Licensure Process
As part of its mandate to protect and serve the public interest, the College ensures only qualified veterinarians are licensed to practise in Ontario. To obtain a licence to practice veterinary medicine, applicants must meet the College’s requirements. There are approximately 5,000 veterinarians licensed in Ontario.
Holding a licence to practise in the province is a privilege and as such comes with ongoing responsibilities. Only veterinarians licensed by the College of Veterinarians of Ontario are permitted to practise veterinary medicine in Ontario.
This section of the website is designed to help graduates of accredited veterinary schools, veterinarians licensed elsewhere in Canada and graduates of acceptable unaccredited veterinary schools (Educated Internationally) to understand the College and its licensing process.
Questions about licensure?
Licensure team
licensure@cvo.org
Licensure Application Information
Applications for licensure are submitted and then reviewed by College staff. If an application meets all of the requirements for a particular licence, the application is approved and the applicant will become a licensed member. Standard processing time for a complete licence application meeting all requirements is two business days.
Jurisprudence Exam
The College's jurisprudence exam requires applicants to demonstrate knowledge of and the ability to apply relevant Ontario legislation and regulations, as well as College standards and guidelines.