Ohio Veterinary Licensing Explained: The RVT, License Verification and Ohio's CE Rules in Detail

Ohio has a large veterinary community, anchored by one of the country's biggest veterinary colleges at Ohio State, and a licensing board with detailed rules on continuing education. If you work in Ohio, the CE limits are the part most likely to catch you out at renewal.

Who regulates veterinary medicine in Ohio

The Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board (OVMLB) licenses veterinarians and registers veterinary technicians. Its rules are in Chapter 4741-1 of the Ohio Administrative Code, and the practice act is Chapter 4741 of the Ohio Revised Code.

The Ohio RVT

Ohio's technician credential is the registered veterinary technician (RVT). The Ohio Administrative Code defines an RVT as a person who holds a registration certificate issued by the board, and the Revised Code describes RVTs as graduates of a veterinary technology program approved by the board. In practice, the route is an AVMA accredited program and a passing VTNE score. See the VTNE guide.

The board's rules in section 4741-1-01 set out which duties an RVT may perform and at what level of supervision. As in most states, RVTs may not diagnose, prescribe or perform surgery.

How to verify an Ohio credential

Ohio publishes license verification for its boards through the state's eLicense system. To check a veterinarian or RVT:

1. Search by license or registration number if you have it.
2. Confirm the credential type: veterinarian or registered veterinary technician.
3. Read the status and expiration date.
4. Check for board action.
5. Save what you found and when.

See how to verify a veterinary license.

Continuing education

Ohio's CE rule, 4741-1-11, is more detailed than most. The board's summary:

Veterinarians

• 30 hours per renewal period.
• At least 20 hours must be approved medical CE directly related to veterinary medicine.
• No more than 10 hours may be practice management or professional development.
• No more than 18 hours online. Live webinars count as online for veterinarians.

Registered veterinary technicians

• 10 hours per renewal period.
• At least 6 hours must be approved medical CE.
• No more than 4 hours may be practice management or professional development.
• No more than 6 hours online. For RVTs, live webinars count as in person, which gives technicians more flexibility than veterinarians.

Rules for everyone

• Professional journals count for no more than 2 hours.
• AVMA, OVMA, RACE approved and university programs are automatically acceptable. The board also publishes its own list of approved CE.
• New graduates are exempt from CE for their first renewal.
• CE from January and February of a renewal year can be carried to the next cycle if it was not used for the current renewal.
• A one lifetime waiver is available in an emergency, but the hours must be made up at the next renewal.

What counts as practice management

The board defines non medical practice management and professional development broadly: business management, regulatory compliance, jurisprudence, instrumentation training, medical records, software, communication and ethics. Wellness programs on compassion fatigue, burnout and suicide ideation may qualify in this category, which is worth knowing given what the data shows about the profession. See veterinary burnout and wellbeing.

A worked example

An Ohio RVT with 10 hours of CE that includes 7 hours of on demand online courses has a problem: only 6 online hours count. The same technician with 4 recorded hours and 3 live webinar hours is fine, because live webinars count as in person for RVTs. Track hours by type, not just total. The free RACEtrack service from the AAVSB can help.

What this means for Ohio practices

• Budget CE time as well as money. The medical minimums mean a practice management conference alone will not satisfy renewal.
• Encourage live webinars for RVTs. They are flexible and count as in person.
• Verify after renewal periods that every veterinarian and RVT on the schedule shows a current status.

How Zuse helps

Zuse Hire shows Ohio practices licensed veterinarians and RVTs nearby, checked against the board's record. On Zuse Talent, Ohio veterinarians and technicians can claim their license and browse vet tech jobs and veterinarian jobs with pay shown.

Sources

• Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board, Continuing education
• Ohio Administrative Code, Rule 4741-1-11 and Rule 4741-1-01
• Ohio Veterinary Medical Association, OVMLB updates continuing education rule (December 2023)

Rules change. Confirm the current requirements with the OVMLB.

FAQ

How many CE hours do Ohio veterinarians need?

Thirty hours per renewal period, with at least 20 hours of approved medical CE, no more than 10 hours of practice management and no more than 18 hours online.

How many CE hours do Ohio RVTs need?

Ten hours per renewal period, with at least 6 hours of approved medical CE, no more than 4 hours of practice management and no more than 6 hours online.

Do live webinars count as online CE in Ohio?

For veterinarians, yes. For RVTs, live webinars count as in person CE.

Are new graduates exempt from CE in Ohio?

Yes. New graduates are exempt from the CE requirement for their first renewal.

Does wellness CE count in Ohio?

Programs on compassion fatigue, burnout and suicide ideation may count as practice management and professional development, within that category's limit.