The short answer
Continuing education (CE) hours for veterinary license renewal are set by each state or provincial licensing board. According to the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB), every jurisdiction requires CE, and the number of hours varies [1]. In the six states whose official rules or board pages were available for this guide, veterinarian requirements range from 15 hours a year in Virginia to 40 hours over two years in Minnesota [4][7]. The AAVSB says requirements depend entirely on the jurisdiction, and it provides a directory with links to each jurisdiction's online information [1][2]. None of the cited sources provides a 50-state table, so this page gives figures only for Texas, Virginia, Ohio, Minnesota, Washington, and Florida.
Key takeaways
- The AAVSB says the requirements for maintaining a license depend "entirely on the jurisdiction" and that it does not issue or renew licenses itself [1].
- Texas requires 17 hours each year and Virginia requires 15 hours for each annual renewal, according to their boards [3][4].
- Ohio, Washington, and Florida each require 30 hours over a two-year cycle, and Minnesota requires 40 hours in the two years before biennial renewal [5][6][7][8][9].
- According to the AAVSB, courses approved through its Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) are accepted by "the majority" of licensing boards, which is not the same as every board [1].
- Several states also require specific topics. Texas requires opioid training, Florida requires drug dispensing and laws and rules credits, and Washington requires suicide prevention and health equity training [3][8][9].
- The AAVSB's 2022 Member Board survey lists failure to complete required CE among the top reasons boards take disciplinary action [1].
Who sets the requirement
According to the AAVSB, state and provincial regulatory boards set the requirements for initial licensure and for keeping a license active throughout a career. Boards also investigate complaints against veterinarians, technicians, and facilities [2]. The AAVSB describes itself as a not-for-profit association of these boards. Its membership covers 62 jurisdictions: every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and nine Canadian provinces [2]. It supports boards but does not license anyone [1][2].
The AAVSB sets CE standards through its RACE program and works with providers so their courses meet those standards [1]. Individual boards decide whether to accept RACE approval. Texas lists RACE among its approved routes, Virginia accepts sponsors approved by RACE, Ohio treats RACE-approved programs as approved, and Washington includes RACE on its approved provider list [3][4][5][8]. The Minnesota rule's list of automatically approved sponsors, as shown in the cited text, does not name RACE. Sponsors outside that list must apply to the Minnesota board at least 90 days before a course [7].
Veterinarian hours in six states
The figures below come from each state's board page, rule, or statute. Requirements for veterinary technicians are separate and are lower in the states that list them (Texas, Virginia, and Ohio) [3][4][5].
| State | Hours for veterinarians | Cycle | Selected conditions | Source |
|---|
| Texas | 17 | Annual | Includes 2 hours on opioids every two years | [3] |
| Virginia | 15 minimum | Annual, renewal due by January 1 | Hours cannot be credited to another year | [4] |
| Ohio | 30 | Biennial, license expires March 1 of even-numbered years | At least 20 medical hours, at least 12 in person | [5][6] |
| Minnesota | 40 | Two years before biennial renewal | 30 of the 40 from interactive sources | [7] |
| Washington | 30 minimum | Every two years, birthday-based | At least 20 scientific or clinical hours | [8] |
| Florida | 30 | Biennial, license expires May 31 of even years | 1 hour drug dispensing, 2 hours laws and rules | [9] |
Two biennial requirements can look alike and still differ in practice. Ohio's statute counts hours earned "during the two years immediately preceding renewal" [6]. Washington's renewal and CE periods are tied to the licensee's birthday [8]. Washington's own page notes that before its 2019 rule revision, the state required 30 hours every three years, and the board considered that one of the lowest requirements among states [8].
Averaged over a year, these numbers come to 15 to 20 hours annually. Averages do not help with compliance, though, because each board defines its own counting window. Texas, for example, requires CE to be completed during the renewal year immediately before the renewal application [3].
Limits on how hours are earned
Most of the six states limit how much credit can come from self-paced or non-clinical work.
- Texas caps on-demand or correspondence courses at 5 hours, practice management at 5 hours, and self-study at 3 hours. All 17 hours may come from live or real-time interactive courses, in person or online [3].
- Ohio allows no more than 10 hours in practice management or professional development. Veterinarians must take at least 12 hours in person per renewal period unless the board grants a medical exemption [5].
- Minnesota awards one credit hour for every three hours of self-study and accepts no more than 10 credit hours from noninteractive sources. Practice management is also capped at 10 hours [7].
- Washington places no hour limit on live web-based courses, provided they occur in real time, attendees get responses to their questions, and other veterinarians can take part at the same time. Teaching can count for up to 10 hours [8].
- Virginia gives credit for courses related to patient treatment and care, including courses that enhance patient safety, such as medical recordkeeping and OSHA compliance. Up to 2 of a veterinarian's 15 hours can come from delivering veterinary services without compensation to low-income individuals receiving health services through a local health department or free clinic, at one CE hour per three hours of service [4].
Required topics
Some boards require specific subjects within the total hours. Texas requires 2 hours on opioids every two years and states that "The ONLY approved opioid and controlled substances courses" are those on the board's list [3]. Florida's board page says that of the 30 biennial hours, one must cover drug dispensing and two must cover the laws and rules governing veterinary practice [9].
Washington has three separate requirements. Veterinarians and technicians must complete a one-time, three-hour suicide prevention training, and those hours may count toward the general CE total [8]. Veterinarians must complete at least two hours of health equity training every four years [8]. According to the Washington Department of Health, as of July 28, 2025, the jurisprudence exam must be completed before the first renewal cycle [8].
Records, audits, and first renewals
Renewal in these states generally works on attestation, backed by audits. Texas licensees affirm completion on the renewal form or online [3]. Virginia's rule requires licensees to attest to compliance at annual renewal and says the board "shall periodically conduct a random audit" [4].
Record-keeping periods differ by state:
- Texas: CE certificates kept for 4 years [3].
- Minnesota: documentation kept for at least four years, and proof supplied within 30 days of a board request [7].
- Virginia: original documents kept for two years after renewal, and audited licensees must provide documentation within 14 days unless the board grants an extension [4].
Ohio, Minnesota, and Virginia do not allow excess hours to carry into the next cycle [4][5][7]. Texas, Virginia, Ohio, and Minnesota each exempt new licensees from CE for their first renewal or first year, with some conditions. Virginia's exemption applies to the first renewal after initial licensure by examination, and Ohio's applies to licensees who certify they graduated within that biennium [3][4][5][7].
Each board also handles hardship differently. Virginia may grant an extension of up to one year for good cause if the licensee requests it in writing before the renewal date [4]. Minnesota allows six-month extensions, with no more than two in a row [7]. Ohio may waive the requirement after an unusual and prolonged emergency, but the missed hours are added to the next biennial period [6]. Washington lets veterinarians meet the requirement by achieving board certification or by being enrolled in an approved residency for the entire reporting period [8].
Confirming a requirement
The AAVSB's board look-up lists each member board's main contact, disciplinary contact, and license verification information [2]. The rules and board pages cited for the six states covered here are:
- Texas: Board rules 573.64 through 573.66, summarized on the TBVME CE page [3].
- Virginia: 18VAC150-20-70 [4].
- Ohio: Administrative Code rule 4741-1-11 and Revised Code section 4741.16 [5][6].
- Minnesota: Minnesota Rules 9100.1000 [7].
- Washington: WAC 246-933-401 through 246-933-460 [8].
- Florida: the "CE Requirements" tab on the Board of Veterinary Medicine page [9].
For tracking, the AAVSB says its free RACEtrack service lets veterinary professionals record coursework in one database and download a transcript. In some jurisdictions, the AAVSB can send that transcript directly to the board [1]. The Texas and Washington pages both refer to the AAVSB's Veterinary Continuing Education Tracking (VCET) tool [3][8]. The AAVSB also points to CE Broker, an online catalog of RACE-approved courses that can be searched and filtered by jurisdiction [1].
For any state not listed above, the AAVSB directs licensees to its Board and Agency Directory for links to that jurisdiction's own online information [1].
