PSC 8820

Overview

The Product and Service Code (PSC) is a governmentwide taxonomy used to classify what the U.S. government buys so agencies can track, analyze, and report spending. PSCs are entered on contract actions in FPDS and are maintained through the PSC Manual published on Acquisition.gov. ¹

PSC 8820 identifies “Live Animals, Not Raised for Food.” It is a product code in Group 88 (Live Animals) used when the government purchases live animals that are not intended for human consumption. The PSC Manual lists 8820 alongside 8810 (live animals raised for food) to distinguish non-food from food animals for accurate spend classification and reporting. ¹

What this PSC covers

• Live animals procured by federal agencies for purposes other than human consumption, per the PSC Manual descriptor. ¹
• Department of Defense working dogs acquired for military and security functions (scout, sentry, patrol, mine/tunnel, tracker, detector-narcotic/contraband, sledge, bloodhound, water dog, patrol/detector). ²
• Excludes animals raised for food; those purchases are coded under PSC 8810. ¹
• Leasing or rental of live animals is coded under PSC W088, not PSC 8820. ¹
• Quality control, inspection, maintenance, modification, technical representative, and installation services for live animals map to service PSCs such as PSC H188, PSC H388, PSC J088, PSC K088, PSC L088, and PSC N088, not to product code 8820. ¹
• Specific species beyond the DoD working dog examples: Not specified by official sources ⁶.

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
PSC	8810	Live Animals, Raised for Food
PSC	W088	Lease or Rental of Equipment—Live Animals
PSC	H188	Quality Control—Live Animals
PSC	J088	Maintenance, Repair, and Rebuilding of Equipment—Live Animals

DoD scope note: working dogs under PSC 8820

For DoD inventory assignment purposes, PSC 8820 includes working dogs used for missions such as scout, sentry, patrol, mine/tunnel, tracker, narcotics/contraband detection, sledge, bloodhound, water dog, and patrol/detector. This delineation appears in the DFARS PGI partial FSC assignment listing. ²

Sourcing and compliance notes

• Trade Agreements applicability: DFARS lists FSC Group 88 (Live Animals) among end-products subject to trade agreements when thresholds and applicability are met. Agency- and acquisition-specific exceptions may apply. ³
• FAR Place of Manufacture: The FAR 52.225-18 “manufactured end product” definition excludes PSC Product Service Groups 87 (Agricultural Supplies), 88 (Live Animals), and 89 (Subsistence), so this certification does not cover items classified under PSC 8820. ⁴

Frequently asked questions

• What does PSC 8820 mean?
  It is the product code for “Live Animals, Not Raised for Food.” Agencies use it when acquiring live animals not intended for human consumption, distinguishing these buys from PSC 8810, which covers animals raised for food. This distinction supports accurate reporting and analysis across federal systems. ¹

• Are working dogs included in PSC 8820?
  Yes. DoD guidance assigns working dogs to PSC 8820 for roles including scout, sentry, patrol, mine/tunnel, tracker, narcotics/contraband detection, sledge, bloodhound, water dog, and patrol/detector. This appears in the DFARS PGI partial FSC assignment list for 8820. ²

• Does the Trade Agreements Act apply to live animals under PSC 8820?
  Potentially. DFARS identifies FSC Group 88 (Live Animals) among end products subject to trade agreements, contingent on thresholds and acquisition specifics. Contracting officers determine applicability based on the procurement’s value, place of supply, and any exceptions that may apply. ³

• Does the FAR “Place of Manufacture” provision apply to PSC 8820 buys?
  The certification in FAR 52.225-18 for “manufactured end products” is not applicable to items in PSC Groups 87, 88, and 89. Because PSC 8820 is in Group 88, it falls outside that certification requirement. ⁴

• Can opportunities be searched by PSC on SAM.gov?
  Yes. SAM.gov offers search and training resources for filtering opportunities by NAICS or PSC, which supports market research, pipeline planning, and compliance checks. Users can apply PSC filters and save searches to monitor new postings. ⁵

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC 8820
• PSC Manual (April 2025 edition), official current manual for PSC definitions and structure. ¹
• DFARS PGI partial FSC assignment for 8820 (working dogs). ²
• DFARS 225.401-70 list of end products subject to trade agreements. ³
• FAR 52.225-18 Place of Manufacture. ⁴
• SAM.gov Help: videos and guidance for searching by NAICS or PSC. ⁵

References

1. https://www.acquisition.gov/content/psc-manual-april-2025.pdf
2. https://www.acquisition.gov/node/55759/printable/print
3. https://www.acquisition.gov/dfars/225.401-70-end-products-subject-trade-agreements
4. https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.225-18
5. https://sam.gov/help
6. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual