SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah ranchers and cowboys can be among the first in the nation to use the Internet to renew or apply for a livestock brand.

About 20,000 brand owners in Utah will get renewal notices in the mail this year. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food says they can now renew online with a special access code that comes with the notices.

Owners of cattle, sheep and horses are required to renew their brand or ear marking every five years. If a brand expires, it becomes available for someone else to use.

The marks help reunite lost livestock with their owners. Last year, the agriculture department returned more than 2,100 lost sheep, cattle and horses to their owners.

There's no extra cost to renew online.

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On the Net:

http://ag.utah.gov.

Copyright 2010 The AP.