Veterinary Technician Licensing

States Licensed

36

of 50 states and D.C.

×

Burden Rank

15th

for average burdens 1st is worst

=

Combined Rank

28th

for states licensed x average burdens 1st is worst

Change from 2017 to 2022, if any:
Burden increased
Burden decreased
Mixed burden change
N
New license
E
Eliminated license
2022 Licensing Burden Rank
Lower Burden Rank
Higher Burden Rank
No state license

How does my state compare to others?

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Definition

Veterinary technicians generally work in private clinical practices under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian. They may perform laboratory tests, such as a urinalysis, and help veterinarians conduct a variety of other diagnostic tests. They may also talk with animal owners about a pet’s condition or how to administer medication prescribed by a veterinarian. 1

2022 Snapshot

  • 15 unlicensed states
  • Days lost are 730 in all states
  • Fees range from $150 (Arizona) to $1,076 (California)
  • 36 states require 1+ exam
  • 13 states set minimum age
  • 3 states set minimum grade

Changes Since 2017

  • No licenses created or removed
  • Fees changed most often and always increased except in Alaska; Washington decreased education
  • Burden rank worsened 2 spots, largely because other occupations improved more; combined rank improved 1 spot due largely to expanded licensing of a similarly ranked occupation

2022 Licensing Burden in Detail

N New License
E Eliminated License
Increase
Decrease

Data Notes: 2022 data collected between February 3, 2020, and March 18, 2022. Fees include charges for application review and license issuance; exams; background checks, credit reports and fingerprinting; recovery fund contributions; third-party certification; and certain fees for training courses. Calendar days lost were estimated based on required education and experience; except for amounts smaller than one day, days lost are rounded to whole days and thus may not reflect very small changes between 2017 and 2022. Appendix A details methods for estimating days lost and calculating burden ranks. Complete data, including revised 2017 data, are available at https://ij.org/report/license-to-work-3/ltw3-data/.

Additional Resources