam; however, proof for the dam is required.