The Board of Registration of Veterinary Medicine ("The Board") voted today to adopt the following Policy Guidelines. These policy guidelines are intended as a recommended protocol for the profession to follow. The Board utilizes these and other guidelines as an internal management tool in formulating decisions that relate to issues of the veterinary medicine profession.

December 9, 2004
Renewal of an Inactive License

Policy: #05-02

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bulletin is to offer guidance to Licensees regarding Clarification of Renewing and inactive license.

POLICY:

The Board of Registration in Veterinary Medicine Regulations 256 CMR 3.00 state the requirements for returning an inactive (expired) license to a current standing.

A veterinarian is only allowed one license registration in Massachusetts. A veterinarian does not have the option of pursuing a new and different license registration in order to avoid the requirements for renewal of licensure described in 256 CMR 3.00. Once a veterinarian obtains license registration for the first time, that registration number is the only license number that will be associated with that individual in Massachusetts.

It is Board policy that candidates for renewal of inactive licenses must appear before the Board for an interview, scheduled at the Board's reasonable convenience. The Board in its discretion will waive that requirement only under extraordinary conditions of hardship.

Authority: M.G.L. Chapter 112, Section 54; and 256 CMR 3.00