Abstract: An applicator for animal identification tags comprises a tag magazine receiver configured to receive a tag magazine comprising a reservoir for holding a plurality of discrete animal identification tags, each comprising a male and female engagement portion, and an opening, wherein the identification tags are displaceable along the reservoir to be sequentially dispensed through the opening. A pair of jaws engage male and female portions of a dispensed identification tag through the ear of an animal placed between the jaws. A motorized tag dispenser displaces the identification tags along the reservoir of a received tag magazine to sequentially dispense the identification tags through the opening. A sensor senses information indicative that an identification tag has been dispensed through the opening and received by the pair of jaws. A controller stops operation of the motorized tag dispenser based on an output of the sensor.