How many hours you owe
Veterinary continuing education 2027 is set state by state, as it is every year: there is no national veterinary CE requirement, and veterinary license renewal runs on each board's own calendar rather than a shared one. A 2027 veterinary CE plan starts with your own board. Every state board sets its own number, its own cycle and its own rules about what counts, ranging from 10 hours a year to 60 over three years, with most cycles falling between 20 and 36 and renewing annually, biennially or triennially. On top of the number sit the restrictions that decide whether the hours you have actually count: caps on online or self study hours, minimum in person hours, and mandatory subjects such as controlled substances or state law and rules.
Continuing education for veterinarians is set entirely at state level. There is no national veterinary continuing education requirement, no reciprocity between most states, and no single body that tracks your hours for you. If you hold licenses in two states you owe both, and the same course can count in full in one and be capped in the other.
State requirements
Each row below was read from the board rule, state code or association summary linked beside it. Read the requirement column as closely as the hours, because caps on self study and mandatory subjects are what most often leave a cycle short at the end.
Checked in September 2026. Every row links to the board rule, state code or association summary it was verified against. Requirements change, sometimes mid cycle, so confirm with your own board before you rely on any row here.
| State | Hours | Cycle | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 20 | 1 year | Half must be in person, and at least 16 of the 20 must be scientific. No more than 4 practice management. New graduates exempt until the next full calendar year | Alabama board CE |
| Alaska | 30 | 2 years | At least 20 must be medical and no more than 10 non medical. No online cap. Your first period is 15 hours for each complete calendar year licensed | Alaska board rules |
| Arizona | 20 | 2 years | If you hold a DEA number, 3 hours must cover opioids or substance use disorder, inside the 20. No more than 2 hours practice management. All 20 may be online if the program is interactive | Arizona board CE |
| Arkansas | 20 | 1 year | At least 10 must be in person or live interactive, so no more than 10 prerecorded. At least 10 must be medicine and surgery, no more than 8 nonscientific. Waived for the period you graduated in | Arkansas board rules |
| California | 36 | 2 years | Includes 1 hour on judicious use of medically important antimicrobials every 4 years, inside the 36. No more than 24 hours practice management. First renewal exempt | California VMB regulations |
| Colorado | 32 | 2 years | Includes 2 hours jurisprudence, 1 hour substance use prevention and 2 hours supervision training, all inside the 32. No more than 16 hours non biomedical. Nothing carries over | Colorado 4 CCR 727-1 |
| Connecticut | 24 | 1 year | Renewal is annual but the lookback is the preceding 24 months. Online courses qualify with no cap and there are no mandatory subjects. First renewal exempt | Connecticut statute |
| Delaware | 24 | 2 years | No online cap, no minimum live hours and no mandatory subjects. New licensees are prorated: nothing under 6 months, 6 hours to a year, 12 hours to two years | Delaware board rules |
| District of Columbia | 36 | 2 years | Includes 2 hours LGBTQ cultural competency and 3.6 hours on District public health priorities, both inside the 36. No online cap. First renewal exempt | DC municipal regulations |
| Florida | 30 | 2 years | Includes 2 hours laws and rules and 1 hour dispensing legend drugs. No more than 15 hours non interactive correspondence, with 5 hour caps on alternative modalities, practice management and wellbeing. First renewal exempt | Florida rule 61G18-16.002 |
| Georgia | 30 | 2 years | Includes 2 hours on Georgia law and professionalism, inside the 30, and at least 18 scientific. No more than 15 hours non interactive, and those need a post test. Licensed in year two of the biennium and you are exempt | Georgia board rules |
| Hawaii | 20 | 2 years | Board approved sponsors only. No online cap and no mandatory subjects. The new graduate exemption is narrow: it applies only if you graduated within a year of your first renewal | Hawaii board CE page |
| Idaho | 15 | 2 years | Rewritten under the state's red tape reduction rules, so no online cap, no minimum live hours and no mandatory subject. Renewals moved from annual to biennial in October 2025 | Idaho board CE notice |
| Illinois | 40 | 2 years | Self study through an approved provider is accepted with no cap, and there are no mandatory subjects. First renewal exempt | Illinois 68 IAC 1500.25 |
| Indiana | 40 | 2 years | No cap on online or self study hours and no mandatory subjects. First renewal exempt, and nothing carries over | Indiana admin code |
| Iowa | 60 | 3 years | No more than 30 by distance education and no more than 20 practice management. Up to 20 spare hours carry into the next triennium. Your first cycle is prorated by the year you were licensed | Iowa board rules |
| Kansas | 20 | 1 year | Set by statute rather than board rule. No mandatory subjects, no online cap and no minimum live hours. Renewal is by attestation | Kansas board CE |
| Kentucky | 30 | 2 years | Includes 2 hours on pharmacy, controlled substances or law, inside the 30. At least 15 must be live, no more than 15 prerecorded, and no more than 10 practice management | Kentucky 201 KAR 16:590 |
| Louisiana | 20 | 1 year | No more than 10 of the 20 may be earned online. Hours must fall in the 12 months before renewal and nothing carries over. Presenting a course earns you nothing | Louisiana board CE |
| Maine | 24 | 2 years | The license renews annually but the hours are only due at the even year renewal. No more than 6 hours practice management. New licensees exempt for their first period | Maine board licensing |
| Maryland | 18 | 1 year | At least 12 must be scientific and no more than 6 non scientific. All 18 may be taken online. Unused hours carry into the following year | Maryland board renewals |
| Massachusetts | 15 | 1 year | No more than 6 of the 15 may be non interactive, so at least 9 must be live. No mandatory subjects. Hours are counted over the prior calendar year | Massachusetts 256 CMR 9 |
| Michigan | 45 | 3 years | Includes 1 hour on medical records and 1 hour on veterinary or controlled substance law, inside the 45. At least 30 scientific, no more than 33 online, and at least 12 live of which 6 in person | Michigan board rules |
| Minnesota | 40 | 2 years | At least 30 must be interactive. Non interactive self study is credited at 3 hours studied per hour earned and capped at 10. No more than 10 practice management | Minnesota rule 9100.1000 |
| Mississippi | 15 | 1 year | The year runs 1 August to 1 August. At least 10 must be contact hours, in person or RACE approved live stream. New graduates exempt for the year they graduate | Mississippi board rules |
| Missouri | 10 | 1 year | The year runs 1 December to 30 November. No more than 2 hours journal self study and no more than 4 hours non scientific. Up to 10 spare hours carry into the next year | Missouri board rules |
| Montana | 20 | 2 years | No more than 10 may be online, but a live session where you can question the presenter counts as in person. Practice management capped at a quarter of the total | Montana board CE |
| Nebraska | 32 | 2 years | If you prescribe controlled substances, 3 hours must cover opiate prescribing including half an hour on the state PDMP, inside the 32. Home study and practice management are each capped at 8 hours | Nebraska DHHS licensure |
| Nevada | 40 | 2 years | No more than 20 by distance learning or correspondence. No mandatory subjects. Licensed on or after 1 October of the preceding even year and you owe 20 instead | Nevada NAC 638 |
| New Hampshire | 30 | 2 years | Includes 1 hour on medical records, law or ethics and 1 hour on opioids, inside the 30. At least 6 hours in each 12 months, at least 24 medical, and at least half live or interactive | New Hampshire vet rules |
| New Jersey | 20 | 2 years | Includes 1 hour on prescription opioids, inside the 20. At least 17 must be surgery, medicine or dentistry and no more than 4 business management. No online cap | NJ board regulations |
| New Mexico | 15 | 1 year | The rule caps non contact hours at 7.5, but the board is accepting all 15 online through 31 December 2026. No more than 5 hours on facility or records management. Up to 15 spare hours carry forward | NM rule 16.25.4 NMAC |
| New York | 45 | 3 years | No more than 22.5 self instructional. Includes 2 hours on controlled substances, inside the 45. Exempt for the triennium in which you are first licensed | NY Office of Professions |
| North Carolina | 20 | 1 year | No more than 10 may be self study or non interactive online. There is no controlled substance hour in force, though the board has one out for comment. Licensed in the year you graduated and you are exempt next period | NC Vet Medical Board |
| North Dakota | 24 | 2 years | At least 18 of the 24 must be in person or live virtual, so only 6 may be prerecorded. That replaced the old 12 hour online cap in April 2026. No more than 8 practice management | ND board rules |
| Ohio | 30 | 2 years | At least 20 must be medical, no more than 10 practice management, and at least 12 of the 30 must be taken in person. First renewal exempt and nothing carries over | Ohio rule 4741-1-11 |
| Oklahoma | 20 | 1 year | Includes 2 hours on controlled substance law or the practice act, and 1 hour on pain management or opioids if you hold a DEA registration, both inside the 20. RACE approved online hours are uncapped | Oklahoma board CE |
| Oregon | 30 | 2 years | The license renews annually but the hours report every two years. Includes 1 hour on judicious antibiotic use and 1 hour on analgesia and anesthesia, inside the 30. No online cap | Oregon OAR 875-010-0090 |
| Pennsylvania | 30 | 2 years | Office management and practice building courses do not count. No more than 7.5 hours may be individual study, so at least 22.5 must be live | 49 Pa. Code 31.15 |
| Rhode Island | 24 | 2 years | At least 16 must be contact hours, so no more than 8 non contact, and no more than 4 business management. Licensed after 1 May and you are exempt until the next even year renewal | RI regulation 216-40-05-14 |
| South Carolina | 30 | 2 years | At least 20 must be live in person or live interactive and at least 22 medical or surgical. Prescribers add 2 hours on controlled substances, inside the 30. Reported through CE Broker | SC LLR CE sheet |
| South Dakota | 32 | 2 years | The rule sets 16 hours a year and the biennial renewal form asks for 32. Industry sponsored programs count at half credit. No mandatory subjects and no online cap | SD board renewal form |
| Tennessee | 20 | 1 year | At least 15 must be in the practice of veterinary medicine, with 5 allowed as special interest. No more than 8 hours of multimedia CE, and those need a post course exam | Tennessee board rules |
| Texas | 17 | 1 year | Includes 2 hours on opioids and controlled substances every 2 years, inside the 17 rather than on top. No more than 5 hours prerecorded and no more than 5 practice management | Texas Vet Board |
| Utah | 24 | 2 years | Includes 1 hour on opioid use and dependency and 1 hour on communication, both inside the 24. No more than 6 hours practice management. Any course with no live instructor needs an exam | Utah DOPL renewal |
| Vermont | 24 | 2 years | No approved provider requirement, no online cap and no mandatory subject. Reading and research count if you keep a log as you go | Vermont OPR rules |
| Virginia | 15 | 1 year | No online cap and no mandatory subject. First renewal after licensure by exam is exempt. Nothing carries over, and up to 2 hours may come from volunteering at a free clinic | Virginia 18VAC150-20-70 |
| Washington | 30 | 2 years | At least 20 must be scientific or clinical and no more than 10 from non interactive printed or electronic material. A one time 3 hour suicide prevention course, 2 hours health equity every 4 years and a jurisprudence hour before first renewal all sit inside the 30 | WAC 246-933-445 |
| West Virginia | 18 | 1 year | At least 14 must be practice related and no more than 4 practice management. Online courses are uncapped. New graduates exempt for the year they are licensed | West Virginia board CE |
| Wisconsin | 30 | 2 years | At least 25 must be scientific and documented by an approved provider. Online and other distance formats are uncapped. First renewal exempt | Wisconsin admin code VE 1.30 |
| Wyoming | 24 | 2 years | Includes 3 hours on responsible prescribing of controlled substances, inside the 24. Practice management capped at a quarter of the total. The license itself renews annually | Wyoming board rules |
Every row links to the board rule, state code or board guidance it was read from. Boards amend these between renewals, so if your cycle is close, open your own board's page before you plan around a number here.
Do not get caught out of cycle. Check the cycle for every state you hold a license in, not only the one you practise in most. Cycles run annually, biennially or triennially. Check what the cycle is counted against as well. Some states run on the calendar year and reset on 31 December; others count from your own license issue or expiry date, so your deadline is personal to you.
What RACE approval means
RACE is the Registry of Approved Continuing Education, run by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. It applies one set of quality standards to veterinary CE so that boards do not each have to vet every course. Most states accept RACE approved hours without further review, which is why the phrase is on every conference brochure. RACE approved veterinary continuing education is the default currency of a renewal, and the exceptions are the states that cap how much of it may be self study.
Things to know
- RACE approval expires. It is granted to a specific program for a limited period. A recorded webinar that was RACE approved when it was filmed may not be approved when you watch it. Check the program number and its valid dates, not the marketing page.
- RACE approved is not automatically accepted everywhere. Boards still apply their own subject and delivery rules on top. A RACE approved practice management course is still disallowed in Pennsylvania.
- Interactive and non interactive distance learning are treated differently. A live webinar where you can ask questions is not the same category as a recorded video, and states that cap self study are usually capping the second one.
AAVSB lists approved programs through CE Broker, and offers RACEtrack for keeping your own record. Several state boards also audit through CE Broker directly, so if yours does, putting your certificates in there as you go saves a bad week later.
Seven ways to earn the hours
Ranked roughly by cost per hour, cheapest first. Each carries different delivery restrictions, so check your board's caps before committing a cycle to one of them.
Free manufacturer CE
Merck Animal Health, Zoetis and other animal health companies run RACE approved courses at no charge. Strong on vaccines, parasiticides, dermatology and pain management. Thin on surgery, imaging and anything a sponsor has no product in.
Journal CE
Several veterinary journals carry RACE approved CE articles with a subscription, and some subscriptions are free. Slow per hour, but it fits in the gaps between appointments in a way a webinar does not.
Online veterinary CE subscriptions
VetFolio, VETgirl, dvm360 Flex and similar platforms sell a year of veterinary continuing education online, on demand and live, for a flat fee, typically several hundred hours in the library. The best value per hour if your state does not cap self study.
Virtual conference tickets
IVECCS, the New York State Veterinary Conference and several others sell virtual or on demand access alongside the in person meeting. You get the live hours and the recordings without the flights.
State and regional meetings
The lowest cost in person hours by a distance, and the content is aimed at the medicine you actually practice in your region. Your state VMA membership usually pays for itself in the member registration rate alone.
National conferences
VMX, WVC, AVMA Convention, AAHA Con and the large regionals. The most hours available in one trip and the only realistic place to do multiple wet labs back to back. See the full 2027 conference calendar.
Wet labs and certificate programs
Hands on labs, university short courses and structured certificate programs in dentistry, ultrasound, rehabilitation or acupuncture. The most expensive hours you will buy, and usually the ones that change your Monday.
Veterinary dental CE and veterinary ultrasound CE
Two of these specialties are worth separating out, because neither behaves like the rest of the list.
Veterinary dental CE has a meeting of its own. The Veterinary Dental Forum caps one attendee at 24 hours, and it is approved by NYSED through July 2027 rather than by RACE, so confirm your board takes it before you count those hours against a renewal. The 41st forum runs October 6 to 9, 2027 in St. Louis. Manufacturer CE is thin here for the same reason it is thin on surgery, which leaves the forum, university short courses and a small number of structured certificate programs.
Veterinary ultrasound CE is almost entirely wet lab and certificate work rather than lecture. That puts it at the expensive end of this list, and outside the self study caps most boards apply to online hours, so a state that will only take 10 online hours will usually take an ultrasound lab in full.
CE on a budget
If your practice has no CE allowance, or you have already spent it, a full cycle can still be covered at no cost. The trade is a narrower choice of topics, not fewer hours. Almost all of it is online vet CE, so the limit is your board's distance learning rule rather than your diary.
Free veterinary CE
Free vet CE is easiest to find from manufacturers and journals, and free veterinary continuing education counts the same as paid provided the RACE approval is current. Every source in the table below is free online veterinary CE, so none of it costs a travel day either.
Free and low cost RACE approved sources. Availability changes, and RACE approval on any individual course expires, so confirm the program number before you count the hours.
| Source | Cost | What it covers well |
|---|---|---|
| Merck Animal Health CE | Free | Vaccinology, immunology, infectious disease prevention |
| Zoetis on demand CE | Free | Pain management, dermatology, infectious disease, clinical updates |
| Vet Candy CE on demand | Free | Short specialist led sessions, certificate issued immediately |
| VetMedTeam | Free courses available | Foundation topics, strong for support staff as well as vets |
| Journal CE articles | Free with subscription | Clinical reviews, read at your own pace |
| Online CE subscriptions | Annual fee | Hundreds of hours across most clinical areas, live and recorded |
| State VMA member CE | Included or discounted | State law and rules hours, which are hard to get anywhere else |
Three routes are worth knowing about specifically. Free online continuing education for veterinary technicians is easier to come by than the equivalent for vets, and several of the sources above issue RACE approved certificates for the whole team. Live veterinary CE webinars are the other dependable free route, and the interactive format also satisfies the states that cap self study. Veterinary management CE is the one to check before you rely on it, because practice management hours are capped or excluded outright in many states.
Do the mandatory subjects first. Controlled substances, state law and rules, and antimicrobial stewardship hours are specific and often short. Clear them, then spend the rest of the cycle on what you actually want to learn.
Veterinary technician CE is a separate requirement
Every state that credentials veterinary technicians sets continuing education for them too, on its own number and its own cycle, and it is rarely the same as the veterinarian's. Boards write it as veterinary technician continuing education and practices say vet tech CE; the rule is the same either way. A practice that tracks only the doctors' hours is tracking half the building.
Three differences catch practices out. The technician requirement is usually smaller, commonly 10 to 20 hours where the veterinarian owes 20 to 40. The cycle often runs on a different renewal date, so the two sets of hours are never due together. And the caps are not the same: a state may accept all technician hours online while capping the veterinarian's, or the reverse.
The title differs by state as well, which matters when you are reading a board rule. RVT, LVT, CVT and LVMT all describe a credentialed technician, and the board's technician rule will be written under whichever term that state uses. Looking up vet tech CE for your state and finding nothing usually means the rule is filed under a title you did not search for.
Where free vet tech CE comes from
Free vet tech continuing education comes from largely the same sources as the veterinarian version, and is worth knowing separately because vet tech CE budgets are smaller or absent. Free CE for vet techs sits on the same manufacturer and journal sites, under a different audience line. Manufacturer programs, VetMedTeam, state association member CE and technician tracks at regional meetings all carry RACE approved veterinary technician CE. Free continuing education for veterinary technicians is approved separately from the veterinarian version. RACE approval is granted for a specific audience, so a course approved for veterinarians is not automatically approved for technicians. The approval line on the certificate says which, and that is the line an auditor reads.
Check the audience, not just the approval. The most common veterinary technician continuing education problem is a certificate from a genuinely RACE approved course that was approved for veterinarians only. The hours were earned. They do not count.
Tracking hours so an audit is boring
Most renewals are an attestation: you sign to confirm the hours were completed, and certificates are not submitted alongside the renewal. Boards audit a proportion of licensees afterwards, and an attestation carries no weight without the records behind it.
- Keep every certificate. With the RACE program number, the date, the hours and whether it was live, interactive distance or self study. That last field is the one auditors query.
- Keep them for longer than you think. Several boards require records covering the last three renewal periods, and some ask for five years. A folder in your email or a single cloud folder is enough.
- Use a tracker if your state audits through one. AAVSB's RACEtrack and CE Broker both do this, and several boards accept a CE Broker transcript directly.
- Log the hours the day you earn them. Record each one wherever you track your CE as soon as the certificate arrives.
Veterinary CE questions vets ask
How many CE hours do veterinarians need in 2027?
There is no national number. Each state board sets its own requirement and its own renewal cycle. Common patterns are 20 hours a year, 30 to 36 hours over two years, or 45 hours over three years. Texas asks for 17 hours annually, California for 36 every two years, Florida for 30 every two years, and New York for 45 every three years. Check your own board before you rely on any figure, because the rules change.
What does RACE approved mean?
RACE is the Registry of Approved Continuing Education, run by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. It applies uniform quality standards to veterinary CE programs, and most state boards accept RACE approved hours without further review. RACE approval is granted to a specific program for a limited period, so a course that was approved two years ago may no longer be. Approved programs are listed through CE Broker.
Can all of my veterinary CE hours be online?
It depends on the state. Veterinary CE online is uncapped by some boards and limited by others, and the state table above carries the rule for each one. Some accept online hours without limit, others cap self study or non interactive hours, and some require a minimum number of in person hours. New York, for example, allows a maximum of 22.5 self instructional hours in a three year cycle. Read your board's rule on distance learning before you buy an online subscription to cover a whole cycle.
Is there free RACE approved veterinary CE?
Yes. Animal health companies including Merck Animal Health and Zoetis run free RACE approved courses, several veterinary journals carry free CE articles with their subscriptions, and platforms such as VetMedTeam and Vet Candy publish free on demand courses. Free CE is usually strongest on vaccines, parasiticides, dermatology and pain management, and thinner on surgery and diagnostics.
How do I track my veterinary CE hours?
Keep the certificate for every course, with the RACE program number, date, hours and delivery method. AAVSB offers RACEtrack for tracking, several states audit through CE Broker, and some boards ask you to keep records for three to five years after the renewal period. If you are audited, a signed renewal form is not evidence: the certificates are.
What happens if I miss my CE deadline?
It varies by state and none of the outcomes are good. Some boards let you renew as inactive and require you to stop practicing until the hours are complete, some charge a late or reinstatement fee, and some open a disciplinary file. If you are going to be short, contact the board before the deadline rather than after it.
Do conference hours and online hours count the same?
To the board, usually yes, as long as both are accepted under its delivery rules. The difference is what you get for the money. A conference buys you wet labs, specialists you can corner in a hallway and a break from the clinic. An online subscription buys you volume and flexibility. If you need labs, no subscription replaces them. If you need twenty hours by December, no conference beats a subscription on cost.
Do technicians have their own CE requirements?
Yes, and they are usually lower and on their own cycle. North Carolina, for example, asks registered veterinary technicians for 12 hours across a two year registration period, against 20 hours a year for veterinarians. Most state boards publish the technician rule alongside the veterinarian rule, and most conferences run technician tracks that meet it.
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About the requirements on this page
State CE rules were checked in September 2026 against state board regulations and state veterinary medical association guidance. They change, occasionally in the middle of a renewal cycle, and this page is a starting point, not legal advice. Your board's own published rule is the only version that counts at renewal.
Found something out of date? Tell us at [email protected] and we will correct it.
Last updated 14 September 2026.