View New Fall '24 Annual Report to Licensees
’24-’25 Deadline to Renew Has Passed!
The ’24-’25 renewal cycle closed September 30th! All licenses not fully renewed are now expired as of October 1st. Practicing veterinary medicine in Louisiana with an expired LA license or certificate is a serious offense for which the Board can take disciplinary action. In accordance with Statute §1531 of the LA Veterinary Practice Act, any person who practices veterinary medicine in Louisiana without a currently valid Louisiana license, certificate, or temporary permit shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not less than $50 nor more than $500 for each act of such unlawful practice.
Check the LBVM Online Registry to see if a licensee has an expired license. If you suspect a licensee of practicing veterinary medicine with an expired license, the Board urges you to file a complaint.
LBVM Mission
The LBVM was originally created within the Department of Health and Hospitals to promote the public health, safety and welfare by safeguarding the peoples of the state of Louisiana from incompetent and dishonest practices of veterinary medicine; to encourage more effective utilization of the skills of licensed veterinarians for the health and welfare of animal patients in the delegating of certain veterinary health care tasks to qualified Registered Veterinary Technicians; and to provide the most humane restraint, capture and death possible for unwanted, diseased, dangerous, and discarded animals with the training of Certified Animal Euthanasia Technicians for animal control. The right to practice veterinary medicine is a privilege as set forth by the Legislature and enforced by the Board.
Effective August 1, 2018, the Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine was moved to the Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
LA Veterinary Practice Act & Rulemaking
The Louisiana Veterinary Practice Act, the Board Rules, and complimentary legal authority are provided below; however, they are continuously under review and potentially subject to adoption, amendment or repeal at any time based on circumstances presented. It would be prudent to follow the appropriate procedure when submitting queries, when applicable, by reviewing Rule 1423 regarding Declaratory Statements.
Current rulemaking activity as it relates to the LA Veterinary Practice Act can be found at www.lsbvm.org/rulemaking.
LA Veterinary Practice Act, Rules & Standards, Complimentary Laws, & Code of Ethics
If the PDF document of the LA Veterinary Practice Act above does not indicate on the bottom of page one that it was last updated in October ’22, you will need to press the F5 key on your keyboard to refresh the file.)
Recent Board News
Upcoming Downtime Expected for License & Application Portals
The LBVM License and Application Portals will be undergoing a software system upgrade that is expected to occur in early- to mid-January ’25. During this system upgrade, both portals are expected to be unavailable for 2 to 3 weeks (possibly a little longer)....
NAVLE Transitions to Three Testing Windows
Starting with the 2025-2026 testing cycle, the NAVLE will transition to three testing windows. This change provides greater accessibility for the increasing number of candidates, allows for quicker turnaround times for those who do not pass or who miss application...
Temporary Permits Are Not Issued
The Louisiana Veterinary Practice Act forbids the “practice of veterinary medicine” in Louisiana by anyone who “is not a licensed veterinarian or the holder of a valid temporary permit issued by the board”. La. R.S. 37:1514. The Practice Act allows the board to use...
Practicing with an Expired License is a Practice Act Violation
DVM licenses, RVT certificates and CAET certificates issued prior to May 1st, 2024 but not fully renewed – with all Continuing Education hours completed and submitted along with all proper documentation and required fees paid in full – before September 30th at 11:59pm...