CaRVTA works hard to make sure our members' voices are heard in Sacramento, from representation at California's Veterinary Medical Board meetings, VMB committee meetings and the State legislature to member e-news and alerts.

Your CaRVTA Board also works with the State government to promote legislation favorable to the RVT profession, such as adding an RVT to the VMB and granting title protection for RVTs.

In addition to regulations and laws, the VMB is also the RVT licensing body. Below, we have listed important VMB tools and resources that student and professional RVTs will find useful throughout their careers.

California RVT Licensing Application
www.vmb.ca.gov/applicants/forms.shtml

California RVT License Look-Up
Prospective employers can use this easy search tool to check the RVT licensing status of prospective employees. RVTs can use it to check the accuracy of their licensing information.
RVT License Look-Up

VMB Address Change / Name Change
Licensed California RVTs must keep their legal names and residential addresses current with the Veterinary Medical Board. CaRVTA provides these links for your convenience:
VMB RVT Address Change Form
VMB RVT Name Change Form

While changing your address or name (or both) with the VMB, you should also change your information with CaRVTA. Our Member Information Update form can be accessed here.

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CaRVTA Job Task Poster—available at the CaRVTA Store

DO YOU KNOW THE RVT JOB TASKS?

The California Veterinary Medicine Practice Act contains the laws and regulations governing the practice of veterinary medicine in California. A copy of the act is online at www.vmb.ca.gov.

Job Tasks that Veterinarians May Only Delegate to an RVT under Direct Supervision (Direct Supervision means that the veterinarian is physically present and quickly and easily available):

1. Induce anesthesia
2. Apply casts or splints
3. Extract teeth
4. Suture cutaneous & subcutaneous tissues, gingiva and oral mucous membranes
5. Create a relief hole in the skin for IV catheter placement

These tasks may NEVER be delegated to an unregistered assistant.

If no DVM is present, only a RVT may :

1. Operate radiographic equipment
2. Render certain life-saving emergency care
3. Provide treatment outside of an animal hospital setting ("Off Premise")

This is Indirect Supervision, meaning the veterinarian is not physically present but has given either written or verbal instructions for the treatment of the patient.

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Effective July 1, 2011, all California Registered Veterinary Technicians must accrue a total of 20 hours of approved continuing education during their two-year licensing renewal period (expiration date of license to expiration date of next license, two years later). These CE hours are mandatory for renewing your license at the end of your renewal period.

For answers to questions about record keeping, CEs and renewal periods, please download this VMB pdf.

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This RVT program comparison is a valuable tool for all prospective RVT students to use when evaluating future schools.

RVT Program Statistics, Pt 1 • RVT Program Statistics, Pt 2

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There are currently three eligibility categories for the RVT examination in California. The Alternate Route is only one. To be eligible for the RVT examination, a candidate must meet the requirements of only one of these categories.

• 1. Graduate from, at minimum, a two-year curriculum in veterinary technology in a college or other post-secondary institution approved by the California Veterinary Medical Board (VMB). (Generally an AVMA approved school) or complete a program or curriculum that has been deemed “equivalent” to a two-year approved program by the VMB (California approved school). *
• 4. Licensed, certified or registered as an RVT in another state (or in Canada) and have taken an examination determined by the VMB to be equivalent to the California RVT examination and have at least 4416 hours of directed clinical practice in no less than 24 months under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian. **
• 5. Complete a combination of at least 4416 hours of directed clinical practice in no less than 24 months under the direct supervision of a California-licensed veterinarian and 300 hours (or 20 semester or 30 quarter units) of specific education. (This is the Alternate Route). **

* Please Note: Categories 2 & 3, graduation from an unapproved RVT program and possession of a 4-year degree in an animal related science, were eliminated as of July, 2009.
** As of July 2009, the term practical experience was replaced with “directed clinical practice” and the number of hours were changed to reflect the State of California’s definition of full-time work.

Other Requirements for Licensure

In addition to meeting the requirements of one of the above eligibility categories, candidates must be:
1. At least 18 years of age
2. Fingerprinted (live scan) prior to licensure
3. Free of convictions for crimes substantially related to the practice and duties of an RVT. (Anyone who has any convictions should contact the VMB to be sure they will be eligible.)

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