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Securing a job as a veterinary technician is rewarding. Aside from a lucrative salary, you’ll provide essential medical services to animals in need. Veterinary technicians assist work alongside veterinarians while performing tasks such as drawing blood, administering medication, preparing animals for surgery, managing anesthesia and more, all of which can help injured or sick animals make a full recovery.

On your path to becoming a veterinary technician, though, you’ll probably encounter the following terms: Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT), Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT), and Licenced Veterinary Technician (LVT). Even after completing a higher-education program in veterinary medicine, you may be unfamiliar with these terms. While CVTs, RVTs and LVTs share some similarities, they aren’t the same. So, what’s the difference between them exactly?

What Is a CVT?

A CVT is a veterinary technician who’s been certified by a non-government entity. Neither the federal government nor any state governments provide certification for veterinary technicians. Rather, certification is offered by private organizations, such as colleges and other higher-education institutions. These learning centers have programs in which you can enroll to learn about veterinary technicians.

To become a CVT, you must complete the CVT program at an applicable college or higher-education institution. Most CVT programs also include the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). Consisting of a four-hour exam, the VTNE covers a wide range of topics associated with this field of veterinary medicine. You’ll typically need to pass the VTNE to meet the prerequisites needed to become a CVT.

What Is an RVT?

An RVT is a veterinary technician who has registered with the state in which he or she intends to practice. While certification is offered by private organizations, registration is offered by state governments. Registration is a way for states to keep track of veterinary technicians. All RVTs are recorded in their respective state’s database.

Not all states require registration for veterinary technicians. Those that do, however, have various requirements. Like with a CVT, you may be required to pass the VTNE to become a registered RVT. The VTNE is the most common exam used to measure a prospective veterinary technician’s knowledge and competency regarding veterinary technician duties. Therefore, many states require veterinary technicians to pass it to become registered.

States that require registration for veterinary technicians include the following:

• California
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Lousiana
• Maryland
• Maine
• New Mexico
• Missouri
• Ohio
• South Dakota
• West Virginia
• Oklahoma

What Is an LVT?

Finally, an LVT is a veterinary technician who’s been licensed in the state in which he or she intends to practice. Licensing is similar to registration in the sense that they are both offered by state governments. You can’t get licensed as a veterinary technician from a college or other high-education institution. All licensing for veterinary technicians is offered by state governments.

Most states have stricter requirements for licensing than registration. After all, the term “licensing” — when used in any context — signifies that an individual has been given authority to perform a job or task, whereas the term “registration” simply means that an individual has provided his or her information. To become an LVT, you’ll need to meet all of the state’s requirements for licensing. This usually includes passing the VTNE as well as meeting other criteria.

Understanding the Differences Between CVTs, LVTs and RVTs

CVTs, LVTs and RVTs are all veterinary technicians; they simply have different credentials that vary depending on the state in which they intend to practice. The main difference is that CVTs are assigned by schools and higher-education institutions, whereas LVTs and RVTs are assigned by state governments. With that said, many states require veterinary technicians to be certified before they can practice. Certification, however, is only offered by private organizations like schools and higher-education institutions.

Another difference between CVTs, LVTs and RVTs is that they often have different requirements. CVTs usually have the lowest barrier of entry, whereas RVTs have the highest barrier of entry. LVTs fall somewhere in the middle.

Which Path Should You Choose?

After reading the differences between CVTs, LVTs and RVTs, you might be wondering which path is right for you. States have different requirements for veterinary technicians, so you should consider the state in which you intend to practice. Some states require veterinary technicians to be certified, whereas others require veterinary technicians to be licensed or registered.

When deciding which path to take, you should check the state’s requirements. California, for example, requires registration for veterinary technicians. In comparison, Georgia requires licensing for veterinary technicians. Many other states require certification for veterinary technicians. The path you take should ultimately be determined by the state’s requirements, so do your reserach to determine whether certification, reigstration or licensing is needed.

In Conclusion

CVTs, LVTs and RVTs are credentials used for veterinary technicians. To become a veterinary technician, you’ll need to obtain one of these three credentials, which varies from state to state.