The Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board has nine members that are appointed by the Governor and serve a term of 4 years. Five members of the Board are licensed veterinarians who have lived and practiced in Arizona for at least five years. Three members of the Board are public members, one of which represents the livestock industry. One member shall be a certified veterinary technician who has held the designation for at least five years, is currently employed in the veterinary field in this state, and has practiced and resided in this state for at least five years immediately preceding appointment.
As a “90/10” agency, the Veterinary Board is primarily funded through the collection of licensing and application fees; the Board receives no monies from the State's General Fund. 90% of the Board's revenues are deposited to the Veterinary Board Fund for appropriation by the Legislature toward fulfillment of the Board’s statutory mandates. The remaining 10% of the funds collected are deposited into the State’s General Fund for use as determined by the Legislature.
The purpose of the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board is to regulate the veterinarians, certified veterinary technicians, and veterinary premises in Arizona that care for your animals. The Board also regulates animal crematories. The Board has two major areas of regulatory authority. First, the Board determines which veterinarians, premises, and animal crematories are qualified to be licensed in Arizona and which veterinary technicians are qualified to be certified. Certified or not, every technician or veterinary assistant is supervised by a licensed veterinarian who is responsible to the Board for their employees. Second, when a consumer complaint has been received and an investigation has been completed, the Board determines whether a veterinarian’s actions have fallen below legal standards of care for your pet.
After choosing a veterinarian and/or premise, visit the Directory to check the veterinarian and/or premise status. If the status on the Directory for a premise or a crematory is "Applicant," this means that they may be open for business while waiting to be inspected and licensed. To obtain additional information you may call the Board office (602)-364-1738. Board staff can confirm that your veterinarian has an active license and where he or she is currently practicing. Please note: the Board office cannot give recommendations as to which veterinarians or premise to choose, that is for you to decide.
Board staff can also tell you if the veterinarian has had any complaints or if disciplinary action has been taken against his or her license. If it happens that your veterinarian has had a complaint that ended in the Board taking disciplinary action, the staff will inform you over the phone. However, to be fair to everyone, the staff will not discuss details of the disciplinary actions. If the action occurred after the year 2000, you can review the Board's Order on that veterinarian's directory page on our website and make your own decision about the matter. Alternatively, you may request a copy of the disciplinary action by mailing, faxing, or emailing us a Public Records Request. Upon receipt of your request, you will be notified of the cost to copy the appropriate documents; there is a copying charge of $0.25 per page for these records. After receipt of payment, you will be sent a copy of the disciplinary action. Board Orders (disciplinary actions) may also be viewed in our office for no charge. Please call ahead to ensure that the documents you wish to review are readily available.
The Board typically meets the third Wednesday of each month except July, usually from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. These meetings are open to the public. Even if the Board’s agenda items do not involve you personally, you are welcome to attend and listen to the meeting. The Board sets aside time to hear comments from the public. Call (602) 364-1738 for more information. Dates are subject to change.
The Board office is staffed Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except for State holidays.
