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§ 68-18.1. Notice when owner not known.
If the owner of the impounded livestock is not known or cannot be found, the impounder shall inform the register of deeds that he has impounded the livestock and provide the register of deeds with a description of the livestock. The register of deeds shall record the information in a book kept for that purpose, and shall charge the impounder a fee of ten dollars ($10.00). The register of deeds shall immediately
publish a notice of the impoundment of the animal by posting a notice on the courthouse door. The notice on the courthouse door shall be posted for 30 days, and shall contain a full description of the livestock impounded, including all marks or brands on the livestock, and shall state when and where the animal was taken up. The impounder shall publish once, in some newspaper published and distributed in the county, a notice containing the same information as the notice posted by the register of deeds. The fees for publishing the notice shall be
paid by the impounder. (1874-5, c. 258, s. 2; Code, s. 3768; Rev., s. 2833; C.S., s. 3951; 1991, c. 472, s. 2.)

Article 6.
Cattle Brands.
§ 80-45. Owners of stock to register brand or marks.
Every person who has any horses, cattle, hogs or sheep may have an earmark or brand different from the earmark or brand of all other persons, which he shall record with the clerk of the board of commissioners of the county where his horses, cattle, hogs or sheep are; and he may brand all horses 18 months old and upwards with the said brand, and earmark all his hogs and sheep six months old and upwards with the said earmark; and earmark or brand all his cattle 12 months old and upwards; and if any dispute shall arise about any earmark or brand, the same shall be decided by the record thereof. (R.C., c. 17, s. 1; Code, s. 2317; Rev., s. 3028; C.S., s. 4017.)

Article 7.
Recording of Cattle Brands and Marks with Commissioner of Agriculture.
§§ 80-46 through 80-56: Repealed by Session Laws 1975, c. 261, s. 1.

Article 8.
Registration and Protection of Livestock Brands.
§ 80-57. Purpose.
The purpose of this Article is to discourage livestock theft by allowing for the voluntary individual registration of brand marks for certain livestock. (1975, c. 261, s. 1.)

§ 80-58. Definitions.
(a)"Board". - The term "Board" means the North Carolina Board of Agriculture.
(b) "Brand". - The term "brand" means an identification mark permanently affixed into the hide of livestock by a hot iron or an extremely cold brand known as a "freeze brand."
(c) "Commissioner". - The term "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of North Carolina.
(d) "Livestock". - The term "livestock" means cattle, horses, ponies, mules, and asses.
(e) "Person". - The term "person" means an individual, firm, company, association, partnership or corporation. (1935, c. 232, s. 1; 1975, c. 261, s. 1.)
§ 80-59. Responsibility and authority of Commissioner of Agriculture; application for registration; transfer of ownership of brand. The Commissioner shall record livestock brands and maintain a record of such brands pursuant to this Article. Such records shall be public and shall be prima facie evidence of ownership of livestock which is properly branded under this Article. The Commissioner shall authorize such agents within the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as he deems necessary to implement this Article. Any person desiring the exclusive use of a brand shall make application to the Commissioner on forms prescribed by the Board. The transfer of ownership of a brand registration may be done only at the written request of the brand registrant of record. The Commissioner shall receive a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) for recording such transfer. (1935, c. 232, ss. 3-5; 1975, c. 261, s. 1; 1997-261, s. 109.)

§ 80-60. No brands duplicated.
No brand shall be registered that is a reasonable facsimile of another registered brand or that will likely be confused with another brand registered under this Article. (1975, c. 261, s. 1.)

§ 80-61. Rules and regulations.
The Board shall have authority to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations for implementation of this Article which shall include, but not be limited to, the location of and the size of brand marks. (1975, c. 261, s. 1.)

§ 80-62. Fees for recording.
The Commissioner is authorized to collect a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for the recording of each new brand, or for rerecording of each brand, and shall issue one certified copy of each brand recording to the holder of said brand. Duplicate certificates of registration may be issued by the Commissioner upon payment of a fee of two dollars ($2.00). Revenues collected pursuant to this Article shall be deposited with the State Treasurer to the account of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. (1935, c. 232, ss. 5, 6; 1975, c. 261, s. 1; 1997-261, s. 109.)

§ 80-63. Records to be kept of sales and slaughter.
Persons or agents selling or bartering or exchanging branded livestock in the State of North Carolina shall provide the purchaser or new owner with a bill of sale showing a reasonable facsimile of the brand on any and all livestock having a brand as defined in this Article. Such bills of sale shall be prima facie evidence of transfer of ownership of branded livestock. Slaughter facilities in the State of North Carolina shall affix to their normal records of receipt of livestock a reasonable facsimile of the brand on any branded livestock received by them. Such records shall be maintained for at least 12 months. (1935, c. 232, ss. 8, 9; 1975, c. 261, s.1.)

§ 80-64. Defacing of brands prohibited.
No person may change, conceal, deface, disfigure or obliterate any brand previously branded, impressed, or marked on any livestock, or put his or any other brand upon or over any part of any brand previously branded or marked upon any livestock, and no person shall make or use any counterfeit of any brand of any other person. (1935, c. 232, s. 10; 1975, c. 261, s. 1.)

§ 80-65. Rerecording.
Every brand recorded under this Article, in order to remain effective, must be rerecorded with the Commissioner during the tenth year from its next previous recordation. Each person having a brand registered in the State of North Carolina shall be notified in writing by the Commissioner that said brand must be rerecorded to prohibit its disenrollment from the record of such brand maintained by the commissioner. (1975, c. 261, s. 1.)

§ 80-66. Violation a misdemeanor.
Any person who violates any provision of this Article or any rule or regulation of the Board promulgated hereunder shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. (1935, c. 232, s. 11; 1975, c. 261, s. 1; 1993, c. 539, s. 592; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)

§ 14-367. Altering the brands of and misbranding another's livestock.
If any person shall knowingly alter or deface the mark or brand of any other person's horse, mule, ass, neat cattle, sheep, goat, or hog, or shall knowingly mismark or brand any such beast that may be unbranded or unmarked, not properly his own, with intent to defraud any other person, the person so offending shall be guilty of a Class H felony. (1797, c. 485, s. 2, P.R.; R.C., c. 34, s. 57; Code, s. 1001; Rev., s. 3317; C.S., s. 4495; 1993, c. 539, s. 1237; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)