Veterinary Licensing Information

To practice veterinary medicine, aspiring veterinarians must pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) administered by the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA). The ICVA offers the NAVLE twice a year: once in November/December and again in April. Information about the examination, as well as a link to practice examinations, is available on the ICVA鈥檚 website聽.聽Please pay close attention to the deadline dates. These dates are firm, and if missed, the applicant must wait until the next offering of the exam.

In addition to the NAVLE, each state requires a separate examination covering the veterinary laws and regulations for that state. One state licensing exam must be chosen when applying to take the NAVLE. Applicants should review the information contained on the website for their chosen state鈥檚 board of veterinary medical examiners. Links to veterinary examiner boards in all states and Canada may be found on the ICVA聽website聽.

Additional links relative to licensure can be found at: