Veterinary Medicine – Hot Topics/Important Information

The Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine has a 30-Day Temporary Veterinarian License available to out-of-state veterinarians who wish to come to Florida to provide relief veterinary services but do not hold a current Florida Veterinary License. The application form for the 30-Day Temporary Veterinarian License is available HERE.

Florida licensed veterinarians interested in offering volunteer services should contact the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Veterinary Corps for information at 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352).

VETERINARIAN EDUCATION

On June 30, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis signed “The Occupational Freedom and Opportunity Act” (HB 1193) which eliminates unnecessary regulations and reduces barriers to entry for certain professions. The bill adds the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE) to the statute for applicants who graduated from a foreign program. Applicants who have completed Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinarian Graduates (ECFVG) or the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE) can qualify for licensure in Florida.

Limited Service Clinics

Effective October 1, 2019 Limited Service Clinics can offer microchipping services in addition to vaccinations/immunizations and parasitic control. Clinics held inside climate controlled buildings may be held up to 2 days per week for up to 8 hours per day. All other clinic locations are limited to once every two weeks and no more than four hours in any one day for any single location.

Hurricane Michael Emergency Order Information:

• Temporary Permits issued for Veterinary Premises that expire before 11/30/2018 are extended until 11/30/2018.
• Veterinary Premises damaged as a result of Hurricane Michael may request to have premise permit application fees waived if relocating (through 12/31/18).

In the wake of Hurricane Michael, Florida licensed veterinarians interested in offering volunteer services should contact the Florida Department of Agriculture, Florida Veterinary Corps for information at 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352).

Verify your license to another state quickly and easily by using DBPR’s Online Services.

• Logon to your existing account or create a new account at myfloridalicense.com.
• Select “Request License Certification” from the License Menu.
• Complete the online application and pay the $25 fee by credit card or electronic check.

A copy of your license record will be created and emailed directly to the State Board selected during the transaction.
Note: Certain jurisdictions are not set up to receive verifications electronically, in those cases the verification will be mailed within 10 business days.

Paperless Licensing, effective 02/06/2018

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation is excited to announce an advancement in how we license veterinarians in the State of Florida.
The Department has implemented an innovative way to expedite the licensing process for veterinarians and veterinary establishments (premise permits).  The Department will no longer be mailing licenses upon issuance, as licensees can now print their licenses by logging into their secure online account with the Department.  This will allow new licensees to enter the work force at least 7 to 10 business days early, whereas, in the past, they would have to wait for the license to arrive in the mail.  In addition to new licenses, this process will allow licensees to renew online and print the license at their convenience, as well as print duplicate licenses as needed without paying a fee.

On November 18, 2012, the changes to Chapter 61G18-18.002 Florida Administrative Code – Maintenance of Medical Records, adopted by the Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine, became effective. Click here for more information.

HB 517 was approved by Governor Rick Scott on April 6, 2012 and reduces the continuing education required to activate an inactive license. You now only have to complete one renewal cycle of continuing education instead of completing continuing education for all the renewal cycles your license was in an inactive status. Effective July 1, 2012, in order to reactivate an inactive license, you will need to complete the continuing education requirements in place at the time of the last renewal for your profession. That includes 30 hours of board-approved continuing education that was taken during the last, or current, renewal period. Of the 30 hours one hour must be in drug dispensing and two hours in laws and rules.

Licensed veterinarians shall complete a minimum of thirty (30) hours of continuing professional education in veterinary medicine every biennium. Beginning on June 1, 2012, no less than one (1) hour of continuing education shall be in the area of dispensing legend drugs and no less than two (2) hours of continuing education shall be in the area of the laws and rules governing the practice of veterinary medicine. Please refer to rule 61G18-16.002, FAC, for more information.

The department will no longer mail the study guide materials for the Veterinary Medicine laws and rules examination.  For your convenience the study guide materials are now available on the Veterinary Medicine Examinations page.  You can view and print from this link.

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