(a) The commissioner may recognize the tuberculosis free status of a deer herd by issuing a herd tuberculosis free certificate if the following criteria are met:

1. (1) Receipt of the results of a cervical tuberculosis test, a U.S.D.A. approved deer tuberculosis test or BTB test indicating that all test eligible deer have been tested at least twice with an interval of 10 to 14 months between tests and no evidence of Mycobacterium bovis infection was found. Slaughter bucks are exempt from this requirement.
2. (2) All test eligible deer added to the herd have negative test results to a cervical tuberculosis test, U.S.D.A. approved deer tuberculosis test or BTB test within 60 days prior to addition to the herd.
3. (3) All nontest eligible deer added to the herd originate from a herd of origin in which all test eligible deer have had negative test results to a cervical tuberculosis test, a U.S.D.A. approved deer tuberculosis test or BTB test in the preceding 12 months.

(b) The certificate shall be effective for 12 months from the date of the most recent tuberculosis test, unless:

1. (1) the commissioner determines that a suspect or reactor has been identified within the certified herd; or
2. (2) any deer added to the certified herd does not comply with the provisions of this section.

(c) The procedure for certification is illustrated in the following chart:

​