2317 - Violations and penalty.
§ 2317. Violations and penalty. (a) Unauthorized brands.--It shall be unlawful for a person to use any brand for the branding of domestic animals unless the brand has been recorded pursuant to this subchapter or unless the use of a brand or the branding procedure is authorized under any other provision of this chapter. (b) Affixing forms of identification by nonowners.--It shall be unlawful for a person to affix, attempt to affix or cause to be affixed a form of identification upon the domestic animal of another without the owner's consent. (c) Tampering.--It shall be unlawful for a person to efface, deface or obliterate or attempt to efface, deface or obliterate any brand, tattoo or other form of identification upon any domestic animal belonging to another person. It shall be unlawful for a person to efface, deface, obliterate, conceal, remove or attempt to remove any official domestic animal identification of the department, the United States Department of Agriculture or any other state department of agriculture. (d) Form of identification of another.--It shall be unlawful for a person to affix, attempt to affix or cause to be affixed upon any domestic animal the form of identification of another. (e) Other false identification.--It shall be unlawful for any person to place, attach or use on a domestic animal, or to cause to be placed, attached or used on a domestic animal, or to attempt to place, attach or use on a domestic animal, any form of identification such as a brand, tattoo, tag, emblem, marking, microchip or other identifying mark, number or device that such person knows misrepresents the identity or health of the domestic animal, with intent to interfere or deceive in the identification, testing, vaccinating, selling, transfer or slaughter of the domestic animal. (f) Penalty.--Any person who is convicted of violating any provision of this subchapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree and may be imprisoned for not more than two years and be fined not more than $5,000.