Veterinary Professionals Encouraged to Renew Licenses with New Online System

ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 18, 2012) – The Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (SBVME), through the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), launched a new online system this month that allows the state’s veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary hospital owners to renew their licenses online. Veterinarians and veterinary hospitals must renew their licenses by June 30 every year. Veterinary technicians must renew their licenses every three years. The system is expected to streamline the process and make it more efficient for both veterinary professionals and the SBVME’s small administrative staff.

“The Vet Board handles about 3,300 renewals each year – with most of those renewals coming in during May and June,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “This online renewal system is part of MDA’s ongoing efforts to provide more efficient customer services to both consumers and members of regulated industries in as cost effective a way as possible.”

The Board sent notifications to the state’s 2,650 veterinarians last Friday (May 11), announcing the new online process. To date, 94 veterinarians and 17 of the state’s 525 veterinary hospitals have already used the system since it was announced; however, many more are expected to use it as the June 30 deadline approaches. Although the SBVME strongly encourages the use of the online system, it still accepts traditional paper renewals as well. In addition to having their licenses renewed, veterinarians can choose to print their renewal certificates themselves or have the Board print and mail them out.

The online system does not change the requirements that veterinary professionals must meet to be licensed – just the process for renewing that license.

MDA’s Information Technology staff and the SBVME spent nearly a year developing the system, which will be undergoing more updates and improvements in the year ahead.

For more information about the SBVME, see: www.mda.state.md.us/vetboard/index.php.