NLIS Tag Colours by Year: Complete Australian Guide (2022-2033)
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Every year, Australian cattle visual and management ear tags change colour, and sheep and goat NLIS breeder tags follow the same rotation. It's a national system that helps you quickly identify when an animal was tagged, just by looking at the tag colour. The one exception is cattle NLIS electronic tags: those are always White for breeders and Orange for post-breeders, and never change with the year.
This guide covers the full colour rotation for both cattle and sheep/goat tags, the year letter codes, and how the system works.
Cattle Tag Colours by Year
| Year | Tag Colour | Year Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Red | R |
| 2023 | Sky Blue | S |
| 2024 | Black | T |
| 2025 | White | W |
| 2026 | Orange | X |
| 2027 | Light Green | Y |
| 2028 | Purple | Z |
| 2029 | Yellow | A |
| 2030 | Red | B |
| 2031 | Sky Blue | C |
| 2032 | Black | D |
| 2033 | White | E |
The colour cycle repeats every 8 years.
2026 Cattle Tag Colour
The 2026 colour for cattle tags is Orange with the year letter X. This applies to visual and management breeder tags from all brands (Allflex, FOFIA, Leader, Shearwell). It does NOT apply to NLIS cattle tags, the electronic ones: NLIS breeder tags are always White and NLIS post-breeder tags are always Orange, whatever the year. You can order Allflex cattle tags in this year's colour now, or browse the 2026 orange cattle tags range for visual and management options.
Post-Breeder Tags
Post-breeder cattle tags (for purchased animals being re-tagged to your PIC) are always Orange, regardless of the current year colour.
Sheep & Goat Tag Colours by Year
| Year | Tag Colour |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Black |
| 2025 | White |
| 2026 | Orange |
| 2027 | Light Green |
| 2028 | Purple |
| 2029 | Yellow |
| 2030 | Red |
| 2031 | Sky Blue |
| 2032 | Black (repeats) |
| 2033 | White (repeats) |
Post-breeder sheep tags are always Pink, regardless of year.
Year Letter Codes Explained
Visual and management tags, and sheep and goat NLIS breeder tags, carry a year letter that identifies when the tag was issued. Cattle NLIS electronic tags don't use the year letter:
| Year | Letter |
|---|---|
| 2022 | R |
| 2023 | S |
| 2024 | T |
| 2025 | W |
| 2026 | X |
| 2027 | Y |
| 2028 | Z |
| 2029 | A |
| 2030 | B |
Note: the sequence skips U and V. After Z (2028), it resets to A (2029).
Why Do Tag Colours Change Each Year?
- Age identification: estimate an animal's age by its tag colour at a glance
- Management decisions: quickly identify older animals for culling, sort joining groups by age, age breakdown across a mob
- Compliance and traceback: supports the integrity of the NLIS system
- Saleyard sorting: buyers and agents use tag colours to quickly assess age groups
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to re-tag animals when the colour changes?
No. Once tagged, that tag stays for life (unless it falls out). The colour tells you when it was tagged, not the current year.
What if a tag falls out?
Apply a new post-breeder tag (Orange for cattle, Pink for sheep) and it gets linked to the original record on the NLIS database.
Do all states use the same colour system?
Yes. The NLIS tag colour rotation is a national standard across all states and territories.
Does the colour apply to all tag types?
The year colour applies to visual and management breeder tags, and to sheep and goat NLIS breeder tags. Cattle NLIS electronic tags are fixed: White for breeders, Orange for post-breeders. Pink is the post-breeder colour for sheep and goats. Visual management tags can be ordered in any colour.
Order NLIS tags in the correct 2026 colour from Farm & Acre Co: Allflex, FOFIA & Leader for cattle, sheep, and goats.
Order NLIS Tags | Call 0431 183 421 | Email us