DAERA Identification numbers for business customers, herd and flock keepers - 2025 key messages - Guide

Aug 31, 2026

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A 2025 guidance note explaining how DAERA allocates identification numbers for business customers, herds and flocks, and why these identifiers are required for grant and subsidy payments, animal registration, and accurate record-keeping. It outlines the three main ID types (Business ID, Customer ID, Herd/Flock Numbers), their distinct purposes, and how they support funding administration, fraud prevention, and linkage between keepers and farm businesses. It also covers dormant business identification and legal continuity for direct payments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatDOCX

Pages29

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Business ID

Categories of business ID

What is a Commercial Horticulture Production Business?

How do I apply for a business ID?

Customer ID

Herd or flock number

Frequently asked questions

Annex A – Flowcharts

DAERA IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS FOR BUSINESS CUSTOMERS, HERD AND FLOCK KEEPERS KEY MESSAGES FOR 2025 Legislation 1.1 EU direct payment regulations are assimilated in UK law by the Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Act 2020 and have been amended by secondary legislation made under the Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Act 2020 and the Agriculture Act 2020. References in this guidance and on the single application to EU direct payment regulations and legislation are to be taken as references to those provisions, as assimilated in UK law. Key dates to remember 2.1 The Guide to DAERA Identification numbers for business customers, herd and flock keepers is no longer year specific (i.e. where a date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Public Holiday we have not adjusted the date). You must refer to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) website for further guidance on key dates for 2025. HYPERLINK "https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/other-useful-information-daera" Other Useful Information | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs 3. Dormant Businesses 3.1 Every year we will carry out an exercise to identify Category 1 businesses which have not been active for a number of scheme years and are now considered to be dormant. These businesses have not: claimed for any area-based schemes; and held payment entitlements; and had an active herd or flock in either two previous scheme years or five previous scheme years. More details can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions Section below. CONTENTS TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372727" 1. INTRODUCTION PAGEREF _Toc191372727 \h 1 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372728" 2. BUSINESS ID PAGEREF _Toc191372728 \h 2 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372729" 3. CUSTOMER ID PAGEREF _Toc191372729 \h 6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372730" 4. HERD OR FLOCK NUMBER PAGEREF _Toc191372730 \h 6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372731" 5. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PAGEREF _Toc191372731 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372732" Frequently Asked Questions – Business ID PAGEREF _Toc191372732 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372733" Frequently Asked Questions - Customer ID PAGEREF _Toc191372733 \h 17 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372734" Frequently Asked Questions – Herd/Flock Number PAGEREF _Toc191372734 \h 19 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372735" ANNEX A – FLOWCHARTS PAGEREF _Toc191372735 \h 22 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372736" 1(A) Business ID – Category 1 PAGEREF _Toc191372736 \h 22 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372737" 1(B) Business ID – Category 2 PAGEREF _Toc191372737 \h 23 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372738" 1(C) Business ID – Category 3 PAGEREF _Toc191372738 \h 24 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372739" 1(D) Business ID – Category 5 PAGEREF _Toc191372739 \h 25 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372740" 2 - CUSTOMER ID PAGEREF _Toc191372740 \h 26 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc191372741" 3 - HERD OR FLOCK NUMBER PAGEREF _Toc191372741 \h 27 1. INTRODUCTION This guide is intended to help you to understand why we allocate identification numbers (IDs) to businesses, customers, herds, and flocks; how you get them and answer some frequently asked questions about these numbers. The three main types of IDs used by DAERA are: Business ID - which is required for the payment of grants and subsidies or for registering to keep animals; Customer ID - which is required to record your individual contact details and is necessary to enrol for DAERA Online Services; Herd and Flock Numbers - which are required for the registration of herds and flocks. Why do we need these identification numbers? We have to maintain a record of the identity of anyone who submits an application to receive funding. This is required under European Commission regulations as reapplied in UK law. Each business must be registered with us and have a unique business ID number. Business IDs have been in use for a number of years. They are mainly used to admin

FAQs

What are the three main types of DAERA identification numbers, and what does each one do?

DAERA uses Business ID, Customer ID, and Herd and Flock Numbers. Business IDs support grant/subsidy payments and animal-keeping registration, Customer IDs record individual contact details for DAERA Online Services enrolment, and Herd/Flock Numbers are required for registering herds and flocks.

Why does DAERA require unique identification numbers for businesses and applicants?

DAERA must maintain records of applicants who seek funding, as required under European Commission regulations re-applied in UK law. Unique IDs help administer payments correctly, link registered herds/flocks to a keeper’s farm business, and support fraud prevention.

How does the guide treat key dates for 2025?

The guide states that it is no longer year-specific, so dates are not adjusted when they fall on a Saturday, Sunday, or Public Holiday. Further key-date guidance is directed to the DAERA website.

Aug 31, 2026

Upload by Kyle