Transfer a Veterinary License to Massachusetts

Verified July 2026 · 24 official sources

Reciprocity after 5 years licensed

Massachusetts honors your license through reciprocity once you've been licensed more than 5 years, and even waives the transcript. The whole application is $343 including a 20-question open-book law exam you do as homework. No fingerprints. Two things to know: there is no temporary permit of any kind for US-trained vets, and you gather your own verification letters instead of having boards send them.

First year: about $463Renewal: $125 / yrWait: not publishedWork while waiting: NoTravel required: None (open-book exam at home)

What carries over to Massachusetts, and what does not

Comes with you

Your license (5+ years = transcript waived)
Your exam score, judged by your original state's old standard
Pre-1992 NBE/CCT scores still count

New for this state

20-question open-book jurisprudence exam
Notarized CORI form + two notarized references
Certified verifications you gather and upload yourself

Working in Massachusetts without a Massachusetts license

To advise another vet Free when called into the commonwealth for consultation on a Massachusetts vet's case; specialists may even charge for it. Limits aren't spelled out, so keep the MA vet in charge of the case.

For visits or one-time work Nothing exists for US-trained vets: no temporary permit, no courtesy license. In declared emergencies the board must waive requirements for vets working with charities or government. Otherwise, hands-on work means the full license, with no practicing while it's pending.

For remote care Massachusetts license required, and board policy is blunt: the vet-client relationship forms only with an in-person physical exam. Telehealth is maintenance-only after that.

Your send-off checklist

YOUCreate an ePLACE account and start the application ($343 total, covering the exam and license). $343 ePLACE portal

YOUComplete the 20-question open-book jurisprudence exam online and upload it. Jurisprudence exam

YOUGet the CORI form and two professional reference forms notarized, then upload them.

YOUOrder certified verifications from every state you've ever held and upload them YOURSELF. (From Pennsylvania: PALS, $15.) PALS portal

YOULicensed under 5 years? Order your transcript too. Order the AAVSB score transfer. $105 AAVSB VAULT

YOUUpload a passport-style photo and any discipline documentation, then submit. No practicing until the license issues.

Where documents go. Everything uploads through the ePLACE portal as PDFs (photo as JPEG). Do NOT have other boards mail verifications directly; you collect and upload them. AAVSB sends scores directly to the board's portal.

The money

Application + exam + license (combined)	$343
Score transfer (VAULT)	$105
VER
TOTAL First year, typical	~$463
Then: renewal every year	$125

Watch out in Massachusetts

No bridge permit exists: plan for zero Massachusetts practice until the license is issued.
You upload your own certified verifications from every state; the board refuses ones mailed directly by other boards. (The rule flips for reinstatements.)
The board can require an interview at its discretion.
Licensed under 5 years? The transcript waiver disappears, so order yours early.

After you are licensed

Renew every year by February 28 ($125). CE is 15 hours per calendar year; live webinars don't count against the self-study cap.
Telehealth needs the MA license, and board policy says the vet-client relationship only forms with an in-person exam.
Facilities need no permit, but every practice must appoint a Massachusetts-licensed Veterinary Medical Director.

Official links for Massachusetts

Board. MA Board of Registration in Veterinary Medicine (DOL) · Portal. ePLACE portal · Phone. 617-701-8723

Keep going

The veterinary planner, which builds a plan across several states at once.
What transfers when you move a veterinary license, covering NAVLE, VAULT and DEA.
All three professions we cover.

Every other jurisdiction

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