Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

Licenses and regulates all those qualified in Tennessee to practice as a veterinarian, veterinary medical technician, or euthanasia technician.

About  the Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

The Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners was created in 1905 by an act of the State Legislature. Its mission is to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of Tennesseans by insuring that all who practice as a veterinarian, veterinary medical technician, or euthanasia technician within this state are qualified. Effective January 1, 1997 veterinary facilities are required to obtain a premise permit. The Board interprets the laws, rules, and regulations to determine the appropriate standards of practice and assures the highest degree of professional conduct. The Board is responsible for the investigation of alleged violations of law and rules, and disciplines licensees, facility owners, and facilities that are found guilty. The Board may grant licensure by either examination or endorsement from other states.

The administrative staff of the Division of Health Related Boards supports the Board by issuing licenses to those who meet the requirements of the law and rules.  For those licensees who have opted in for paper notification, renewal notices are mailed from the Board's administrative office approximately ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the license to the current address on record.  For those licensees who have opted in for electronic notificaiton, an email will be sent to the email address on file approximately ninety-eight (98) days prior to the expiration date of the license.  Licenses can be renewed on-line approximately one hundred (100) days prior to expiration at https://apps.tn.gov/hlrs/. Veterinary facilities are recommended to submit their renewal application ninety (90) days prior to expiration to ensure time for the renewal inspection to be conducted prior the expiration of the premises permit/license.  Click on the "License Renewal" link and follow the prompts. Licensees are responsible for renewing their licenses on time and keeping the Board apprised of current information. It is a violation of the law and of the board’s rules to practice on an expired license.

Board meetings are scheduled throughout the year for purposes of conducting administrative business concerning ratifying licenses, promulgating rules, disciplinary matters, etc. A quorum of four (4) members is required to conduct business. The meetings are open to the public. All members of the Board are appointed by the Governor and serve five (5) year terms

Licensure Scam Alert

The Department of Health has been made aware that some licensees of a few different health licensure boards have received fraudulent communications from individuals claiming to be from those licensee’s licensing boards. The communications, often by phone, may threaten arrest or license suspension, demand personal information, or require payment of fines.  Some of them have been accompanied by fraudulent letters claiming to suspend the license. Please note: 

  • Phone calls may “spoof” or appear to be from the boards’ number;
  • If you need to verify the identity of a TN board investigator, call (615) 741-8485 or email OIV.Complaints@tn.gov.
  • The health-related board investigators will never demand that you provide personally identifying information, such as a social security number, date of birth, or bank or credit card account numbers over the phone;
  • These types of licensing scams are a problem nationwide.

 If you believe you are the recipient of a fraudulent communication claiming to be from your licensing board:

  • If you believe you are the recipient of a fraudulent communication claiming to be from your licensing board:
  • Report the communication to the Internet Crime Complaint Center Internet Crime Complaint Center at using the code "TDHHPBSCAM2026".  This will allow law enforcement to link these scams for improved investigation.
  • Complainants can alternatively call the Fusion Center Tipline (800TBIFIND) or submit a tip online at TBI but the IC3 is preferred.

·         Notify the Department of Health at (615) 741-8485 or email OIV.Complaints@tn.gov

  • The Federal Trade Commission also accepts reports about “Imposter Scams” online or at 1-877-382-4357.

Featured Links

Contact

Contact the Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

615-532-5090 local or 1-800-778-4123 nationwide or write
665 Mainstream Drive, 2nd Floor
Nashville, TN 37243Email: Veterinary.Health@tn.gov

Applying for Licensure

When completing the application process below, you will be required to submit an official transcript from the institution where you completed your education. The transcript must be mailed directly from the educational institution to the board office located at 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, TN 37243.

Applications and Forms

► Applying for initial licensure from your professional licensing board has become a bit easier. The Department of Health has an online application process that will allow all health care professionals to apply online for an initial license and complete (and update as necessary) a practitioner profile mandatory for certain professions.  The process is user friendly and convenient and even allows you to pay for your initial application utilizing a credit card, debit card or e-check.  You will also be able to upload many of the documents required to complete your initial application!  Please go to the initial application link below to begin the online process.

Paper Application 

Meetings, Members, & Minutes

Meeting Schedule

Click for the [Board] Calendar of Events

Public Notices will remain online until the minutes are ratified and posted on the Meeting Minutes page.

Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at 665 Mainstream Drive, MetroCenter.

Members

Board Members

Member Title Representation Term Expires
Montgomery McInturff, D.V.M. Vice President Licensed Veterinarian 07-31-2024
Mark Garrett, D.V.M. Member Licensed Veterinarian 07-31-2026
Cathryn Youmans, D.V.M. Secretary Licensed Veterinarian 07-31-2027
Sarah Spidel, D.V.M. Member Licensed Veterinarian 07-31-2027
Leslie Wereszcak, L.V.M.T. President Licensed Veterinary Medical Technician 07-31-2027
Marissa Lee Member Consumer 07/31/2029
Samantha Beaty, D.V.M. Ex-officio Member State Veterinarian  
Vacant Member Licensed Veterinarian 07-31-2025

Meeting Minutes

Continuing Education

Failure to comply with continuing education requirements may result in disciplinary action against the licensee or registrant. The disciplinary action will be reported on the Department of Health license verification web site. 

Veterinary Medicine

Each veterinarian is required to obtain twenty (20) hours of continuing education each calendar year. Fifteen (15) hours must pertain to the medical and surgical care of animals. Five (5) hours may pertain to a special interest in veterinary medicine in fields other than the medical and surgical care of animals, including but not limited to practice management and state and federal regulatory programs.  A maximum of ten (10) hours may be obtained in a multi-media format.

For every two-year period, two (2) of the required hours must pertain to regulatory issues, controlled substances, or professional ethics.

A licensee is exempt from continuing education requirements during the calendar year of the licensee’s graduation from an approved school or college of veterinary medicine.

The Board approves courses for only the number of hours contained in the course. A licensee will not receive credit for repeating the same course in a calendar year.

The due date for attendance and completion of the required continuing education hours is December 31 of each year.  Each veterinarian must retain independent documentation of attendance and completion of all continuing education courses. This documentation must be retained for a period of four (4) years from the end of the calendar year in which the course is completed. This documentation must be produced for inspection and verification, if requested by the Board.

Course Approval for Veterinarians

All courses to be offered for credit toward the required continuing education hours must, unless otherwise provided, receive approval from the Board.

The following courses need not receive prior approval and shall constitute Board approved continuing education courses:

1.  Courses sponsored or approved by any of the following organizations:

  • American Animal Hospital Association
  • American Association for Wildlife Veterinarians
  • American Association for Women Veterinarians
  • American Association of Avian Pathologists
  • American Association of Bovine Practitioners
  • American Association of Equine Practitioners
  • American Association of Sheep and Goat Practitioners
  • American Association of Swine Practitioners
  • American Association of Veterinary Clinicians
  • American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists
  • American College of Veterinary Toxicologists
  • American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine
  • American College of Poultry Veterinarians
  • American College of Theriogenologists
  • American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
  • American Dairy Science Association
  • American Society of Animal Scientists
  • American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology
  • American Society of Veterinary Ophthalmology
  • American Veterinary Epidemiology Society

2.  Educational courses sponsored by an accredited school of veterinary medicine or AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organization.  A course taken for  or assigned three (3) semester credit hours or equivalent quarter credit hours counts as fifteen (15) continuing education hours.  No credits will be counted for courses failed.

3.  Courses and programs approved by the Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE), which is the American Association of Veterinary State Boards national clearinghouse for approval of continuing education.

4.  Educational programs dealing with the practice of veterinary medicine provided by any local, state, regional, national or international veterinary associations; Board-certified specialties recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA); schools or colleges of veterinary medicine accredited by the AVMA;  the United States Department of Agriculture; and any program approved by another state veterinary board.

Timely completion of continuing education credits is solely the responsibility of the licensee.  Except for multi-media courses, the licensee must be physically present at these continuing education meetings and will be required to attest, at the time of renewal, that the requirement has been met.

Veterinary Technology

Each Veterinary Medical Technician is required to obtain twelve (12) hours of continuing education each calendar year. A maximum of four (4) hours may be obtained in a multi-media format.

A licensee is exempt from continuing education requirements during the calendar year of the licensee's graduation from a veterinary technology program approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

The Board approves courses for only the number of hours contained in the course. A licensee will not receive credit for repeating the same course in a calendar year.

The due date for attendance  and completion of the required continuing education  hours is December 31 of each year.  Each veterinary medical technician must retain independent documentation of attendance and completion of all continuing education courses. This documentation must be retained for a period of four (4) years from the end of the calendar year in which the course is completed. This documentation must be produced for inspection and verification if requested by the Board.

Course Approval for Veterinary Medical Technicians

All courses to be offered for credit toward the required continuing education hours must, unless otherwise provided, receive approval from the Board.

The following courses need not receive prior approval and shall constitute Board approved continuing education courses:

1.  Courses sponsored or approved by any of the following organizations:

  • American Animal Hospital Association
  • American Association for Wildlife Veterinarians
  • American Association for Women Veterinarians
  • American Association of Avian Pathologists
  • American Association of Bovine Practitioners
  • American Association of Equine Practitioners
  • American Association of Sheep and Goat Practitioners
  • American Association of Swine Practitioners
  • American Association of Veterinary Clinicians
  • American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists
  • American College of Veterinary Toxicologists
  • American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine
  • American College of Poultry Veterinarians
  • American College of Theriogenologists
  • American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
  • American Dairy Science Association
  • American Society of Animal Scientists
  • American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology
  • American Society of Veterinary Ophthalmology
  • American Veterinary Epidemiology Society

2. Educational courses sponsored by an accredited school of veterinary medicine or veterinary technology. A course taken for or assigned three (3) semester credit hours or equivalent quarter credit hours counts as fifteen (15) continuing education hours. No credits will be counted for courses failed.

3. Courses and programs approved by the Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE), which is the American Association of Veterinary State Boards national clearinghouse for approval of continuing education.

4. Educational programs dealing with the practice of veterinary medicine provided by any local, state, regional, national or international veterinary associations; Board-certified specialties recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA); schools or colleges of veterinary medicine accredited by the AVMA; the United States Department of Agriculture; and any program approved by another state veterinary board.

Timely completion of continuing education credits is solely the responsibility of the licensee. Except for multi-media courses, the licensee must be physically present at these continuing education meetings and will be required to attest, at the time of renewal, that the requirement has been met.

Educational Programs

Veterinary Medicine Educational Programs

University of Tennessee, Knoxville
College of Veterinary Medicine
2407 River Drive, Room A102
Knoxville, TN 37996-4550
Phone: (865) 974-7263

Lincoln Memorial University
College of Veterinary Medicine
6965 Cumberland Gap Pkwy
Harrogate, TN 37752
Phone: (423) 869-3611

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

Please go to this link: https://www.tn.gov/health/health-professionals/criminal-background-check/cbc-instructions.html
And follow the directions that are applicable to you.
If you are an out of state applicant, we will mail you the fingerprint card upon receipt of your application.
Your OCA # is:Veterinarian: 2317
Veterinary Technician: 2326
Euthanasia Technician: 2327

You can update your address/name online at https://lars.tn.gov. If you don’t have an account already, you’ll make an account, onboard your license and then you may update your information. The next time you renew your license, you will receive certificates with your updated name. If you want an updated certificate before then, you can order a replacement copy of your license online at https://lars.tn.gov for $25.
-The Wall Certificate is the large manila certificate that has the state seal on it.
-The Renewal Certificate is the medium sized blue/green

The Board’s Rules provide a list of course types the Board defines as "Multi-Media" which includes such course delivery methods as Internet, Teleconferencing, and Videoconferencing, among others; therefore, since a webinar is a video conference and is conducted over the internet, it is not a the same thing as a live course.

 All requests, applications, notices, complaints, other communications and correspondence shall be directed to the Administrative Office of the Board no less than 14 days prior to a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board or the item will be set over to the next regularly scheduled meeting thereafter.

 Approval may be obtained by submitting the following information to the Board’s Administrative Office at least (30) days before the scheduled date of the course, which must be formatted into one continuous PDF document prior to submission:
1. A course description or outline
2. Names of all speakers and sponsors
3. Number of hours of educational credit requested
4. Date of course

The first license issued will be valid for at least 12 months but may be active for more than 12 months as a new licensee enters the licensure renewal cycle. Every license issued after the first renewal date will expire every 24 months. The expiration date is printed on all license certificates. While the Board Administrative Office will send one courtesy renewal notice, the license will expire whether the notice has been received or not. It is the responsibility of the licensee to know when their license expires and to renew accordingly.

Policies, Rules, & Statutes

Policies

Rules

Click here for Rules and Regulations pertaining to the Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

Statutes

Statutes are proposed and made law by the Tennessee State General Assembly (Legislature). The Board, following specific notice requirements and hearings, adopts rules. Both have the force of law and may be used in the regulation of a profession. The statutes pertaining to this Board are found at T.C.A. 63-1 (Division of Health Related Boards) and T.C.A. 63-12 (Veterinarians).

Click Here to review the Tennessee Code Annotated. (This link will take you to a website that is not maintained by the Tennessee Department of Health).

This Page Last Updated: March 30, 2026 at 10:58 AM