Tracker entry M41
In force
Costa Rica
- Region
- Americas
- Sector
- Livestock
- Imposed by
- SENASA Costa Rica
- Applies to
- Cattle keepers
- Technology
- RFID likely
What the rule requires
Every bovine in Costa Rica must carry the official DIIO, a visual tag plus an RFID ear button, before six months old or first movement, registered with SENASA. The deadline has passed; untagged adult cattle can still be registered once for a fee but cannot leave the farm until tagged.
Status: In force; final deadline of 26 Oct 2026 has passed, with a one-off paid catch-up for untagged adults
What it means for RFID
Costa Rica's official identifier, the DIIO, pairs a visual ear tag with an RFID ear button, so every bovine needs a transponder registered with SENASA. RFID News reported in October 2026 that the ministry's guidance names two authorised brands, DATAMAX and ALLFLEX, and that no official material states an operating frequency or cites ISO 11784 or ISO 11785.
The scale is national: 1,386,184 animals, 94.34% of a herd of about 1.5 million, had been registered according to figures reported on 22 October 2026. Owners of more than 25 head buy the devices from authorised suppliers, at under 2 US dollars each according to the ministry.
The final deadline of 26 October 2026 has passed. Untagged adults can be regularised once for a fee under SENASA Resolution 029-2026 but cannot move until tagged, and we reported that one southern auction received 178 cattle on 27 October 2026, against about 650 usually.
Timeline
- Decree 44336-MAG-S-SP-MOPT creates the national cattle identification and traceability system
- Decree takes effect, starting an 18-month implementation period
- Extended deadline lapses
- Final deadline under Decree 45675 to tag and register all cattle
- SENASA Resolution 029-2026 allows a one-off paid regularisation; untagged cattle cannot be moved
Our coverage
- Costa Rica’s RFID cattle-tag deadline hits trade as southern auction gets 27% of usual cattle30 Oct 2026
Sources
Official source: Semanario Universidad
Last checked against the official source on 29 October 2026.
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