U of M VMC Faculty Clinician License

Standard Veterinary License

This is the same license that is issued to other veterinarians who practice in the state of Minnesota. The applicant is a graduate of an AVMA accredited college of veterinary medicine, holds an ECFVG certificate, or can present a passing NAVLE score to the Board. Holders of a standard license are not restricted to practicing within the scope of their employment at the Veterinary Medical Center.

Online application form
Instructions for using online application

Faculty working on animals at the Veterinary Medical Center that are not eligible for a standard license must qualify for either a Specialty Faculty VMC Clinician License, Temporary License, or Institutional License. The department chair must provide a letter verifying employment. 

Online Application  Register to access site and then log in to submit an application.

*Application progress can be checked by logging in to your account at https://vet.hlb.state.mn.us/#/login. Applications will be deemed abandoned if all licensing requirements are not completed within one year after the application has been filed with the board. Licenses and applications MUST be under your full legal name. 

Fees (Effective July 1, 2025) All payments must be in U.S. funds and are non-refundable. 

- $75 Application Fee (NOTE: This is required and is separate from the NAVLE application fee which is paid to NBVME) 

- $75 Jurisprudence Examination Fee 

- $32 Criminal Background Check Fee

- $300 Initial 2-year License Fee

TOTAL: $482

*All applicants must apply using their full legal name. Please reach out to Board staff if corrections need to be made.

Applications will be deemed abandoned if all licensing requirements are not completed within one year after the application has been filed with the board.

To check the status of your application please log in to the portal at: https://vet.hlb.state.mn.us/#/login. This portal is updated daily as we receive items and as we review items that you have uploaded. Please allow time for mailed documents to arrive.

You should receive an email from the Criminal Background Check Program with forms and instructions for fingerprinting. (Check your “Junk/Spam” Folder) To avoid licensing delays, please submit fingerprints with the required forms as soon as possible. The Criminal Background Check Program will email the applicant with updates on their background check progress. On average the background check takes 37 days from the time the fingerprint instructions are sent to the applicant, though this is dependent on the applicant.  More detailed information about this process can be found at https://mn.gov/boards/cbc/process/process-overview.jsp.

You have access to take the Jurisprudence Exam now that your application has been submitted. It is an open reference exam. Reference materials can be found at: https://mn.gov/boards/veterinary-medicine/applications/application-resources/jurisprudence-exam.jsp. 90% is passing. There is a $75 fee for each retake of the exam.

Please have the following supporting documents sent to:

vet.med@state.mn.us

or

Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine 335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 215

St. Paul, MN 55102

You can also upload documents directly to the portal. (https://vet.hlb.state.mn.us/#/login)

Supporting Documents:

1.                  1. Notarized letters of reference (Affidavits):

·         New Graduates or those who have not had a license in the US or Canada: from at least 2 veterinarians and 3 other adults who are not related to you setting forth how long a time, when and under what circumstances they have known you and any other facts as may be proper to determine your qualifications for licensure.

·         Veterinarians previously licensed the US or Canada: from 2 veterinarians who are not related to you setting forth how long a time, when and under what circumstances they have known you and any other facts as may be proper to determine your qualifications for licensure.

Letters of reference are considered affidavits and therefore require a notarized signature on each letter. You may search for a notary using the Minnesota Secretary of State's notary website. Please have veterinarians include in their letter an active license number and state where currently practicing (veterinarians may be practicing in a state other than Minnesota). Letters MUST be signed (physical signature or acceptable digital signature (i.e. DocuSign, Adobe Signature, etc.)) Notarized letters may be uploaded to the application via the portal or sent separately as an email attachment to vet.med@state.mn.us.

2.            Institutional License applications require a letter from the VMC or Department Chair as verification of employment.

3.            Applicants that have been previously licensed in the US or Canada will need to contact all jurisdictions in which they have held a veterinary license in the past 10 years and request a letter verifying their license is in good standing be sent directly to the Minnesota Board. NOTE: Some states and provinces take weeks to send the letter.

4.            Copy of discharge papers if you have served in the military.

5.            Applicants will need to provide a copy or photo of their veterinary college diploma, if the diploma is not in English, please also provide a translation.

To check the status of your application please log in to the portal at: https://vet.hlb.state.mn.us/#/login. This portal is updated daily as we receive items and as we review items that you have uploaded.

Once your license is granted a license card and wall certificate will be mailed to the address on file, it is your responsibility to keep all contact information up to date. There is a fee for replacement or duplicate cards and certificates.

A specialty practitioner in a hard-to-fill faculty position who is specialty board certified by the AVMA or the European Board of Veterinary Specialization but does not qualify for a standard license may apply for a Specialty VMC Clinician license, which will allow the licensee to practice veterinary medicine in the state of Minnesota only in the specialty area and only within the scope of employment at the Veterinary Medical Center.

Pay by check to Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine. All payments must be in U.S. funds and are non-refundable. 

Application form

A graduate of a nonaccredited or approved college of veterinary medicine, who has satisfactorily completed the fourth year of clinical study at an approved or accredited college of veterinary medicine and has successfully passed the national examination in veterinary medicine and the Minnesota Veterinary Jurisprudence Examination, and is enrolled in the ECFVG program, may be granted a temporary license. The holder of a temporary license issued under these provisions must practice under the supervision of a Minnesota licensed veterinarian. The temporary license is valid until the candidate obtains ECFVG certification or for a maximum of two years from the date of issue.

Pay by check to Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine. All payments must be in U.S. funds and are non-refundable. 

Application form

Fees: (Effective July 1, 2025) Specialty Faculty VMC Clinician License Applicants and Temporary License Applicants MUST  pay fees by check or money order to Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine. Online applications are NOT available at this time. All payments must be in U.S. funds and are non-refundable. 

- $75 Application Fee (NOTE: This is required and is separate from the NAVLE application fee which is paid to NBVME) 
- $75 Jurisprudence Examination Fee 
- $32 Criminal Background Check Fee 
- $300 Initial 2-year License Fee

TOTAL: $482

After your application is received, the Criminal Background Check department will email you with instructions for completing the Criminal Background Check. After the Board has received your references letters, exam scores, proof of graduation, fee payment, and initial application, we will contact you and make arrangements for you to take the Jurisprudence Exam. This exam will be emailed to you. 90% is the passing score and there is a two-hour time limit for taking the exam. Once you have completed the Jurisprudence Exam and all your documentation is in order, your application will be reviewed. 

The Minnesota Health Licensing Boards have cooperatively established the Criminal Background Check Program to help you efficiently complete this mandatory background check. Fingerprints are crosschecked with databases of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

When you apply for licensure, the criminal background check fee ($32) must be bundled into your other licensing fees and paid at the same time. After you have paid all required licensing fees and the criminal background check fee, you will be e-mailed a packet containing additional information and directions from the Criminal Background Check Program. You are responsible for having your fingerprints taken promptly and for completing all required paperwork so as to not delay finalizing your license application. Previously taken fingerprints cannot be used. Some agencies charge a fee for fingerprinting services. 

The time required for a CBC varies with the workload at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and cannot be expedited. During periods of high numbers of CBC requests, BCA’s search of records may take weeks. 

Please note: The report received from the BCA and FBI is only valid for a year. Applications that are not completed within a year of the CBC will be invalid and no fees refunded. 

Please direct any questions you have about the background check process to Criminal Background Check Program staff, and not the Board. 

Criminal Background Check Program 

335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 180

St. Paul, MN 55102

(651) 201-2822 

Email: criminal.background.check@state.mn.us

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