CE Policies & Rules for RVTs

Continuing Education Policies for RVTs

CE Requirements | Approved Programs | Proof of Attendance | Late Fees/Fines | Recording CE for Renewal

Continuing Education activity can be recorded throughout the year in real time! After you attend a presentation for CE, 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.

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. To that end, the following statutes and rules have been created.

If your RVT certificate was issued prior to May 1st, 2024, you are still required to fulfill all CE hours by June 30th, 2024 in order to renew your certificate starting July 1st. Additionally, the Board reverted back to its regular rules in April ’22 and in so doing, a maximum of five (5) hours of credit may be obtained online (which includes interactive Zoom-style meetings).[/box]

811 D. Continuing Education Requirements

A minimum of ten continuing education units is required each fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) as a prerequisite for renewal of certification. An RVT who fails to obtain a minimum of ten continuing education units within the applicable fiscal period will not meet the requirements for renewal of his certificate.
Any programs accepted by another state’s regulatory board of veterinary medicine, a governmental entity, and/or AAVSB, as well as those programs sponsored by AVMA accredited schools of veterinary medicine and/or any professional associations recognized by the board shall be accepted as units or hours of annual continuing education. All other continuing education programs must be approved by the board prior to attendance with the subject matter content properly addressing the clinical practice of a registered veterinary technician. Those continuing education programs not timely submitted in accordance with Subsection F below will not be allowed for annual continuing education credit.
Proof of attendance, which shall include the name of the course, date(s) of attendance, hours attended, and specific subjects attended, shall be attached to the annual renewal form. Proof of attendance must include verification from the entity providing or sponsoring the educational program. However, the actual mediums of videotaped, self-test programs with third party grading, and/or self-help instruction, including online instruction with third party grading, are limited to five hours per fiscal period (July 1 through June 30). The requirement of timely pre-approval of the program by the board shall apply.
All hours shall be obtained for the applicable fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) preceding the renewal period of the certificate.
Each RVT must fulfill his annual educational requirements at his own expense or through a sponsoring agency other than the board.
Employment at an accredited school or college will not be accepted in lieu of performance of the required hours of continuing education.
Presenters of an approved continuing education program may not submit hours for their presentation of, or preparation for, the program as continuing education.

811 F. Approved Continuing Education Programs

Organizations sponsoring a continuing education program for RVTs which is required to obtain pre-approval must submit a request for approval of the program to the board no less than 14 days prior to the commencement of the program. Information to be submitted shall include:
1. the name of the proposed program;
2. course content; and
3. the number of continuing education units to be obtained by attendees.
RVTs may also submit a request for approval of a continuing education program which is required to obtain pre-approval, however, it must be submitted to the board no less than 14 days prior to the commencement of the program. Information to be submitted shall comply with the requirements of Paragraph F.1 of this Section.
Continuing education units which are submitted for renewal and were not pre-approved by the board may be reviewed by the board. If the units are not approved, the RVT will be required to take additional continuing education in an approved program prior to renewal of his certificate.

Please see the LIST OF BOARD-APPROVED CE PROGRAMS – which is updated every two weeks – or call the Board office if you have any questions.

Want to get a Continuing Education program approved by the Board? Pre-approval is required 14 days prior to the CE program. Any program that is RACE-approved does not need additional LBVM-approval. If you are unsure whether or not a CE program is accepted by the Board and/or to have continuing education programs reviewed by the Board, please submit a CE Approval Request to the Board by clicking the link below.

Go to CE Approval Request Form

Failure to obtain pre-approval may result in the denial of CE credit for annual renewal. In summary, at renewal time, hours which are turned in from programs that were NOT SUBJECT TO AUTOMATIC APPROVAL and/or NOT PRE-APPROVED as required by the Board, may be denied. If the program is denied, you will be required to take additional CE in an approved program prior to completing the renewal process and obtaining a current license. Late fees and fines will be imposed accordingly. Furthermore, if the required CE is not timely obtained during the fiscal period (July 1 through June 30), then the license expires on September 30 and you cannot legally practice as a Veterinary Technician until the renewal process is completed and you are issued a license for the current year.

Employment at an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine will not be accepted in lieu of completion of the required CE hours. Presenters of approved CE programs may not use the hours for program preparation and presentation as CE.

Get up to Six (6) CE Hours Annually by Attending LBVM Board Meetings! At its April 6, 2023 meeting, the Board voted to approve CE hours for any licensee who attends LBVM board meetings. A maximum of three (3) CE hours can be earned from each 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. Click here to register if you wish to earn CE hours for attending an upcoming Board meeting.

Proof of Attendance

In accordance with Rule 403.B listed above, proof of attendance (i.e. – certificates of completion) MUST include all of the following details: 1) Licensee’s First & Last Name, 2) Title of the Activity, 3) Name of Sponsor, 4) Specific Date of Attendance/Completion, 5) Total Hours Earned, and 6) Delivery Method. Certificates of Completion from conference attendance MUST include the total number of hours a licensee earned from attendance.

If any of this information is not included on the Proof of Attendance, the CE activity cannot be accepted.

Late Fees and Fines

All Registered Veterinary Technicians in the State of Louisiana are required to obtain 10 hours of continuing education per fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) (eff. 7/1/2007) as a prerequisite to renewal. Failure to do so is a violation of the LA Veterinary Practice Act and may result in a late fee and/or fine being imposed by the Board.

The late fee for RVT renewals is $20.
CE must be taken between July 1 and June 30 to meet the requirement that it be taken as a prerequisite to renewal.
A time period of no less than 90 days will be provided for completion of license renewals and missing/late CE hours.
Partial (incomplete) renewal submissions will not be accepted.
If the required CE is not timely obtained during the fiscal period (July 1 through June 30), then the license expires on September 30 and you cannot legally practice as a Registered Veterinary Technician until the renewal process is completed and you are issued a license for the current year.

The LA Veterinary Practice Act Rules associated with the CE submission are as follows:

Rule 811.D(1) – A minimum of ten continuing education units is required each fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) as a prerequisite for renewal of certification. An RVT who fails to obtain a minimum of ten continuing education units within the applicable fiscal period will not meet the requirements for renewal of his certificate.

Rule 811.D(2) – Any programs accepted by another state’s regulatory board of veterinary medicine, a governmental entity, and/or AAVSB, as well as those programs sponsored by AVMA accredited schools of veterinary medicine and/or any professional associations recognized by the board shall be accepted as units or hours of annual continuing education. All other continuing education programs must be approved by the board prior to attendance with the subject matter content properly addressing the clinical practice of a registered veterinary technician. Those continuing education programs not timely submitted in accordance with Subsection F below will not be allowed for annual
continuing education credit.

UPDATING/ENTERING CONTINUING EDUCATION ACTIVITY

Click here for instructions on recording continuing education hours into the LBVM License Portal.

IMPORTANT – All CE activity must be entered in the Continuing Education section PRIOR to starting your renewal process!

If you start your renewal without entering in your CE activity, you will have to back out of the renewal, then enter the CE activity, then continue with the renewal process.

LBVM License Portal