Alliance, NE – On March 30, 2014 all Nebraska recorded livestock brands beginning with the letters S or T are due for renewal. If any owner fails, refuses, or neglects to pay the renewal fee by the expiration date, the brand shall expire and be forfeited. However, the Brand Committee has the authority to hold an expired brand for one year following the date of expiration. An expired brand may be reinstated by the same owner during such one-year period upon return of an application to reinstate expired livestock brand form and payment of the recording fee for such brand established by the Brand Committee plus a penalty of five dollars for each month or part of a month which has passed since the date of expiration. On February 1, 2013, the Nebraska Brand Committee mailed out over 2,800 renewal notices and unfortunately, 120 of those were undelivered and returned by the post office due to address changes that the Brand Committee was not made aware of. The Nebraska Brand Committee has seen an increase in the number of livestock brands in which one or more of the owners have passed away and the ownership of the brand has gone unchanged for a number of months or years creating transfer issues when an attempt is made to make the changes. Timing is crucial when an owner is deceased, especially if there is no will or the estate has been settled prior to the brand being transferred. Too often, this requires the estate to be reopened before the brand can change hands. If you have a Nebraska livestock brand that begins with the letters S or T and have not received a renewal notice or have knowledge of a brand that needs to be transferred due to a death, please contact the Nebraska Brand Committee by calling 308-763-2933.