Certified Veterinary Technicians (CVT)
To work as a veterinary technician in Arizona, certification is not required; earning a CVT is a voluntary action.
NEW PROCESS AS OF MARCH 2020: Individuals who wish to earn certification in Arizona must first pass the VTNE before applying to the Arizona Veterinary Medical Board (unless you are applying via "Universal Recognition")! The American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) will be reviewing applicants to sit for the VTNE instead of the Board, unless you did not graduate from an AVMA-accredited 2-year veterinary technician program, have disclosed charges on your application, or have disciplinary action on your certificate/license/registration from another state. Go to the AAVSB website at aavsb.org for details!
There are two pathways to certification: regular and Universal Recognition. Select the pathway that applies to your situation. The application packets include more detailed descriptions of the requirements.
Next State CVT Exam: February 28, 2025. The deadline for the Board to receive a "complete" CVT application for that exam is January 28, 2025. This will NOT be an in-person exam. The exam will be EMAILED to you on the exam date; you will have 2 weeks to complete it. Read above for new process for approval by the AAVSB to sit for the VTNE. You must pass the VTNE BEFORE applying to our agency (unless you are applying via "Universal Recognition")!
*a "complete" application is determined by the agency and means that we have received all the required documents and that you have accurately completed the application.
NOTE: If you need to overnight your application, we recommend using UPS or FedEx, etc. rather than USPS. "Overnight" USPS mail gets to us a day late.
Important!: Although the review time is usually much faster, per AZ Administrative Rules, the Board has 30 days in which to inform you whether your application is complete. You may want to submit your application at least 2 weeks prior to the deadline to allow time for you to make corrections to the application or gather additional required information. Do not wait until the deadline date to submit your application, as you risk having it deemed incomplete, causing you to miss the next scheduled exam.
OPTIONAL FEE WAIVER FOR LOW INCOME APPLICANTS: Per A.R.S. 41-1080.01, an applicant applying for an initial license whose family income does not exceed two hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines may be eligible for a fee waiver. If you believe that you qualify for the waiver, please contact the Board office at 602-542-8166 to request the Application for Waiver of Initial Licensing Fees.
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