Veterinarian states
51
Bottom 10% lowest
Occupational licensing · Animal Care · 51 state boards
Veterinarian Licensing Requirements by State
Veterinarian licensing rules differ by state. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) compilation and responsible state boards (current as of May 15, 2026), this registry compares education hours, initial and renewal fees, exams, background checks and reciprocity notes across 51 boards. Use the table to compare differences, then verify the current rule with the responsible board before applying.
Veterinarian across 51 state boards. Nearest coverage peers (51-state band): Animal Breeder, Farrier / Horseshoer, Veterinary Technician.
- States regulated
- 51
- Avg initial fee
- $284
- Require an exam
- 100%
- Avg education hours
- 4,919
Board Pathway Strip
Veterinarian: 51 boards · ~4,919 avg pre-licensure hrs · exam on 100% · background check on 100% · avg first fee $284. Same-lane boards: Animal Breeder, Farrier / Horseshoer, Veterinary Technician.
Veterinarian vs. every tracked profession
Average confirmed pre-licensure education hours, board-sourced state requirements
4,919 5th of 47 higher than 42 of 47 professions
professions with confirmed education-hour requirements, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more professions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCredential NCSL and state-board corpus · 2026
Provides medical care for animals. Requires DVM degree.
Veterinarian initial fees swing $100 (NH) to $495 (CA), a $395 spread across 51 boards ; Animal Breeder often lands on a different fee band.
Board thresholds for Veterinarian drift board-to-board; the same pattern shows up on Animal Breeder and Farrier / Horseshoer in animal care. Methodology notes live on our methods page.
Veterinarian edu hrs
4,919 hrs
Top quartile, highest
Veterinarian first fee
$284
Top 10% highest
Veterinarian renewal
$238
Top 10% highest
Board gates for Veterinarian: exam on 51/51 (100%), background check on 51/51 (100%) , CE on 51/51 (avg 30 hrs/cycle) . Stack that against Animal Breeder / Farrier / Horseshoer before calling this license soft or hard.
Veterinarian: nationwide coverage neighbours
Coverage band
- Security Alarm Installer · 51 states
- Amusement Ride Operator · 51 states
- Arborist / Tree Surgeon · 51 states
Hour load
- Pharmacist · 4,689 avg hrs
- Optometrist · 4,459 avg hrs
- Electrician · 5,837 avg hrs
- Elevator Installer · 5,837 avg hrs
Cheapest vs priciest jurisdiction for Veterinarian
A $395 fee spread for the same credential
Initial licensing fees in New Hampshire ($ 100) and California ($ 495) bracket the field, a 5.0× spread for identical practice rights.
NH
New Hampshire
$100 initial licensing fee
CA
California
$495 initial licensing fee
Veterinarian boards vs Animal Breeder / Farrier / Horseshoer - state table
51 statesWhat to do with this
Veterinarian is regulated in 51 states -- here's how to use that before you act.
- Veterinarian ranks #5 of 47 professions by average pre-licensure education hours -- see how it compares to similar roles. Browse all professions
- #95 of 97 professions by number of states requiring a license -- see which states are strictest overall. State burden rankings
- Initial fees for Veterinarian range from $100 (NH) to $495 (CA) -- check whether your license transfers before assuming you'd need to pay again. Reciprocity guide
Requirements are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research and verified against state board sites where possible; always confirm current rules with the licensing board before relying on any single row.
Every figure on PlainCredential is rendered directly from NCSL and state occupational- licensing board data, no number is typed in by an editor. Veterinarian requirements from NCSL and state board schedules: 51 rows, no hand-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.