ICAR certification explained: what it means when a pet microchip is certified
ICAR certification confirms a microchip meets the ISO identification standard scanners rely on worldwide. Here is what that does and does not guarantee for pet owners.
ICAR
ICAR sets the standards a lot of other systems are built on
The International Committee for Animal Recording draws up standards for identification, performance recording and genetic evaluation that many national and breed-specific systems rely on. It mightn't be a name you'd know off the top of your head, but its standards quietly underpin how animal recording works in a great many countries.
Its reach goes well beyond farm animals
ICAR started out in livestock recording, but its identification and data standards matter well beyond that origin, shaping how modern pet identification and pedigree systems approach consistency and interoperability.
Is ICAR only relevant to livestock and farming?
Its roots are in livestock recording, but its identification and data standards inform recording systems much more broadly, including how companion animals are identified.
Who actually uses ICAR standards?
National recording bodies, breed associations and identification system developers reference ICAR standards to keep their own systems consistent and interoperable.