APPLICANTS

Applying for Licensure as a Veterinarian

Application:
The application must contain the information required under Ark. Code Ann. § 17-101-301 and must be accompanied by the one-hundred-dollar ($100.00) application fee. A short-list of the licensure requirements can be found on the application checklist. 

Written State Board Examination:
All applicants, unless approved by the Board for licensure by endorsement or reciprocity, are required to complete a written exam conducted by the Board. The exam is given on an annual basis, typically in June. The application and all required information must be received in the Board office at least thirty (30) days prior to the exam.

Temporary Permit:
An applicant can apply for a temporary permit if they need to practice in Arkansas prior to taking the written state board examination, or while waiting for the Board to approve their request for licensure by endorsement or reciprocity. If a temporary permit is needed, check “YES” on the application and submit the additional fifty-dollar ($50.00) fee.   

Licensure by Endorsement:
The Board, at its discretion, may issue a license by endorsement to a qualified applicant under Ark. Code Ann. § 17-101-303. Requests for licensure by endorsement are reviewed at the board meeting following receipt of the application.

Reciprocity:
Act 426 of 2019 required licensing boards to adopt, by rule, the least restrictive licensing requirements for individuals who hold a substantially similar license in another state, have not been subject to certain disciplinary actions, and are sufficiently competent in their field. Requests for licensure by reciprocity are reviewed at the board meeting following receipt of the application. For more information, please see the Board’s rule on reciprocity that is found in the rules document posted under the website’s “Law” tab.

Applying for Certification as a Veterinary Technician or Veterinary Technologist

Application:
The application must contain the information required under Ark. Code Ann. § 17-101-306 and must be accompanied by the forty-dollar ($40.00) application fee. A short-list of the certification requirements can be found on the application checklist.

Eligibility:
The applicant must be a graduate of a college-level veterinary technology program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Examination:
All applicants are required to take and pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) that is administered by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). Each applicant will be responsible for having their VTNE score transferred to Arkansas through the AAVSB. There is no state-level examination in Arkansas for veterinary technicians or veterinary technologists.

Applying for a Certificate of Corporate Practice

Application:
If you are an Arkansas-licensed veterinarian and have incorporated your practice, you must register that corporation with the Board by submitting a Corporate Practice Application. Please be advised that under Ark. Code Ann. § 17-101-203 (9) the Board shall have the power to regulate all veterinarians in a corporate practice and prevent corporate or non-corporate holdings from being sold to, directed by, or controlled by a non-veterinarian. For more information, please see the Board’s rule on corporations that are found in the rules document posted under the website’s “Law” tab.

Applying for Certification as a Non-Veterinarian Embryo Transfer Technician

Application
The application must contain the information required under Ark. Code Ann. § 17-101-316 and must be accompanied by the one thousand-dollar ($1,000.00) application fee. A short-list of the certification requirements can be found on the application checklist. For more information, please see the Board’s rule on livestock embryo transfer or transplant and livestock pregnancy determination that is found in the rules document posted under the website’s “Law” tab.

Qualified Course
One requirement for certification is a record of completing a qualified course on livestock embryo transfer or transplant and livestock pregnancy determination. If you hold a Doctorate or Master of Science degree with an emphasis in animal reproductive physiology, that will constitute a qualified course. If you do not hold one of those degrees, you will need to take a course on livestock embryo transfer or transplant and livestock pregnancy determination that is taught by someone with a Doctorate or Master of Science degree with an emphasis in animal reproductive physiology or a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. You may also take a course through an accredited or approved college of veterinary medicine. Attached below is a list of course providers for livestock embryo transfer or transplant and livestock pregnancy determination that have been approved by the Board. If you are considering attending a course taught by a provider that is not on the list, please contact the Board office, as it may still qualify, but should be approved in advance of your attendance. Please keep in mind that the providers listed are for informational purposes only and in no way constitute an endorsement by the Board.