PSC H388

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system is the federal government’s standardized taxonomy for classifying what is being purchased in federal procurements. PSCs are recorded in FPDS/SAM to enable consistent tracking, reporting, and analysis of government spending; the PSC Manual on Acquisition.gov governs PSC definitions, structure, and maintenance.¹

PSC H388 (Inspection‑ Live Animals) is a Service‑category PSC used to identify inspection and testing activities that pertain specifically to live animals. The PSC Manual lists H388 as “Inspection‑ Live Animals,” states that it “Includes: Commercial Testing and Laboratory Services,” and explicitly states that it “Excludes: Medical and Dental Laboratory Services.”²

See also on G2X:

• H388 — PSC H388 overview
• H288
• H988

What this PSC covers

• Commercial testing and laboratory services performed with respect to live animals, when inspection/testing is the primary contract scope.²
• Non‑medical inspection services focused on the condition, handling, or movement of live animals rather than clinical veterinary care.²
• Contract actions where the predominant deliverable is inspection/testing effort (contract classification is based on predominant line‑of‑effort per the PSC Manual).¹
• Quality‑control inspection activities specifically related to live animals (distinct from medical/dental laboratory services, which the manual excludes).²
• Activities expressly excluding medical and dental laboratory services; clinical veterinary treatment or diagnostic services are not described as included under H388.²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

(Verified related PSCs from the PSC Manual; each code below links to its G2X overview.)

Type | Code | Descriptor

• | - | - PSC | H288 | Equipment and Materials Testing‑ Live Animals PSC | H988 | Other Quality Control, Testing, and Inspection‑ Live Animals PSC | J088 | Maintenance, Repair, and Rebuilding of Equipment‑ Live Animals

(PSC Manual listings used to verify related PSCs.)²

FPDS coding guidance

• The PSC is reported in FPDS data element 8A (“Product or Service Code”); agencies must select the PSC that represents the predominant product or service on the contract action, per the PSC Manual guidance.¹
• When a contract contains multiple products or services, assign the PSC based on the predominant line‑of‑effort; related environmental or attribute fields (for example, environmental attributes) are reported in other FPDS elements as directed by FPDS guidance and the PSC Manual.¹

Frequently asked questions

• What does “Includes: Commercial Testing and Laboratory Services” mean for H388?
  The entry means commercial testing and laboratory activities related to live animals fall under H388 when the activity is inspection/testing in nature. It does not cover medical or dental laboratory services.²

• Can veterinary clinical services be coded to H388?
  No. The PSC Manual explicitly excludes medical and dental laboratory services; clinical veterinary care and medical diagnostics are not described as included under H388. If the requirement is predominately clinical/medical, a different PSC is appropriate.²

• Which PSCs are commonly associated with inspection activities for live animals?
  The manual lists related PSCs for live‑animal testing and other QC/inspection functions, including H288, H988, and J088 for associated scopes of work.²

• How should agencies decide between a product PSC and a service PSC when live animals are involved?
  Agencies should determine the predominant deliverable for the contract action: if the main effort is inspection/testing of live animals, use the service PSC such as H388; if the primary purchase is a good, use the appropriate product PSC or NAICS code and report the PSC accordingly.¹

Useful resources

• H388 — G2X PSC H388 overview
• Product and Service Code Manual — Acquisition.gov PSC Manual landing page¹
• PSC Manual — “Inspection‑ Live Animals” entry (PSC Manual April 2024) — full manual PDF²

References

1. Product and Service Code Manual — Acquisition.gov PSC Manual landing page. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual

2. Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual — PSC Manual April 2024 (inspection and H‑group listings). https://login.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202024.pdf