The Equine Microchip Lookup Tool™

Why was the Equine Microchip Lookup Tool™ created?

The Equine Microchip Lookup Tool was developed in 2016 for the North American equine industry. At its core, this is a Tool for the well-being of the horse. The EMLT™ is the new starting point to track a chip found in a horse - eliminating the guesswork of 'what to do next'. Launched as a free service, the 'EMLT' is a work in progress.

The goal of this site is to help veterinarians, horse owners, natural disaster responders, USDA/APHIS and state regulatory entities and others seeking information about a microchipped horse.

How does it work?

The EMLT™ is a cloud-based application that enables a visitor to enter a microchip number and search connected databases with a push of a button. Some examples are as follows:

* When the chip is located in a participating database, the tool displays the name, phone and website of the database in which the chip was found. The Tool will also let you know if an owner has registered the chip.

* If the chip is not found in a connected database, the EMLT will provide the name and phone number of the manufacturer of the microchip.

* If the chip is not found anywhere, the EMLT will return a ‘Not Found’ message.

NOTE: The EMLT is in itself NOT a database, but can be compared to a search engine. It does not have access to data in participating databases other than the chip number and the date of most recent modification. The EMLT will thus never display private owner information.

NOTE: ALL MICROCHIP COMPANIES ARE REQUIRED TO KEEP RECORDS OF DISTRIBUTORS, VETERINARIANS OR OTHERS WHO PURCHASE THEIR CHIPS AT THAT LEVEL.

What is a 'Participating Database'?

'A Participating Database' is one within the equine industry that has chosen to work with the EMLT by allowing their database to be searched for one thing: a microchip number. When a chip is found in a connected database, the user of the Tool can then contact that entity for more information. The Equine Microchip Lookup Tool only searches the databases of those entities that have chosen to participate. However, in an effort to help with disease prevention and disaster relief for horses, the tool will display the manufacturer of a microchip if the number is not found in a participating database. The Tool does this by recognizing the manufacturer by the first three digits of the ISO microchip number.

Each member database, registry or microchip manufacturer that has given the EMLT permission to search their database shares the mission of ‘the greater good’ to aid horses and owners and regulatory agencies.

I am a horse owner and my chip cannot be found; what should I do?

You should register your horse and owner information in a participating equine microchip database or with the registry appropriate to your horse. NOTE: If you believe that your horse is already registered in a pet database, you should click that logo in the Information Hub to be sure.

Why doesn’t the tool show owner information?

Privacy of data at the owner level and at the veterinary level is of paramount concern throughout most of the horse industry. Therefore the tool will not ever display private information. As a further point of protection, many equine owners rely upon the breed registry, microchip registry and other industry databases to protect their information, so the EMLT™ will never breach that protection.

Who can use the Equine Microchip Lookup Tool

Anyone in the world can use the tool on any device. It is a cloud based platform. The participating members and microchip companies are located mostly in the United States.

Can I link this tool to my web site or social media page?

Yes, you can display the logo and/or link on your site. See the download button at the bottom of the home page. Please also mention the EMLT on your social media page or site.

Contact Us

Microchip ID Systems organized, initiated and funded this tool when it became obvious that the microchip in a horse was lacking connectivity to an owner when a need arose, such as a natural disaster, disease outbreak, or a theft.

It is likely that the operational reins of the EMLT will be handed to a representative body within the Equine Industry at some point. However, we will currently take Suppport Calls regarding usage of or membership in the Tool.

Call our offices located in Louisiana: Microchip ID Systems, Inc. - 800.434.2843. Or email to Support@EquineMicrochipLookup.org