How to become a vet tech in Arkansas

Last checked October 25, 2026 against the sources listed below. Information, not legal advice: confirm with the board before you apply or take on a task.

Arkansas certifies veterinary technicians (CVT) and veterinary technologists. The certificate is issued by the Arkansas Board of Animal Health, and applications go through the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. You need it, plus a supervising Arkansas veterinarian on file, to work as a technician or technologist. Staff without it may do only services that do not need a technician's skill and judgment, with a veterinarian on site. To qualify, you graduate from an AVMA-accredited program and pass the VTNE. Arkansas has no state exam for techs.

Arkansas vet tech credential at a glance

Item	Arkansas
Title	Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT), or certified veterinary technologist for graduates of a four-year AVMA-accredited program
Issued by	Arkansas Board of Animal Health, a state board, through its Veterinary Medical Examining Committee. You apply to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
Type	State certification
Required to work as a tech	Yes, with conditions Certification and a registered supervising Arkansas veterinarian are required to work as a technician or technologist. Uncertified staff may do only services not needing a technician's skill and judgment, under direct personal supervision.
Education	Graduate of a college-level veterinary technology program accredited by the AVMA. No experience-only route found.
Exams	VTNE, with the score sent to Arkansas through AAVSB. The board says there is no state-level exam for technicians or technologists.
Renewal and CE	Every year, by March 31. 12 CE hours a year: at least 8 in veterinary medicine and surgery, and at least 6 in person or live interactive.
Moving from another state	Certification by endorsement. You need a credential from another state, no pending board action, a VTNE score sent through AAVSB, a notarized recommendation, the fee and a signed statement on Arkansas law.

How to get your CVT in Arkansas

Graduate from a college-level veterinary technology program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). An associate degree or its equivalent leads to the technician credential. A four-year bachelor's program leads to the technologist credential. If you have not graduated yet when you apply, the law lets the board accept an affidavit from your program, with the diploma sent later.
Pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE), run by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). If you take it through Arkansas, you file the Arkansas application and also apply to AAVSB for the exam. Arkansas also accepts a VTNE score from another state.
Apply to the board on its application form or through the Arkansas Department of Agriculture licensing portal. The law says applicants show they are a US citizen or an applicant for citizenship, and a person of moral integrity and acceptable ethical standards.
Send what the application checklist lists: the signed and notarized application with a recent photo, a notarized letter of recommendation from a licensed veterinarian, the certificate of moral character section, a copy of your diploma, your official final college transcript, a VTNE score transfer from AAVSB, and verification of any tech credential you hold in another state.
Pay the fee. As listed by the Arkansas Board of Animal Health as of October 2026, the application fee is $40.
Have your employment and supervising Arkansas veterinarian registered with the board. The board says a tech without a supervising veterinarian on file is considered inactive.

What a credentialed tech can do, and what an assistant can do

Arkansas rule 17 CAR § 1-114 lists tasks a certified technician or technologist may do, by supervision level. Immediate supervision means the veterinarian watches in the immediate vicinity and can step in. Direct supervision means the veterinarian is on site and instantly available. Indirect supervision means the veterinarian is not there but has given instructions and can be reached; it does not cover giving a Schedule II controlled drug. The rule does not give a task list for assistants. The statute only says uncertified employees may do services that do not need a technician's skill and judgment, under a veterinarian's direct personal supervision.

Task	Credentialed tech	Veterinary assistant
Assist the veterinarian in surgery	Yes, with conditions: immediate supervision.	Not addressed: the rules list this for techs only and do not say whether it needs a technician's skill and judgment.
Extract teeth that do not need sectioning or bone removal	Yes, with conditions: immediate supervision.	Not addressed: the rules list this for techs only.
Induce, maintain and monitor anesthesia	Yes, with conditions: direct supervision.	Not addressed: the rules list this for techs only.
Dental scaling and polishing	Yes, with conditions: direct supervision.	Not addressed: the rules list this for techs only.
Place an IV catheter, take radiographs or give drugs and vaccines	Yes, with conditions: indirect supervision, except where other state or federal law conflicts.	Not addressed: the rules list these for techs only.
Go to an emergency call away from the veterinarian	Yes, with conditions: under indirect supervision, if the supervising veterinarian authorizes it (Act 19 of 2025).	Not addressed
Services that do not need a technician's skill and judgment	Not addressed: the rules do not list this as a separate tech task.	Yes, with conditions: direct personal supervision, with the veterinarian on site and instantly available.

Veterinary assistants in Arkansas

Arkansas has no permit or registration for veterinary assistants that we could find. A veterinarian may use an uncertified employee for services that do not need the skill and judgment of a technician, technologist or technician specialist. The veterinarian must be on site and instantly available. The law says that employee may not be called a "veterinary technician," "animal technician," "technician," "veterinary technologist," "animal technologist," "technologist" or "veterinary technician specialist."

Renewal and continuing education

All Arkansas tech certificates expire on March 31 each year. To renew on an active basis, you need a supervising veterinarian on file and 12 CE hours earned in the 12 months before renewal. At least 8 hours must be in veterinary medicine and surgery, and no more than 4 may be nonscientific. At least 6 hours must be in person or live interactive webinars, and no more than 6 may be prerecorded online. CE is waived for the renewal period in which you graduated. As listed by the Arkansas Board of Animal Health as of October 2026, renewal costs $25, and renewals after March 31 owe a $50 delinquent fee. Keep CE records for three years, since the board may audit them.

Recent changes

CE rule amendment, January 2024: the CE rule, 17 CAR § 1-103, shows an amendment date of January 11, 2024. The current version sets the 12-hour, topic and format rules above.
Act 19 of 2025, in force: approved February 6, 2025. Under indirect supervision, a supervising veterinarian may authorize a technician or technologist to go to another location to answer an emergency call for an animal patient.
Act 703 of 2025, in force: approved April 16, 2025. It renamed the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission as the Arkansas Board of Animal Health. Applications now go to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. Some board forms still use older names.
Proposed rule changes, 2026 (not in force): on August 11, 2026 the Department of Agriculture posted proposed amendments to the veterinary rules, with comments taken until September 15, 2026. The draft would add the Act 19 emergency-call task to the tech rule, let a veterinarian delegate to a qualified person tasks that do not include diagnosis, prescribing or surgery, cap exhibit-hall CE at 2 hours for techs, and move the fee schedule out of the rule.

FAQ

Can I work in an Arkansas clinic without being certified?

Yes, as a veterinary assistant, but only for services that do not need a technician's skill and judgment, with a veterinarian on site and instantly available. You may not work as a technician or technologist or use any tech title without certification.

Does Arkansas have a state exam for vet techs?

No. The board says there is no state-level exam for technicians or technologists. You need a passing VTNE score sent through AAVSB.

Can an Arkansas CVT extract teeth?

Yes, with conditions. Under immediate supervision, a certified tech may do extractions that do not need sectioning of a tooth or removal of bone.

What happens if I change jobs or lose my supervising veterinarian?

Your certificate is inactive until you have new tech employment and the board has been told in writing. The board says a tech with no supervising veterinarian on file is considered inactive.

Can I call myself a veterinary nurse in Arkansas?

Arkansas law does not mention a "veterinary nurse" title. It bars uncertified employees from being called a veterinary technician, technologist, technician specialist or similar titles.

Sources

Rules change and boards apply them case by case. If your situation is unusual, ask the Arkansas Board of Animal Health directly.

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