Changing your Licence Type or Status

All practising veterinarians in Ontario must be licensed by the College. The following types of licenses are issued:

• General - may practise veterinary medicine in Ontario, without restriction on scope or place of practice
• Restricted - similar to General, but a Committee under the Veterinarians Act placed conditions or limitations on licence
• Educational - must be enrolled in postgraduate studies in veterinary medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College
• Postgraduate/Resident - must be enrolled as an intern, resident or Doctor of Veterinary Science student at the Ontario Veterinary College
• Academic - must hold a full-time teaching or research appointment of professional rank at the Ontario Veterinary College
• Public Service - must be employed as a veterinarian by the Government of Canada
• Short Term - a 30-day restricted licence requiring supervision and an appointment or invitation

To make changes to your licence type, you must submit an application for licensure form.

Resigning your licence

It is important to let us know if you intend to resign your licence. To resign your licence complete and submit the Licence Resignation Form. Following resignation, your licence will be terminated and you may no longer practise veterinary medicine in Ontario. If you choose to resign your licence and re-apply for licensure in the future, you will need to meet the licensure requirements in place at the time of your re-application.

Resignation and application for Emeritus Standing

Those licensed members who have been in good standing for 25 years or more are eligible to apply for Emeritus Status with the College. You need to complete and submit Part 1 and Part 2 of the Licence Resignation Form.

Eligible former licensed members who have resigned their licences may apply for emeritus status in order to have their membership history and involvement in the College recognized. Emeritus status is regarded as a very high honour to the individual and in the profession.

To be considered for emeritus status you must:

1. have held a licence under the Act or registration under a predecessor of the Act, or a combination, continuously for 25 years or more;
2. have never had a finding of professional misconduct or gross neglect;  
3. have been in good standing at the time your membership ended; and
4. be fully retired from the practice of veterinary medicine in Ontario.

All applications for this special status must be reviewed by the Registrar. If approved, the Registrar will issue a certificate to the applicant. The public register will display the former licensed members who have requested and qualified for this status.  

For the purpose of clause 1(c), a member is in good standing if their licence is not suspended and the member, is not in default of payment of any fee prescribed by the regulations made under the Act, is not in default of providing the College with any information required by or under the regulations made under the Act, and is not the subject of proceedings in respect of professional misconduct, gross neglect or impairment.

A person with emeritus status must abide by the following terms:

a. undertake to not practice veterinary medicine or re-apply for licensure in Ontario in the future;
b. agree to use only the title “Veterinarian Emeritus”; and
c. agree and acknowledge that the emeritus status can be removed by the Registrar if he or she concludes that the status holder has acted in a manner that is inconsistent with the status.