Bringing Horses and Other Equines to Alaska
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Health, Testing, and Transport Requirements
- The animal must:
- Have a negative equine infectious anemia (EIA) test, also known as a Coggins test, within 180 days of import, unless under 6 months of age
- Have not originated from a premises or area under quarantine for vesicular stomatitis, or where vesicular stomatitis has been diagnosed in the last 30 days
- Have not originated from a premises or area under quarantine for equine piroplasmosis, or where equine piroplasmosis has been diagnosed in the last 45 days
- Have not been on a premises currently under quarantine or investigation for contagious equine metritis (CEM), or where T. equigenitalis has been isolated within 60 days of import
- If a female, have not been bred naturally to, or inseminated with semen from a male who has tested positive for CEM, or a male who is a resident of a premises that has tested positive for, or is under quarantine or investigation for CEM
- Animals must be transported in a vehicle appropriate for the size and number of animals being transported, free of hazards that could injure the animals, and maintained in a sanitary condition.
Required Documentation
- A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), or animal health certificate, issued by a licensed and accredited veterinarian within 30 days of import.
- An Alaskan import permit issued by the Alaska OSV. Accredited veterinarians may apply for an import permit online. Import permits are valid for 30 days after issuance and are non-transferable. One import permit may be issued for multiple animals of the same class. Import permit numbers must be written on the CVI.
Import documents must accompany the animal at all times during travel and must be attached to the waybill if shipped.
International Travel, Including Through Canada
Note: For animals transiting from the contiguous 48 United States to Alaska, the international CVI, endorsed by United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) should be submitted to the Alaska Office of the State Veterinarian (OSV). A separate interstate CVI is not required.
In addition to the above State of Alaska requirements, other agencies have their own requirements for horses traveling through Canada or originating in another country. Please contact the following agencies for current requirements:
- USDA APHIS Veterinary Services (VS): Email vs.sumas.poe@usda.gov or 360-988-5715. See also their moving horses between Alaska and Canada, and importing equines from Canada webpages.
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA): Call 1-800-442-2342.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP): Call 907-744-2252.
For additional support, please email akcvi@alaska.gov. Note that the akcvi email is not monitored for urgent correspondence. If you have an urgent matter related to animal imports, please contact the Alaska Office of the State Veterinarian at 907-375-8215.
If the above conditions are not met, or it is determined to serve the interests of animal or public health, the Alaska State Veterinarian may order an animal quarantined at the owner’s expense until such time as it is released from quarantine, euthanized, slaughtered, or destroyed.
Resources
Page last published: 04/21/2026
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