CHAPTER 11. Veterinary Medicine [4800. - 4920.8.]
Chapter 11 repealed and added by Stats. 1937, Ch. 933.
§§ 4800–4920.8 · 139 sections
ARTICLE 1. Administration §§ 4800–4811 · 18 sections
- § 4800 (a) There is in the Department of Consumer Affairs a California Veterinary Medical Board in which the administration of this chapter is vested. The board shall…
- § 4800.1 Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the California Veterinary Medical Board in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary…
- § 4801 (a) Each veterinarian member of the board shall be a bona fide resident of this state for a period of at least five years immediately preceding their…
- § 4802 The members of the board shall hold office for a term of four years. Each member shall serve until the appointment and qualification of their successor or…
- § 4803 The Governor may, in his judgment, remove any member of the board for neglect of duty or other sufficient cause, after due notice and hearing.
- § 4804 The board shall elect a president, vice president, and any other officers of the board as shall be necessary, from its membership. The Attorney General shall…
- § 4804.5 (a) The board may appoint a person exempt from civil service who shall be designated as an executive officer and who shall exercise the powers and perform the…
- § 4805 The executive officer of the board may administer oaths or affirmations upon matters pertaining to the business of the board. Any person willfully making any…
- § 4806 Each member of the board shall receive a per diem and expenses as provided in Section 103.
- § 4807 Five members of the board constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting of the board.
- § 4808 The board may in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, adopt, amend, or repeal rules and regulations that are reasonably…
- § 4809 The board shall keep an official record of its meetings, and it shall also keep an official register of all applicants for licenses. The register shall be…
- § 4809.5 The board may at any time inspect the premises in which veterinary medicine, veterinary dentistry, or veterinary surgery is being practiced. The board’s…
- § 4809.6 The enforcement of Sections 4809.5 and 4854 of this chapter is a function exclusively reserved to the California Veterinary Medical Board and the state has…
- § 4809.7 The board shall establish a regular inspection program that will provide for random announced or unannounced inspections of veterinary premises. The board…
- § 4809.8 (a) The board shall establish an advisory committee to assist, advise, and make recommendations for the implementation of rules and regulations necessary to…
- § 4810 As used in this chapter: (a) “Board” means the California Veterinary Medical Board. (b) “Multidisciplinary committee” means the Veterinary Medicine…
- § 4811 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Veterinary Medicine Practice Act.”
ARTICLE 2. Practice Provisions §§ 4825–4831 · 20 sections
- § 4825 It is unlawful for any person to practice veterinary medicine or any branch thereof in this State unless at the time of so doing, such person holds a valid,…
- § 4825.1 These definitions shall govern the construction of this chapter as it applies to veterinary medicine. (a) “Client” means the individual or individuals who…
- § 4826 A person practices veterinary medicine, surgery, and dentistry, and the various branches thereof, when the person does any one of the following: (a) Represents…
- § 4826.1 A veterinarian who on his or her own initiative, at the request of an owner, or at the request of someone other than the owner, renders emergency treatment to…
- § 4826.2 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a veterinarian, registered veterinary technician, or a veterinary assistant working under the supervision of a…
- § 4826.3 (a) Notwithstanding any law, a veterinary technician, veterinary assistant, and veterinary assistant controlled substances permitholder registered in this…
- § 4826.4 (a) A California-licensed veterinarian at premises registered in accordance with Section 4853 that is located within a 25-mile radius of any condition of…
- § 4826.5 Notwithstanding any other law, a licensed veterinarian, registered veterinary technician, or veterinary assistant controlled substance permitholder under the…
- § 4826.6 (a) A veterinarian shall not prescribe, dispense, or administer a drug, medicine, application, or treatment of whatever nature for the prevention, cure, or…
- § 4826.7 (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Private animal shelter” means a not-for-profit organization that has tax-exempt status…
- § 4826.8 (a) An onychectomy, tendonectomy, surgical claw removal, or declaw on any feline or any procedure to otherwise alter a feline’s toes, claws, or paws to prevent…
- § 4827 (a) Nothing in this chapter prohibits any person from: (1) Practicing veterinary medicine as a bona fide owner of one’s own animals, except for the procedures…
- § 4828 All veterinarians actually engaged and employed as veterinarians by the state, or a county, city, corporation, firm or individual are practicing veterinary…
- § 4829 Any license granted to any person to practice veterinary medicine, or any branch thereof, in this State issued under any preceding act relating to veterinary…
- § 4829.5 (a) Each time a veterinarian initially prescribes, dispenses, or furnishes a dangerous drug, as defined in Section 4022, to an animal patient in an outpatient…
- § 4830 (a) This chapter does not apply to: (1) Veterinarians while serving in any armed branch of the military service of the United States or the United States…
- § 4830.5 (a) If a licensee under this chapter has reasonable cause to believe that a dog has been injured or killed through participation in a staged animal fight, as…
- § 4830.7 Whenever any licensee under this chapter has reasonable cause to believe an animal under its care has been a victim of animal abuse or cruelty, as prescribed…
- § 4830.8 (a) An attending or on-call veterinarian at a rodeo event shall, pursuant to Section 596.7 of the Penal Code, report to the board any animal injury at the…
- § 4831 Any person, who violates or aids or abets in violating any of the provisions of this chapter, is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be…
ARTICLE 2.5. Registered Veterinary Technicians §§ 4836–4845 · 26 sections
- § 4836 (a) The board shall adopt regulations establishing animal health care tasks and an appropriate degree of supervision required for those tasks that may be…
- § 4836.1 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a registered veterinary technician or a veterinary assistant may administer a drug, including, but not limited to, a drug…
- § 4836.2 (a) To obtain a veterinary assistant controlled substance permit in California, an individual shall satisfy the following requirements: (1) Complete and submit…
- § 4836.4 (a) Every person who has been issued a veterinary assistant controlled substance permit by the board pursuant to Section 4836.2 who changes his or her mailing…
- § 4836.5 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a registered veterinary technician or a veterinary assistant may collect blood from an animal for the purpose of…
- § 4836.6 The board shall take action pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 4875) of this chapter against any veterinarian licensed or authorized to practice in…
- § 4839 For purposes of this article, “registered veterinary technician” means a person who has met the requirements set forth in Section 4841.5 and is registered by…
- § 4839.5 No person shall use the title “registered veterinary technician” or “veterinary technician,” or any other words, letters, or symbols, including, but not…
- § 4840 (a) Registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants are approved to perform animal health care services not otherwise prohibited by law under the…
- § 4840.2 Registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants shall not perform the following health care services: (a) Surgery. (b) Diagnosis and prognosis of…
- § 4840.5 Under conditions of an emergency, a registered veterinary technician may render such lifesaving aid and treatment as may be prescribed under regulations…
- § 4840.6 Any registered veterinary technician registered in this state who in good faith renders emergency animal health care at the scene of the emergency, or his or…
- § 4840.7 (a) A registered veterinary technician who has been examined by the board in the area of radiation safety and techniques may operate radiographic equipment…
- § 4840.9 Registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants may be employed by any veterinarian licensed or authorized to practice in this state or by any…
- § 4841 Any person performing any of the tasks designated by the board pursuant to Section 4836 and any person representing himself or herself as a registered…
- § 4841.1 This article shall not apply to students in a California veterinary technology program who perform the job tasks for registered veterinary technicians as part…
- § 4841.2 (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), a graduate of a recognized veterinary college shall not perform animal health care tasks otherwise performed by a…
- § 4841.4 (a) The board, by means of examination, shall determine the professional qualifications of all applicants who wish to register as veterinary technicians in…
- § 4841.5 (a) To obtain registration as a registered veterinary technician, the applicant shall satisfy the following requirements: (1) Complete and submit an…
- § 4842 The board may deny a registered veterinary technician application if the applicant has done any of the following: (a) Committed any act that would be grounds…
- § 4842.2 All funds collected by the board under this article shall be deposited in the California Veterinary Medical Board Contingent Fund.
- § 4842.6 (a) Each individual registered by the board shall biennially apply for renewal of his or her license or registration on or before the last day of the…
- § 4842.7 Every person registered by the board under this article who changes their mailing address shall notify the board of their new mailing address within 30 days of…
- § 4843.5 Except as otherwise provided in this article, an expired certificate of registration may be renewed at any time within five years after its expiration on…
- § 4844 A person who fails to renew his certificate of registration within five years after its expiration may not renew it, and it shall not be restored, reissued, or…
- § 4845 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may, in its sole discretion, issue a probationary registration to an applicant subject to terms and…
ARTICLE 3. Issuance of Licenses §§ 4846–4857 · 19 sections
- § 4846 (a) In order to obtain a license to practice veterinary medicine in California, an individual shall meet the following requirements: (1) Graduate from a…
- § 4846.1 If the veterinary college from which an applicant is graduated is not recognized by the board, the board shall have the authority to determine the…
- § 4846.2 If the board finds in evaluating the graduate described in Section 4846.1 that such applicant is deficient in qualification or in the quality of his…
- § 4847.1 (a) If an applicant fails to complete their application within one year after it has been filed, the application shall be considered abandoned and the…
- § 4848.1 (a) A veterinarian engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine, as defined in Section 4826, employed by the University of California and engaged in the…
- § 4850 Every person holding a license under this chapter shall conspicuously display the license in his or her principal place of business.
- § 4852 Every person holding a license issued under this chapter who changes his or her mailing address shall notify the board of his or her new mailing address within…
- § 4853 (a) All veterinary premises shall be registered with the board. The certificate of registration shall be on a form prescribed in accordance with Section 164.…
- § 4853.1 Each application to register a premises pursuant to Section 4853 shall be made on a form provided by the board.
- § 4853.5 When it has been adjudicated in an administrative hearing that the licensee manager has failed to keep the premises and all equipment therein in a clean and…
- § 4853.6 (a) The board shall deny, suspend, or revoke registration of a veterinary premises if any of the following occur: (1) The licensee manager set forth in the…
- § 4853.7 A premise registration that is not renewed within five years after its expiration may not be renewed and shall not be restored, reissued, or reinstated…
- § 4854 All premises where veterinary medicine, veterinary dentistry, or veterinary surgery is being practiced, and all instruments, apparatus and apparel used in…
- § 4854.1 A premises registration holder who is not a California-licensed veterinarian pursuant to Section 4825 shall not interfere with, control, or otherwise direct…
- § 4854.5 (a) Every off-campus educational program site shall display in a conspicuous place a consumer notification specifying that the veterinary facilities are also…
- § 4855 (a) A veterinarian subject to the provisions of this chapter shall, as required by regulation of the board, keep a written record of all animals receiving…
- § 4855.1 Within 30 days of receiving a written or verbal request by the client or their authorized agent for a record of client payments, the licensee manager of the…
- § 4856 (a) All records required by law to be kept by a veterinarian subject to this chapter, including, but not limited to, records pertaining to diagnosis and…
- § 4857 (a) A veterinarian licensed under this chapter shall not disclose any information concerning an animal patient receiving veterinary services, the client…
ARTICLE 3.1. Continuing Education §§ 4858–4858.3 · 4 sections
- § 4858 (a) Except for the first renewal period, all holders of veterinarian licenses and veterinary technician registrations issued under the provisions of this…
- § 4858.1 (a) The board shall issue renewed veterinarian licenses only to those applicants who have completed a minimum of 36 hours of continuing education in the…
- § 4858.2 (a) The board shall issue renewed veterinary technician registrations only to those applicants who have completed a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education…
- § 4858.3 (a) Upon a course attendee’s completion of a continuing education course sponsored by a provider pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 4858.1…
ARTICLE 3.5. Wellness Evaluation Committees §§ 4860–4873 · 14 sections
- § 4860 It is the intent of the Legislature that the board seek ways and means to identify and rehabilitate veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians with…
- § 4861 (a) One or more wellness evaluation committees is hereby authorized to be established by the board. Each wellness evaluation committee shall be composed of…
- § 4862 Each member of a wellness evaluation committee shall receive per diem and expenses as provided in Section 103.
- § 4863 Three members of a wellness evaluation committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. Any action requires the majority…
- § 4864 Each wellness evaluation committee shall elect from its membership a chairperson and a vice chairperson.
- § 4865 The board shall administer the provisions of this article.
- § 4866 (a) The board shall establish criteria for the acceptance, denial, or termination of veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians in a wellness program.…
- § 4867 The wellness evaluation committee shall inform each veterinarian and registered veterinary technician who requests participation in a program of the procedures…
- § 4868 Each wellness evaluation committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities: (a) To evaluate those veterinarians and registered veterinary…
- § 4869 Notwithstanding Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to public meetings,…
- § 4870 Each veterinarian and registered veterinary technician who requests participation in a wellness program shall agree to cooperate with the treatment program…
- § 4871 (a) After a wellness evaluation committee in its discretion has determined that a veterinarian or registered veterinary technician has been rehabilitated and…
- § 4872 The board shall provide for the representation of any persons making reports to a wellness evaluation committee or the board under this article in any action…
- § 4873 The board shall charge each veterinarian and registered veterinary technician who is accepted to participate in the wellness program a wellness program…
ARTICLE 4. Revocation and Suspension §§ 4875–4887 · 13 sections
- § 4875 In addition to its authority to suspend or revoke a license, registration, or permit, the board shall have the authority to assess a fine not in excess of five…
- § 4875.1 (a) In order to ensure that its resources are maximized for the protection of the public, the board shall prioritize its investigative and prosecutorial…
- § 4875.2 If, upon completion of an investigation, the executive officer has probable cause to believe that a veterinarian, registered veterinary technician, veterinary…
- § 4875.3 If the board determines, as a result of its inspection of the premises pursuant to Section 4809.5, or any other place where veterinary medicine, veterinary…
- § 4875.4 (a) The board shall, in the manner prescribed in Section 4808, adopt regulations covering the assessment of civil penalties under this article which give due…
- § 4875.6 (a) In addition to requesting an administrative hearing as provided for in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 125.9, the cited person may request an…
- § 4875.7 (a) Notwithstanding paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 125.9 and Section 148, the executive officer may issue a citation to a person or entity, and…
- § 4882 (a) The proceedings under this article shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of…
- § 4883 The board may deny, revoke, suspend, or place on probation a license, registration, or permit or assess a fine as provided in Section 4875 for any of the…
- § 4884 (a) A licensee shall not dispense or administer cannabis or cannabis products to an animal patient. (b) Notwithstanding any other law and absent negligence or…
- § 4885 A plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere made to a charge of a felony or of any offense related to the practice of…
- § 4886 In reinstating a license, registration, or permit that has been revoked or suspended under Section 4883, the board may impose terms and conditions to be…
- § 4887 (a) (1) A person whose license or registration has been revoked or who has been placed on probation may petition the board for reinstatement or modification of…
ARTICLE 5. Revenue §§ 4900–4905 · 8 sections
- § 4900 (a) All veterinary licenses, veterinary technician registrations, and veterinary assistant controlled substance permits, shall expire at 12 midnight of the…
- § 4901 Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, an expired license or registration may be renewed at any time within five years after its expiration on filing of…
- § 4901.1 A license or registration that is suspended is subject to expiration, and shall be renewed as provided in this chapter, but that renewal does not entitle the…
- § 4901.2 (a) A revoked or surrendered license, registration, or permit is subject to expiration as provided in this article, but it shall not be renewed. If it is…
- § 4902 A license, registration, or permit that is not renewed within five years after its expiration shall be canceled and shall not be renewed, restored, reissued,…
- § 4903 Of all fines or forfeitures of bail in any case where a person is charged with a violation of this chapter, 50 percent shall be paid upon collection by the…
- § 4904 All fees collected on behalf of the board and all receipts of every kind and nature shall be reported each month for the month preceding to the Controller and…
- § 4905 (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Small veterinary premises” means a veterinary premises where up to three full-time…
ARTICLE 6. Veterinary Corporations §§ 4910–4917 · 8 sections
- § 4910 A veterinary corporation is a corporation that is authorized to render professional services, as defined in Section 13401 of the Corporations Code, so long as…
- § 4911 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the name of a veterinary corporation and any name or names under which it renders professional services shall…
- § 4912 Except as provided in Section 13403 of the Corporations Code, each director, shareholder, and officer of a veterinary corporation shall be a licensed person as…
- § 4913 The income of a veterinary corporation attributable to professional services rendered while a shareholder is a disqualified person (as defined in Section 13401…
- § 4914 A veterinary corporation shall not do or fail to do any act the doing of which or the failure to do which would constitute unprofessional conduct under any…
- § 4915 It shall constitute unprofessional conduct and a violation of this chapter, punishable as specified in Section 4831, for any person licensed under this chapter…
- § 4916 The board may formulate and enforce rules and regulations to carry out the purposes and the objectives of this article, including rules and regulations…
- § 4917 Nothing in this article requires an applicant for or a holder of a certificate of registration of veterinary premises described in Section 4853 to be a…
ARTICLE 7. Community Blood Banks for Animals §§ 4920–4920.8 · 9 sections
- § 4920 For the purposes of this article, the following definitions apply: (a) “Adverse event” means an event in which an animal is injured, sickened, rendered…
- § 4920.1 For purposes of liability pursuant to this article, the production and use of whole blood, plasma, blood products, and blood derivatives for purposes of…
- § 4920.2 Each veterinarian who is licensed in California and engages in the production of animal blood and blood component products solely for use in their own practice…
- § 4920.3 (a) A veterinarian or a community blood bank operating under this article shall not provide payment to a person who provides an animal for the purpose of…
- § 4920.4 The board may establish a community blood bank registration fee and annual renewal fee to be paid by community blood banks to cover costs associated with…
- § 4920.5 A community blood bank operating under this article shall comply with blood or blood component product registration requirements under Article 5 (commencing…
- § 4920.6 A community blood bank operating under this article shall submit a quarterly report to the Department of Food and Agriculture every three months that includes…
- § 4920.7 Each veterinarian who is licensed in California and operates a closed-colony blood bank shall comply with Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 9201) of Part 1…
- § 4920.8 A violation of this article by a community blood bank shall constitute a cause for corrective action, suspension, restriction, or the nonrenewal or revocation…