Skip to main content
College of Veterinary Medicine

Licensing Requirements

Licensing Requirements

All veterinarians must be licensed before they can practice veterinary medicine. Veterinary licensing requires successful completion of both national and state applications and exams.

National Licensing Examination

Students in the NC State University Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program can take the North American Licensing Examination (NAVLE) during their senior year. The exam is currently offered in two “exam windows” (four weeks in November/December and two weeks in April).

Under NBVME requirements, those eligible to apply for the NAVLE include:

  • Graduates of schools accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
  • Senior students at AVMA-accredited schools who have an expected graduation date no later than ten months from the last date of the applicable testing window.
  • Graduates of schools not accredited by the AVMA who are enrolled in or hold certificates issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG), or the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE).
    • Candidates who are enrolled in ECFVG or PAVE must have completed the Step 3 examination requirement of the respective certification program before they may be approved by a licensing board to take the NAVLE.
  • Senior students at schools not accredited by the AVMA who are enrolled in the ECFVG or PAVE, and have completed their program’s Step 3 examination.

Some state/territorial licensing board NAVLE eligibility requirements differ, and to be approved to take the NAVLE through those boards, you must meet their requirements, complete information is available here.

North Carolina State Licensing Requirements

Students in the NC State University Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program can take the North Carolina licensing examination after completing the NAVLE and graduation, but apply during their senior year.

Requirements for a license to practice veterinary medicine in the state of North Carolina are available here.

NC VETERINARY STATE EXAM ELIGIBILITY / REQUIREMENTS / DOCUMENTS

  • One must have graduated from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited school/college of veterinary medicine and have a passing score on the NAVLE, NBE & CCT, or NBE to be eligible to sit for a Veterinary State Examination.
  • Degree conferred transcript
  • National exam score(s) – available via the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB)
  • License verification(s) from any state in which you held any professional license/registration.
  • If a graduate from a non-accredited foreign school/college, one must first complete the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) program or the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE) be eligible to sit for the NC state exam.

NEW GRADUATES OR THOSE PRACTICING LESS THAN FIVE (5) YEARS MUST:

  • Have graduated before the date of North Carolina state exam being requested. This means that all course work has been completed and the veterinary degree awarded.
  • Achieve a score of 425 or higher on the NAVLE.

For exam dates, application, study materials and sample questions, please see website.