All veterinary hospitals, including
mobile units and
limited use facilities, must be licensed by July 1 every year. A housecall or farmcall-only practice does not need a hospital licence.
Licenses are not transferrable. If one of the following occurs, a veterinary hospital owner must obtain a new hospital license:
- You are opening a brand new hospital;
- Your hospital location changes, but the hospital owner and the hospital’s name stays the same;
- A new structure is built on the same property as an exisiting hospital and will replace the existing structure;
- An existing hospital changes ownership, even if a part of the practice is sold or if a sole proprietorship converts to an LLC, etc.
Inspections Requirements for Applicants
For New Hospitals and Existing Hospitals Changing Locations: After we receive an application, a Board inspector will contact the hospital owner to schedule an inspection. The facility must pass inspection before it may open for business.
New Ownership: If the hospital was inspected within the 12 months preceding the Board’s receipt of the hospital application, the Board will issue a license to the new hospital owner and schedule an inspection within 60 days. If the hospital has not been inspecton in the last 12 months, an inspection must be completed before the hospital can open for business under new ownership.
Inspection Results: If there are no issues identified during an inspection, a hospital license will be issued to the hospital owner. If the inspector has concerns, the inspector will discuss correcting deficiencies with the hospital owner. If the deficiencies are significant, the inspector will perform a re-inspection prior to the business opening. A business may not open until it passes inspection.
If your facility needs to be inspected before it can open, be sure to apply at least one month in advance. Inspectors set their schedules several weeks out.
Important Notes about Veterinary Hospital Ownership and Responsibility
- In Maryland, a veterinary hospital owner need not be a veterinarian; however, the hospital must be under the direct supervision and control of a licensed and registered veterinarian who is an employee of the hospital. That is the Responsible Veterinarian.
- Licenses are not transferrable. If you sell a portion of your business or incorporate into an LLC, or the ownership changes in anyway, you need a new license.
Make it public
Maryland regulations require hospital licenses be posted in public view. For a mobile veterinary clinic, the license must be inside the unit and available for inspection at all times.
