To get licensed as a veterinary professional, you’ll work with the veterinary regulators in the U.S. state(s), Canadian province(s), or other geographic areas in which you plan to practice. We call these areas “jurisdictions.”

At the AAVSB, we don’t issue your license, but we do maintain the Board and Agency Directory, a tool that helps direct you to the right source of information. 

We also offer services, such as VAULT, RACEtrack, and PAVE to help you with the process of getting and maintaining your license.

When the Licensure Process Starts

The first step toward licensure is usually to pass either the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) for veterinarians or the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) for veterinary technicians.

A passing score is a big part of licensure requirements, but it’s not the only part. Passing the test does not equal getting licensed.

Passing your exam is just the beginning of the credentialing process, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with your jurisdiction’s licensure requirements and start the process early. Check our Board and Agency Directory for information specific to your jurisdiction.

What You Might Need

Each jurisdiction has its own regulations and requirements to get licensed. Remember, the AAVSB doesn’t issue licenses, but we’re here to help guide you toward the right information for your jurisdiction.

We can’t stress enough the importance of understanding exactly what you need for licensure in your jurisdiction, but here are examples of what you might need to provide.

• A completed licensure application for your jurisdiction
• Information from your school, such as your transcript and/or diploma
• Letters of professional reference
• Your work history
• Your basic personal information, such as name, address, date of birth, etc.
• A recent photograph of yourself
• Proof of citizenship or work authorization
• Payment for licensing fees

Use our Board and Agency Directory to find information specific to your jurisdiction. 

How We Can Help

At the AAVSB, we support your licensure by pulling together information from various jurisdictions to help guide you to the right sources of information.

The licensure process can be complex, so we also offer services that can help streamline the process of getting (and maintaining) your license.

Create a MyAAVSB Account

A MyAAVSB account can serve as your career record and the repository for the information and documents you’ll need for licensure throughout your career.

If you’ve used our services (such as taking the VTNE), you may already have a MyAAVSB account. If you don’t have an account, setting it up is free and starts with a simple application.

If you need help accessing or creating an account, let us know.

VAULT for First-Time Licensees

When you register for the NAVLE or VTNE, you may select a jurisdiction to automatically receive your official score report. If you selected the “No-Board” option for the NAVLE, you must use the Veterinary Application for Uniform Licensure Transfer (VAULT) First-Time Licensee service to identify where to send your score.

You can also use VAULT for First-Time Licensees to provide your score on the NAVLE or the VTNE to a different or additional jurisdiction than the one you specified when you registered for the test.

Continuing Education Services

Once you receive your license, many jurisdictions require that you take continuing education (CE) courses to keep it. 

At the AAVSB, our Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) program works with CE providers to make sure coursework meets acceptable standards. You can browse approved courses through the CE Broker tool.

We also offer RACEtrack, a free service that allows you to record your CE coursework in a centralized database and communicate it to your credentialing agencies.

For more information, see our Maintaining Your License page.

State and Provincial Assessment (SPA) Jurisprudence Exam

Some jurisdictions require a jurisprudence examination, which evaluates your knowledge of the laws and regulations of the state or province in which you practice. The AAVSB administers the SPA exam for some jurisdictions. 

International Pathway (PAVE) Service

If you graduated from a non-AVMA COE or AVMA/CVMA accredited program and want to get licensed in the United States or Canada, our Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE) service can help.

For More Information

If you have questions about the services we offer in support of the licensure process, let us know, or watch this informational video. The video explores how we support the licensure process, including customized presentations we can provide to veterinary schools and organizations.