Fall renewal season is here. If you’re a veterinarian or veterinary technician with a license or credential in Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, or Colorado, now is the time to check your continuing education (CE) requirements, identify any missing hours, and find the CE that works best for your specialty and schedule.
Required hours, subjects, reporting periods, delivery formats, and even what constitutes “live” CE vary state by state. The good news? ZukuCE offers RACE-approved continuing education for veterinarians and veterinary technicians, along with NYSED-approved CE options for professionals who need New York-approved education. With live interactive CE and on-demand learning opportunities, ZukuCE can help you work toward your requirements while giving you flexibility in how you complete your CE.
Here are the veterinary renewal deadlines to have on your calendar for September and October 2026.
Kentucky CE Requirements: September 30, 2026 Renewal
Veterinarians:
- Renewal Deadline: September 30, 2026
- Renewal Frequency: Every 2 years, in even-numbered years
- CE Required: 30 hours every 2 years
- CE Reporting Period: October 1, 2024–September 30, 2026
- Required Subjects & Limits:
- At least 20 hours must relate directly to veterinary practice.
- At least 2 hours must cover pharmacy/controlled substances, antimicrobials, or applicable veterinary laws and regulations.
- No more than 10 hours may be in practice management or other administrative, wellbeing, or professional topics not directly related to veterinary medicine.
- Allowed Online: All 30 hours may be completed online; however, no more than 15 hours may be prerecorded online CE.
- Live Requirement: At least 15 hours must be live and real-time, either online or in-person.
- RACE-Approved CE: Kentucky recognizes RACE-approved programs, including qualifying ZukuCE courses.
- CE Documentation: Keep CE documentation for 4 years from the date of license renewal. The documentation must identify the course, provider, hours, date, delivery method, and, for online CE, whether it was live/interactive or non-interactive.
- New Graduates: Newly licensed veterinarians who graduated October 1, 2024–September 30, 2025, must complete 15 CE hours for their first renewal. Those who graduated October 1, 2025–September 30, 2026, are exempt from CE for their first renewal but must still renew their license.
Licensed Veterinary Technicians:
- Renewal Deadline: September 30, 2026
- Renewal Frequency: Annually
- CE Required: 6 hours annually
- CE Reporting Period: October 1, 2025-September 30, 2026
- Required Subjects & Limits:
- At least 1 hour must cover pharmacy/controlled substances, antimicrobials, or applicable veterinary laws and regulations.
- No more than 3 hours may be in practice management or other administrative, wellbeing, or professional topics not directly related to veterinary medicine or veterinary technology.
- Allowed Online: All 6 hours may be completed online, however, no more than 3 hours may be prerecorded online CE.
- Live Requirement: At least 3 hours must be live and real-time, either online or in-person.
- RACE-Approved CE: Kentucky recognizes RACE-approved programs, including qualifying ZukuCE courses.
- CE Documentation: Keep CE documentation for 4 years from the date of license renewal. The documentation must identify the course, provider, hours, date, delivery method, and, for online CE, whether it was live/interactive or non-interactive.
- First Renewal: Veterinary technicians who graduated within 12 months before initial licensure are exempt from CE for their first renewal but must still renew their license.
Missed the deadline? Kentucky allows CE to be completed through the November 30 grace-period deadline, subject to applicable late fees. Credentials not renewed by November 30 expire and require reinstatement.
Looking Ahead: For licensees who have completed their 2026 renewal requirements, Kentucky’s next CE reporting period runs October 1, 2026–September 30, 2028 for veterinarians and October 1, 2026–September 30, 2027 for veterinary technicians. ZukuCE offers multiple live, interactive courses each month, with recordings available on-demand afterward. Qualifying live ZukuCE courses can help meet Kentucky’s requirement that at least half of CE be completed live and in real time, while on-demand courses can provide additional flexibility within the state’s prerecorded CE limits.
Louisiana CE Requirements: September 30, 2026 Renewal
Veterinarians:
- Renewal Deadline: September 30, 2026
- Renewal Frequency: Annually
- CE Required: 20 hours annually
- CE Reporting Period: July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026
- CE completed after June 30, 2026, is considered late for the 2026 renewal and may result in additional fees or penalties.
- Allowed Online: Up to 10 of the 20 hours may be completed online. Louisiana classifies live interactive webinars as online CE.
- RACE-Approved CE: Louisiana accepts RACE-approved programs without additional Board approval, including qualifying ZukuCE courses.
- CE Documentation: Submit CE activity and certificates through the LBVM License Portal. Certificates must include the attendee’s name, course/program, sponsor or presenter, date, hours completed, delivery method, and subject matter.
- First Renewal: DVM licenses issued prior to May 1, 2026, are subject to the 2026 CE and renewal requirements; licenses issued after May 1, 2026, are not required to renew during the 2026 renewal cycle. DVMs licensed on May 1 should confirm their renewal requirement with the Board.
Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs):
- Renewal Deadline: September 30, 2026
- Renewal Frequency: Annually
- CE Required: 10 hours annually
- CE Reporting Period: July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026. CE completed after June 30, 2026, is considered late for the 2026 renewal and may result in additional fees or penalties.
- Allowed Online: Up to 5 of the 10 required hours may be completed online. Louisiana classifies live interactive webinars as online CE.
- RACE-Approved CE: Louisiana accepts RACE-approved programs without additional Board approval, including qualifying ZukuCE courses.
- CE Documentation: Submit CE activity and certificates through the LBVM License Portal. Certificates must include the attendee’s name, course/program, sponsor or presenter, date, hours completed, delivery method, and subject matter.
- First Renewal: RVT certificates issued prior to May 1, 2026, are subject to the 2026 CE and renewal requirements; certificates issued after May 1, 2026, are not required to renew during the 2026 renewal cycle. RVTs certified on May 1 should confirm their renewal requirement with the Board.
Missed the deadline? Louisiana licenses and certificates not fully renewed by September 30, 2026, expire October 1. Late renewal fees are $150 for DVMs and $20 for RVTs. Expired credentials may still be renewed, but additional fees apply. DVMs who completed required CE after the June 30 CE deadline are required to pay a $25 late CE fee.
Looking ahead: Louisiana’s next CE reporting period runs July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027. ZukuCE offers multiple live, interactive courses each month, with recordings available on-demand afterward. Qualifying RACE-approved ZukuCE courses can help DVMs and RVTs get started on their next CE requirements, but remember that Louisiana limits online CE to 50% of the total requirement and classifies live interactive webinars as online CE.
Maine CE Requirements: September 30, 2026 Renewal
Veterinarians:
- Renewal Deadline: September 30, 2026
- Renewal Frequency: Annually
- CE Required: 24 hours of Board-approved CE are required for the 2026 renewal. Maine requires veterinarian CE with renewal in even-numbered years.
- CE Approval: CE must be approved by the Maine State Board of Veterinary Medicine.
- CE Documentation: Keep documentation showing completion of Board-approved CE. Certificates for approved programs include information such as the provider, program title, date, participant, contact hours, and approval information.
Veterinary Technicians:
- Renewal Deadline: September 30, 2026
- Renewal Frequency: Annually
- CE Required: No state-mandated CE requirement is listed for veterinary technician renewal.
Missed the deadline? Maine licenses may be renewed for up to 90 days after expiration with the regular renewal fee plus a $50 late fee. After 90 days, the individual must reapply and meet the requirements for a new applicant.
Looking Ahead: Maine veterinarian licenses renew every year, but the 24-hour CE requirement applies with renewal in even-numbered years. After the 2026 renewal, the next CE-required veterinarian renewal will be September 30, 2028. Veterinary technicians currently have no state-mandated CE requirement for renewal.
Colorado CE Requirements: October 31, 2026 Renewal
Veterinarians:
- Renewal Deadline: October 31, 2026
- Renewal Frequency: Every 2 years, in even-numbered years
- CE Required: 32 hours per renewal period. CE hours may be applied to only one renewal period.
- Required Subjects & Limits:
- For the 2026 renewal, Colorado requires 2 hours of Colorado veterinary jurisprudence CE and 1 hour of substance use prevention training, although exemptions may apply to the substance use prevention requirement.
- No more than 16 of the 32 required hours may be earned in nonbiomedical topics such as leadership, personnel management, client relations, communication training, and practice or personal wellness.
- RACE-Approved CE: The Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine automatically accepts RACE-approved courses, including qualifying ZukuCE courses.
- First Renewal: Veterinarians licensed for 12 months or less before their first expiration date are exempt from CE for that first renewal. Those licensed for more than 12 months but less than 24 months before the first expiration date must complete 16 CE hours.
- Delegation & Supervision CE: The new Delegation and Supervision CE requirement does not apply to the 2026 renewal cycle. It will first apply in the 2028 renewal cycle.
Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs):
- Renewal Deadline: October 31, 2026
- Renewal Frequency: Every 2 years, in even-numbered years
- CE Required: Colorado does not establish a separate state CE-hour requirement for registered veterinary technicians. RVTs must maintain the credential required for Colorado registration, which may include continuing education requirements established by the approved credentialing organization.
- Additional Information: Veterinary technicians practicing in Colorado must be registered with the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine and maintain the credential required for registration. Credentialing organizations may impose additional renewal requirements.
Missed the deadline? Colorado provides a 60-day grace period after a veterinarian license or veterinary technician registration expires to complete renewal requirements and pay the applicable delinquency fee. After the grace period, the credential is expired and reinstatement requirements apply. Vets and RVTs may not practice under an expired credential.
Looking ahead: The next Colorado veterinarian and registered vet tech renewal is October 31, 2028. Veterinarians should also note that the new delegation and supervision CE requirement will first apply to the 2028 renewal cycle. Qualifying RACE-approved ZukuCE courses can help Colorado veterinarians meet state CE requirements and registered veterinary technicians fulfill the CE requirements associated with maintaining their required credential.
November and December Veterinary License Renewals Are Coming Up
Veterinary license renewal season continues through the end of the year, with additional veterinarian and veterinary technician renewal deadlines throughout November and December. We’ll cover those deadlines separately in our upcoming November and December 2026 Veterinary License Renewal guides.
If your license or credential expires later this year, don’t wait until the renewal month to review your CE requirements. Checking now gives you time to find the right courses, especially if you still need a particular subject, an approved CE provider, or a specific type of live, interactive, or in-person education.
Your Fall CE Checklist
Before you hit “renew,” make sure you’ve checked more than just your total CE hours:
- Confirm your exact license, registration, or certificate renewal date.
- Check the CE reporting period, not just the renewal deadline.
- Confirm your total required CE hours.
- Look for mandatory subjects and limits on certain types of CE.
- Check whether your state limits online or self-study CE.
- Determine whether live, interactive, or in-person CE is required.
- Confirm that your CE provider or program is accepted by your state.
- Check whether your state recognizes RACE-approved CE or requires another type of provider or course approval.
- Save your CE certificates and other required documentation for the appropriate retention period.
- Don’t assume that “live online” means the same thing in every state.
- A live interactive webinar may satisfy a live or real-time requirement in one state while being classified simply as online CE in another. Always check how your licensing authority defines the delivery method.
Need CE Before Your Renewal? Meet ZukuCE
Renewal season shouldn’t mean scrambling to find CE at the last minute.
ZukuCE offers RACE-approved continuing education for veterinarians and veterinary technicians, along with NYSED-approved CE options for professionals who need New York-approved education. Choose from live interactive CE and on-demand courses across topics including large animal medicine, regulatory practice, emergency medicine, exotics, and more.
Live ZukuCE programs give participants the opportunity to interact with and ask questions of the presenter in real time. Recordings are also available on-demand afterward, giving veterinary professionals additional flexibility when working CE into a busy clinical schedule.
Ready to check off your remaining CE? Explore ZukuCE courses and find the education that fits your renewal requirements.
You can also visit the Zuku Learning State CE Requirements pages to check renewal dates, required CE hours, online CE allowances, interactive requirements, and veterinary licensing board information for your state.
State licensing and continuing education requirements can change. Information in this article was reviewed in September 2026. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians should confirm current requirements with the appropriate state licensing authority before renewing or relying on a course for CE credit.
More from ZukuCE:
- Meet your renewal requirements with ZukuCE for Vets and Vet Techs
- Explore upcoming Live ZukuCE Webinars
- Check your state’s CE requirements for license renewal.
- Review the weekly Veterinary Medicine Blog
