INTERPRETING THE CODES OF TRANSPONDER CHIPS INJECTED INTO PETS
A little history...
Between 1986 and 1996, there were a few miniaturized transponders, injectable into animals, on the world market. Although they all used RFID technology (Radio-frequency Identification), they were not mutually compatible. The ISO 11784 and 11785 standards of 1996 imposed an operating mode for the compatibility of transponders and scanners, (also called "scanners").
Before publication of this standard, many animals were "chipped" throughout the world with transponders that did not comply with the current standard called FDX B (working frequency 134.2kHz).
"Chips" not complying with the ISO standard are called FDX A (working frequency from 125 to 400kHz).
Today, there are still some countries, particularly North America, that do not impose the FDX B standard and continue to use FDX A chips.
All European countries inject chips that comply with the ISO standard, which is FDX B.
Because of the variety of FDX A chips and their various operating modes, scanners currently on the market are not all able to read certain models of FDX A chips.
Considering the history, you can therefore come across an animal carrying a microchip whose code (identification number registered in the chip and displayed by the scanner) does not match what is registered in the ISO standard.
The following lines should allow you to precisely determine the type of chip injected into the animal and interpret it, if it complies with the ISO standard (15 digits).
- If there are 10 digits in the chip number:
It is a non-ISO chip (known as FDXA) implanted before publication of the standard, meaning before 1996.
As far as we know, certain non-ISO chips were however implanted after 1996, mainly outside France (Belgium, Spain).
- If the chip number consists of 15 digits:
It is an ISO chip (FDXB). This should be the universal standard but certain countries are reluctant to adopt this standard (particularly North America and Mexico).
As regards the structure of the chip number, it was initially planned that the first three digits of the ISO should match the international country code (see ISO code list for each country).
Nevertheless, this rule is evolving. For example, the United Kingdom (code 826) has decided to abandon the original coding and provide veterinary surgeons with chips coded as follows:
3 digits XXX
Manufacturer's code issued by an international organization called ICAR
12 digits XXXXXXXXXXXX
The animal's unique identification number
In France, the definition of the chip coding complies with the ISO standard and was imposed by law.
250: country code
25: domestic carnivore species code (dogs, cats, ferret, etc.)
XX 2 digits: manufacturer's code issued by the ministry for agriculture
XXXXXXXX 8 digits: the animal's unique identification number
When faced with a chip number, we advise you to read the first three digits.
If the number formed from the first three digits is between 910 and 985, it is not the country code but the manufacturer's code.
If the number is below 900, it is probably the country code.
Finally, you can obtain information about chips not used in France (code 250) by going into the database:
CAUTION: analyzing the code will not give you the identity of the dog's owner, nor the name of the veterinary surgeon who implanted the chip.
On the other hand, you can have direct information about the animal's country of origin if the chip includes the country code, or indirectly via "europetnet" if the first three digits indicate the manufacturer and if the manufacturer has given this information to Europetnet.
In France, all chips implanted into animals (even imported animals) are recorded in the SIEV base and the information is transmitted to "SOCIETE CENTRALE CANINE".
As you can see, it is not that simple…!
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you want further information.
