Veterinary - Veterinarian License in Montana

Montana requires a DVM degree from an AVMA-accredited school and passage of the NAVLE for veterinary licensure. The Montana Board of Veterinary Medicine oversees the profession. Montana does not have its own veterinary school; the state participates in the Washington-Idaho-Montana-Utah (WIMU) Regional Program in Veterinary Medicine through Washington State University, providing Montana residents preferential access and tuition benefits. Montana's vast ranching landscape, with over 2.5 million cattle across the state, creates critical demand for large-animal and mixed-practice veterinarians who often serve multiple counties. The state's economy is deeply tied to beef production, sheep ranching, and grain farming. Wildlife veterinary medicine is also significant, given Montana's populations of elk, bison (including Yellowstone's iconic herds), grizzly bears, and wolves, and the associated brucellosis management and chronic wasting disease surveillance challenges. Montana's sparse population and enormous geographic distances make it one of the most challenging states for veterinary access, and many rural communities are designated as veterinary shortage areas requiring practitioners to travel great distances.