USDA drops 48-hour pre-export exam requirement for imported horses
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is removing the requirement that horses imported into the United States have documentation of a pre-export examination conducted within 48 hours of departure, according to an April 11 news release.
The change, finalized after a public comment period, takes effect May 11, 2026. It eliminates only the 48-hour exam requirement, while leaving all other equine import regulations unchanged.
The requirement was introduced in a 2023 final rule aimed at aligning U.S. horse import regulations with international standards and providing greater flexibility for APHIS and the equine industry. Under that rule, imported horses were required to have documentation of a pre-export exam signed by a salaried veterinary medical officer within 48 hours of leaving the port of embarkation.
APHIS said logistical challenges made it difficult for some stakeholders to meet the requirement. In June 2025, the agency proposed removing the provision and opened a 60-day public comment period that ended Aug. 19, 2025. The agency received 12 comments from industry groups, businesses and individuals, most of which supported the change.
Other safeguards for imported horses remain in place, including quarantine, observation and testing requirements for animals entering the United States, except those from Canada. Horses that fail testing or are suspected of carrying a communicable disease may be held in quarantine and denied entry.
APHIS regulations also continue to require pre-export inspection at the premises of origin to confirm that a horse has not shown signs of communicable disease or exposure during the 60 days prior to export. Additional inspections may be required on a case-by-case basis.
APHIS said these existing measures are sufficient to mitigate the risk of introducing communicable diseases without the additional 48-hour examination requirement.
