License renewal, made clear
Veterinary CE requirements.
Every state, one map.
Hours, renewal cycles, required topics, and online limits for every state, each linked to the board’s own rules.
- Covered
- 51
- states + DC
- Typical
- 10–20
- hours a year
- Topics
- 17
- states require some
Sources checked
CE hours per year · tap a state
How often you renew
Veterinarian CE is counted over different cycles. Pace yourself per year.
All 50 states + DC
Find your state.
51 jurisdictions
| State | Requirement | Per year | Good to know | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlabamaFrom the state rule or statute | 20 hours every year | ≈ 20 | Up to 10 of the 20 hours may be taken online through RACE-approved courses. | |
| AlaskaFrom the state rule or statute | 30 hours every 2 years | ≈ 15 | Hours are certified for the concluding two-year licensing period. | |
| ArizonaFrom the licensing board | 20 hours every 2 years | ≈ 10 | Completed during the two years before the license expires (December 31 of even-numbered years). | |
| ArkansasFrom the state rule or statute | 20 hours every year | ≈ 20 | Hours are waived in the renewal period of graduation. | |
| CaliforniaFrom the state rule or statute | 36 hours every 2 years | ≈ 18 | Up to 6 hours may be self-study, such as journals or recordings. | |
| ColoradoFrom the licensing board | 32 hours every 2 years | ≈ 16 | Includes 2 hours of jurisprudence on the Colorado Veterinary Practice Act. | |
| ConnecticutFrom the licensing board | 24 hours every 2 years | ≈ 12 | A contact hour is at least 50 minutes. | |
| DelawareFrom the state rule or statute | 24 hours every 2 years | ≈ 12 | Completed in the two years before each biennial renewal. | |
| District of ColumbiaFrom the state rule or statute | 36 hours every 2 years | ≈ 18 | Includes 2 hours of LGBTQ cultural competency. | |
| FloridaFrom the state rule or statute | 30 hours every 2 years | ≈ 15 | Includes hours on dispensing legend drugs and on Florida laws and rules. | |
| GeorgiaFrom the licensing board | 30 hours every 2 years | ≈ 15 | Includes 2 hours on Georgia laws, rules, and professionalism (LEAP). | |
| HawaiiFrom the state rule or statute | 20 hours every 2 years | ≈ 10 | A credit hour is 50 minutes of instruction. | |
| IdahoFrom the licensing board | 15 hours each renewal | — | Reported at each renewal in your online licensee profile. | |
| IllinoisFrom the state rule or statute | 40 hours every 2 years | ≈ 20 | Licenses expire January 31 of odd-numbered years. | |
| IndianaFrom the licensing board | 40 hours every 2 years | ≈ 20 | Renewal is October 15 of odd-numbered years. | |
| IowaFrom the licensing board | 60 hours every 3 years | ≈ 20 | Completed over the last three licensing years (current period: July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029). | |
| KansasFrom the state rule or statute | 20 hours every year | ≈ 20 | Licenses expire June 30 each year. | |
| KentuckyFrom the licensing board | 30 hours every 2 years | ≈ 15 | At least 20 hours must be directly related to veterinary practice. | |
| LouisianaReported by CE trackers | 20 hours every year | ≈ 20 | An annual requirement: licenses expire September 30 if it is not met. | |
| MaineFrom the state rule or statute | 24 hours every 2 years | ≈ 12 | New licensees are exempt before their first even-year renewal. | |
| MarylandFrom the licensing board | 18 hours every year | ≈ 18 | All hours may be earned online. The former online cap was removed in 2023. | |
| MassachusettsFrom the state rule or statute | 15 units of 50 minutes every year | ≈ 15 | Completed within the prior calendar year. | |
| MichiganReported by CE trackers | 45 hours every 3 years | ≈ 15 | At least 30 hours must be medical. | |
| MinnesotaFrom the licensing board | 40 hours every 2 years | ≈ 20 | At least 30 hours must be interactive. | |
| MississippiFrom the state rule or statute | 15 hours every year | ≈ 15 | At least 10 hours must be from contact learning. | |
| MissouriFrom the state rule or statute | 10 hours every year | ≈ 10 | Earned in the year before renewal (November 30). | |
| MontanaFrom the licensing board | 20 hours every 2 years | ≈ 10 | Earned in the 24 months before the November 1 renewal in even-numbered years. | |
| NebraskaFrom the state rule or statute | 32 hours every 2 years | ≈ 16 | Up to 8 hours may be practice management and up to 8 hours home study. | |
| NevadaFrom the state rule or statute | 40 hours every 2 years | ≈ 20 | No more than 20 hours from distance learning or correspondence courses. | |
| New HampshireFrom the state rule or statute | 30 hours every 2 years | ≈ 15 | At least 6 hours in each 12-month period, and at least 24 hours medical. | |
| New JerseyFrom the state rule or statute | 20 hours every 2 years | ≈ 10 | At least 17 hours in surgery, medicine, or dentistry. | |
| New MexicoFrom the state rule or statute | 15 hours every year | ≈ 15 | No more than half (7.5 hours) from non-contact sources, including online. | |
| New YorkFrom the licensing board | 45 hours every 3 years | ≈ 15 | Up to 22.5 hours may be self-instructional. | |
| North CarolinaFrom the state rule or statute | 20 hours every year | ≈ 20 | Earned in each calendar-year renewal period. | |
| North DakotaFrom the state rule or statute | 24 hours every 2 years | ≈ 12 | Earned in the 24 months before each even-year renewal. | |
| OhioFrom the state rule or statute | 30 hours each renewal | — | At least 20 hours from approved medical programs. | |
| OklahomaFrom the state rule or statute | 20 hours every year | ≈ 20 | Includes 2 hours on controlled dangerous substance law or the Oklahoma practice act. | |
| OregonFrom the licensing board | 30 hours every 2 years | ≈ 15 | Reported with renewal in odd-numbered years. | |
| PennsylvaniaFrom the state rule or statute | 30 hours every 2 years | ≈ 15 | Earned in the 24 months before renewal (November 30 of even-numbered years). | |
| Rhode IslandFrom the state rule or statute | 24 hours every 2 years | ≈ 12 | At least 20 hours on professional veterinary practice. | |
| South CarolinaFrom the licensing board | 30 hours every 2 years | ≈ 15 | Waived for your first year of licensure. | |
| South DakotaFrom the state rule or statute | 16 hours every year | ≈ 16 | In subjects related to veterinary practice. | |
| TennesseeFrom the licensing board | 20 hours every year | ≈ 20 | Earned each calendar year. | |
| TexasFrom the licensing board | 17 hours every year | ≈ 17 | Includes 2 hours on opioids every two years, from the board’s approved list. | |
| UtahFrom the state rule or statute | 24 hours every 2 years | ≈ 12 | The cycle begins September 30 of even-numbered years. | |
| VermontReported by CE trackers | 24 hours every 2 years | ≈ 12 | State law caps the requirement at 24 hours every two years. | |
| VirginiaFrom the state rule or statute | 15 hours every year | ≈ 15 | For each annual renewal (due January 1). | |
| WashingtonFrom the state rule or statute | 30 hours every 2 years | ≈ 15 | Documented every two years. The first period began January 1, 2019. | |
| West VirginiaFrom the licensing board | 18 units of 50 minutes every year | ≈ 18 | Earned each calendar year. | |
| WisconsinFrom the state rule or statute | 30 hours every 2 years | ≈ 15 | At least 25 hours must be scientific. | |
| WyomingFrom the state rule or statute | 24 hours every 2 years | ≈ 12 | Includes 3 hours on responsible prescribing of controlled substances. |
From the state rule or statuteFrom the licensing boardReported by CE trackers - confirm with the board
Renewal without the scramble.
Know your number
Open your state for its hours and cycle. Divide by the cycle to get a per-year pace.
Cover required topics first
Opioids, state law, and similar topics count toward your total. Book them early.
Mind the format limits
Online and self-study hours are capped in some states. Keep every certificate for audits.
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Questions,
answered.
How the numbers are sourced and kept current.
How many CE hours do veterinarians need?
It depends on the state. Among the requirements we reviewed, requirements work out to roughly 10 to 20 hours per year, set as an annual, two-year, or three-year total. Open your state for its exact hours, cycle, and required topics.
Do states accept RACE-approved CE?
Many boards accept courses approved by AAVSB’s RACE program, and several name it in their rules. Acceptance and limits still vary, especially for online, self-study, and practice management hours, so confirm with your board before relying on a course.
Can I complete veterinary CE online?
Often, with limits. Some states cap online or self-study hours, some require a share of live or interactive hours, and a few have removed their online caps. Each state page lists the limits we could confirm from its source.
What do the source labels mean?
“From the state rule or statute” and “From the licensing board” mean the hours come from official text. “Reported by CE trackers” means the official text could not be read and several independent trackers agreed. Treat those as a starting point and confirm with the board.
How often is this updated?
Each state’s source is re-checked automatically, and a change is only published when it can be confirmed in the source’s own words. The date on each state page shows when it was last confirmed.
Your board has the final word. These summaries come from state rules, statutes, and board pages, reviewed November 7, 2026 or later. They are a planning aid, not legal advice. Technician requirements are shown only where a rule or board page confirmed them.