03/30/2026
It is time to order tags for summer validations! Order online at http://joco4h.square.site. Order deadline is April 7 for steers, heifers and sheep & goats, April 29 for swine. No major changes to validation this year. All validation guidelines can be found online at http://www.texasyouthlivestock.com under the Livestock Validation tab.
Steer Validation:
Cost: $30 per tag
Late orders after April 7 will be $35.
Physical Validation: June – Date & location TBD
Family Validation: Family validation is allowed for steers.
Additional Information: There is only 1 validation period per year for market steers. Validating in June will make steer projects eligible to be shown at Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 Major Stock Shows as well as the 2027 County Show. Any animal previously validated, must be re-validated to be eligible for the upcoming show year. As a reminder steer and heifer tags are interchangeable, but please order by species.
Heifer Validation:
Cost: $30 per tag
Late orders after April 7 will be $35.
Ownership deadline: June 30
Physical Validation: June – Date & location TBD
Family Validation: Heifers may only be registered and validated in an individual’s name. No family validation.
Additional Information: Bring original registration papers to validation and email a 2-sided color scan of the papers to [email protected] as soon as you have them and no later than June 30. Any heifer that has previously been validated does not have to be re-validated unless ownership has changed at any point since the original validation. Tattoos/brands will be verified at validation and must be in the ear or on the animal and match the registration papers at that time – please check this prior to validation. As a reminder steer and heifer tags are interchangeable, but please order by species. This validation period will make heifers eligible to show starting with the Fall 2026 major shows (HOT Fair and State Fair). A second validation period will take place for heifers in October for spring show eligibility for any new heifers or ownership changes.
State Fair Sheep & Goat Validation:
Cost: $30 per tag (Note: we ask for you to order by type of animal, but all tags can be used for any sheep/goats.)
Late orders after April 7 will be $30.
Physical Validation: June – Date & location TBD
Ownership Deadline for Registered Sheep/Goats: June 30
Family Validation: All sheep and goat projects may be family validated. If registered, papers must have all eligible youth family members listed and may not include any extra owners like parents or ranch names.
Additional Information: Email a copy of registration papers to [email protected] for any registered animals prior to validation and bring originals to validation. As a reminder, State Fair of Texas requires validation for all registered, commercial and market sheep and goats. All registered sheep/goats and commercial ewes/does previously validated, do not need to be re-validated unless they have changed ownership. Once a breeding sheep/goat is validated, they remain validated for 3 years. Market lambs and goats validated during the 2026 State Fair Validation Period WILL carry over and be eligible for the 2027 spring major shows. TLBA/TGBA tags must be present in the ears at the time of validation to be recorded. If they need to be added before the October validation, they will have to be completely re-validated in October.
Swine Validation:
Cost: $30 per tag
Late orders after April 29th will be $35.
Physical Validation: June – Date & location TBD
Family Validation: All swine projects may be family validated. If registered, papers must have all eligible youth family members listed and may not include any extra owners like parents or ranch names.
Ownership Deadline for Registered Swine: June 30
Additional Information: All barrows and CROSSBRED & PUREBRED gilts showing in the 2026 State Fair of Texas and Heart of Texas Show must be validated. Please email a scan of the papers to [email protected] no later than June 30 for all registered gilts to be uploaded in the validation system.
If you have any questions on validation, please reach out to me.
Kristen Clark | County Extension Agent – 4-H Youth Development
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service | Johnson County
109 W Chambers St | Cleburne, TX 76033
ph: 817.556.6370 | mobile: 936.591.2598 | [email protected]
Embracing Our Past. Engaging Our Present. Defining Our Future. Texas Youth Livestock & Agriculture provides a variety of unbiased resources for 4-H/FFA families, leaders and volunteers interested in youth livestock projects and agricultural advocacy. We are committed to helping ensure the successful...
