Continuing Education
The Continuing Education requirement in Louisiana was established with the goal of ensuring that the public receive the best possible care from the veterinary community. The Board attempts to achieve this goal by requiring those persons who are licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Louisiana to remain current in subjects related to the practice of the profession. If your license or certification was issued prior to May 1, 2026, you are still required to fulfill all CE hours by June 30 and you must still renew your license starting July 1, 2026.
A maximum of 50% of required CE hours may be obtained online, as defined below, for all licensees and certificate holders.
CE hours must be completed between July 1 to June 30 of the fiscal year prior to the renewal cycle. In other words, for July 1st, 2026, all CE hours must be completed between July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
Earn up to Six (6) CE Hours Annually by Attending LBVM Board Meetings!
A maximum of three (3) CE hours can be earned from board meeting attendance, and the licensee must be present for at least three hours to earn all three CE credits for that particular meeting attendance. A maximum of six (6) CE hours can be earned annually from board meeting attendance. After each Board meeting, attendees will be emailed a CE Reporting Form.
Report Your CE Activity in Real-Time!
All DVMs, RVTs, and CAETs are able to enter continuing education activity into the LBVM License Portal in real-time throughout the year! No need to wait until the renewal cycle opens on July 1st! The earlier your CE activity is entered into the portal, the sooner the Board can review your activity and documentation for completeness.
After a presentation is attended, simply log into the LBVM License Portal, go to “Continuing Education”, select the current CE Period, enter in the CE activity details, and upload the certificate of completion. All of the CE activity entered throughout the year will promulgate into the renewal once you start it. With each new renewal cycle, you will have access to all past CE activity through the LBVM License Portal.
ONLINE vs. IN-PERSON Continuing Education Definitions
The LA Veterinary Practice Act (LAC title 46 part LXXXV) defines interactive webinars as online CE hours, not in-person CE hours.
The Board continues to receive questions from licensees concerning the type of continuing education hours required for the annual renewal of licenses – specifically whether interactive, “live” presentations viewed online may be substituted for the physical presence requirements for attendance at seminars, lectures, conferences, or workshops. Further guidance has been requested concerning the definition of “online instruction” which is limited to 50% of the total required hours per CE period (i.e. – fiscal year prior to July 1st renewal opening).
The Board is governed in this regard by the provisions of the Louisiana Administrative Code (LAC title 46 part LXXXV) and in particular sections 400, 403, 409, 413, 800, 812, 1200, and 1227. The LAC addresses continuing education instruction in terms of subject matter, accreditation, and the delivery method.
“Contact participation” (i.e.- in-person) is defined in section 400 as “physical attendance at seminars, lectures, conferences, or workshops”. CE hours earned by contact participation are not limited by the LA Veterinary Practice Act; however, a maximum of 50% of the required CE can be completed through online participation.
“Online Participation” is defined in section 400 and includes:
- pre-recorded, self-test audio or video presentations with third-party grading;
- non-interactive audio or video presentations in real-time available via the internet; and
- interactive or “live” audio or video presentations or webinars in real-time available via the internet.