How to become a vet tech in Hawaii

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.

Hawaii vet techs hold the Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) credential, a state registration issued by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional and Vocational Licensing Division. State law requires registration to use the vet tech title, and DCCA's forms say it is also needed to practice veterinary technology. A veterinarian may still use unregistered support staff under direct supervision. To register, you complete an AVMA-accredited vet tech program, pass the VTNE, and apply to DCCA.

Hawaii vet tech credential at a glance

Item	Hawaii
Title	Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Issued by	Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (DCCA PVL), a state agency
Type	State registration
Required to work as a tech	Yes, with conditions The law requires registration to use the vet tech title, and DCCA's forms say it is needed to practice veterinary technology. A veterinarian may use unregistered support staff under direct supervision.
Education	Complete an AVMA CVTEA-accredited vet tech program. The old route based on five years of Hawaii work experience closed to new submissions on July 1, 2021.
Exams	VTNE. No separate Hawaii state law or practical exam found.
Renewal and CE	Every two years, by June 30 of even-numbered years. No CE requirement for vet techs found.
Moving from another state	Endorsement is available if you hold a current tech credential in good standing from a state with comparable standards and passed the VTNE. Transfer your score through AAVSB.

How to get your RVT in Hawaii

Be at least 18. DCCA's forms also ask that you be a US citizen, a US national, or an alien authorized to work in the United States.
Complete a veterinary technology program accredited by the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA). Have your program send your final official transcript to AAVSB, which sends a VAULT verified transcript to DCCA. No experience-only route is open now.
If you have not taken the VTNE yet, send DCCA the registration by exam application with the $20 application fee and an Employer Verification form (VT-02). DCCA reviews whether you are eligible to take the VTNE and, if approved, sends you a letter telling you to apply for the exam with AAVSB. DCCA posts application deadlines tied to each VTNE testing window.
Take the VTNE, which AAVSB owns and runs. If you choose Hawaii as your jurisdiction, your scores go to DCCA automatically.
If you already passed the VTNE, use DCCA's score transfer application instead and request an online score transfer through AAVSB.
Pay the registration fees when DCCA asks. As listed by DCCA as of October 2026, the exam route costs $227 or $162 after you pass, and the score transfer route costs $247 or $182, depending on which year of the two-year cycle you register in.

The Employer Verification form is signed by you and your employing veterinarian, who gives a Hawaii veterinary license number. DCCA's forms say that if you do not have an employer who is a licensed veterinarian, your registration will be placed on inactive status when it is issued.

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

Hawaii's law (HRS §472-1) says the practice of veterinary technology "includes but is not limited to" five procedures, done only under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The law does not define direct supervision, and DCCA's law and rules page lists no administrative rules for vet techs. A separate section (HRS §472-2(c)) lets a veterinarian use support or auxiliary personnel to assist, under direct supervision. The law does not say which of the five procedures those personnel may do.

Task	Credentialed tech	Veterinary assistant
Monitor anesthesia	Yes, with conditions: listed in the law, under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.	Not addressed The law lets support staff assist under direct supervision but does not list this task for them.
Intubate (pass a tube into the trachea for anesthesia and airway care)	Yes, with conditions: listed in the law, under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.	Not addressed The law lets support staff assist under direct supervision but does not list this task for them.
Perform dental cleaning	Yes, with conditions: listed in the law, under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.	Not addressed The law lets support staff assist under direct supervision but does not list this task for them.
Create a relief hole in the skin to help place an IV catheter	Yes, with conditions: listed in the law, under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.	Not addressed The law lets support staff assist under direct supervision but does not list this task for them.
Take part in laboratory management activities	Yes, with conditions: listed in the law, under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.	Not addressed The law lets support staff assist under direct supervision but does not list this task for them.

Veterinary assistants in Hawaii

No state permit or registration for veterinary assistants was found. HRS §472-2(c) lets a licensed veterinarian use support or auxiliary personnel to assist in veterinary practice, as long as they work under the veterinarian's direct supervision. The law sets no training, exam or task list for these staff. Unregistered staff may not call themselves a veterinary technician or use the letters RVT or VT.

Renewal and continuing education

All RVT registrations renew every two years by June 30 of even-numbered years, whatever the date they were issued. The last cycle ran from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026. As listed by DCCA as of October 2026, on-time renewal costs $179 for active status and $62 for inactive status.

A registration that is not renewed is forfeited, and you may not practice or use the title until it is restored. DCCA allows restoration within one year after expiration, by paper filing. After that, the registration is terminated and you must apply again as a new applicant.

No continuing education requirement for vet techs was found in HRS Chapter 472, on DCCA's vet tech program page or in the current application forms.

Recent changes

No 2024 to 2026 change to Hawaii's vet tech registration, title rules, scope or renewal was found. The vet tech law, HRS Chapter 472, dates from 2016, and the Legislative Reference Bureau's lists of bills passed in 2024 and of acts in 2025 and 2026 show no bill amending it. DCCA issued an updated score transfer application in January 2026, which is a form update, not a change in the law.

FAQ

Can I work in a Hawaii veterinary clinic without being an RVT?

The law lets a veterinarian use unregistered support or auxiliary personnel to assist, under direct supervision. You may not call yourself a veterinary technician or use RVT or VT without registration. DCCA's forms also say you may not practice veterinary technology unless registered, and the law does not say which of the listed tasks support staff may do.

Can I qualify through on-the-job experience alone?

No. The route based on five years of Hawaii work experience stopped accepting experience forms on July 1, 2021. You now need an AVMA-accredited program or a comparable credential from another state, plus the VTNE.

Does Hawaii require CE to renew an RVT?

No CE requirement for vet techs was found in the law, on DCCA's program page or in the current forms.

I am credentialed in another state. Can I register by endorsement?

Yes, if you hold a current tech credential in good standing in a state whose standards DCCA finds comparable, and you passed the VTNE. Every state where you hold or held a credential must send a verification to DCCA. DCCA also lists a temporary license for active-duty military members and spouses relocated to Hawaii.

Can I hold an active registration without a veterinary employer?

DCCA's forms say that if you do not have an employer who is a licensed veterinarian, your registration is placed on inactive status. To reactivate, you file a reactivation form with a new Employer Verification form.

Sources

Rules change and boards apply them case by case. If your situation is unusual, ask the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division directly.

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