April 3, 2026
Photo courtesy of Adobe Express stock images
Veterinarians are not just responsible for dogs and cats, but for animals ranging from horses to snakes. This responsibility comes with an intensive licensing process. States impose licensing requirements that go far beyond basic animal care. The Knee Regulatory Research Center, this past December, released the 2025 Occupational Licensing Snapshot. providing updates on numerous professions within their occupational licensing database, one being veterinarian. The data comes directly from state government sources, including state laws and codes, as well as information listed on each state’s veterinary licensing board websites.
I will compare the different licensing requirements to become and remain a veterinarian. These requirements include licensure fees, minimum age requirements, and continuing education. This data can be used to understand the location, availability, and employee popularity of veterinarian and veterinary offices among the states.
To start with, licensing fees present one of the most intense barriers for aspiring veterinarians. Looking at Figure 1, it displays information on the requirement of licensure fees needed to become a veterinarian across all 50 states. The fees are drastically different from state to state, ranging from $35 to $1,000. It can often feel like an individual has to choose between where they live versus how much they want to pay to pursue their career. Alaska sits on the high side of $1,000 for an initial licensing fee, whereas Pennsylvania’s fee is $35. No matter the variance of these numbers, the responsibilities remain consistent across each state.
Figure 1: Initial Licensing Fees by State
Minimum age might be a requirement that often flies under the radar for most applicants. In most states, 18 years old is considered an adult. In the veterinary licensing snapshot, this requirement tends to be more inconsistent and less standardized than other variables needed to become a veterinarian. Those being Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia. This is one of the only variables that is not consistent across all states for a veterinarian license. As shown in Figure 2, some states require the minimum age to be 21 years old to obtain a license. The states shaded in gray in Figure 2 do not require a minimum age.
Figure 2: Minimum Age Requirement by State
The hard work is not done once someone receives their veterinarian license. After paying for the license and making sure all requirements, such as minimum age, are met, veterinarians are required to renew their license. Renewal fees represent the obligation beyond the initial licensure. Figure 3 displays renewal fees for veterinarians. As you can see, the gap is not as wide as with initial fees since renewal fees range from $40 to $600, with Alaska and Maryland having the highest. The figure displays the biennial renewal fees, as states can have a different renewal cycle.
Figure 3: Licensure Renewal Fees by State
Renewal fees are often looked at when wanting to keep your veterinarian licensing, but continuing education requirements are where the real investment of keeping a license comes into play. Veterinarians are typically required to complete this training outside of their regular work schedule and in a setting separate from their workplace. These hours are also calculated on a biennial renewal cycle, like the renewal fee. Figure 4 shows that many Midwestern states tend to have higher continuing education hours.
Figure 4: Continuing Education Credits by State
The path to becoming a licensed veterinarian depends on strongly where an individual chooses to practice with their license. This is consistent with all professions, including all 96 still are also required to take a certain number of exams and meet certain citizenship and good moral character requirements, but each licensing requirement does vary state by state. Although the workload is almost consistent across the country, the cost and effort to enter and stay in the veterinary profession is not.
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