These regulations apply to any person licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State. “Board” means the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. “Continuing education courses” means courses that offer credit hours and includes seminars, lectures, conferences, workshops, and other programs that offer credit hours. “Credit hour” means 1 program hour. “Unused credit hour” means a credit hour which a practitioner earned in a given licensing year but did not use toward fulfilling the continuing professional education requirement for that year. A practitioner is exempt from providing proof to the Board of having met the continuing education requirement for 12 months from the license issuance date if: The practitioner is registering the veterinary license for the first time; and Reinstatement of the license is not required. If a practitioner fails to register the veterinary license within 12 months following notification from the Board of having met the legal requirements for licensure, the practitioner shall meet the legal requirements for licensure, as provided in COMAR 15.14.08 or 15.14.09, as applicable. Except as provided in §B of this regulation, the Board may not renew a practitioner's license unless that practitioner has earned 18 credit hours of continuing professional education during the: 12 months preceding the beginning of the new licensing year; or 24 months preceding the beginning of the new licensing year provided, however, that any credit hours earned before the 12 months preceding the beginning of the new licensing year are unused credit hours. The Board may conditionally renew a practitioner's license even though the requirements of §A of this regulation have not been met if the practitioner submits to the Board: Satisfactory proof that these requirements reasonably cannot be met because of exigent circumstances, such as meeting or recently completing an armed services commitment; and A plan showing that the practitioner will, within a reasonable period of time, complete the requirements of §A of this regulation. Accreditation by the Board of continuing education courses will be based only upon program content. A minimum of 12 hours of continuing education courses shall be directed toward improvement, advancement, and extension of professional skill and knowledge relating to the practice of veterinary medicine. These courses shall have significant intellectual or practical content dealing primarily with information on skills directly related to the practice of veterinary medicine. A maximum of 6 credit hours of continuing education courses may be directed toward non-scientific subjects relating to the practice of veterinary medicine, such as: Practice management concepts; Communication skills; State regulatory programs; or Federal regulatory programs. Credit hours may be approved for the following: Continuing education courses given by a college of veterinary medicine approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association; Lectures and scheduled courses at national and regional meetings of the American Veterinary Medical Association; Continuing education courses given or arranged by the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association; Continuing education courses given or arranged by North American Veterinary Conference, Western Veterinary Conference, Central Veterinary Conference, or American Animal Hospital Association; and Local, State, regional, or national continuing education courses including postgraduate studies, institutes, seminars, lectures, conferences, workshops, extension studies, or other continuing education courses as approved by the Board. Requests for approval of postgraduate studies and extension studies shall be submitted to the Board no fewer than 60 days before the expiration of the veterinarian’s registration certificate. Approved credit hours may be obtained through available online continuing education courses. After review of course content, the Board may withdraw its approval of a previously accredited continuing education course. A practitioner may apply any unused credit hours earned in a given licensing year toward fulfilling the following year's continuing professional education requirement. A practitioner shall keep an accurate attendance record of approved continuing education courses. The Board may request verification from a practitioner concerning his or her attendance at any continuing education course. If a practitioner reports false or misleading information to the Board, that practitioner may be subject to Board discipline following a hearing. A practitioner who fails to meet the continuing education requirements of this chapter may not practice veterinary medicine in the State. However, if a practitioner intends to practice veterinary medicine over the next licensing period, the practitioner shall renew the practitioner's registration not later than June 30 of each year by submitting to the Board proof of compliance with the requirements of this chapter. Agriculture Article, §§2-304(a)(1) and 2-306(a)(2), Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: January 23, 1981 (8:2 Md. R. 117) Regulation .02C adopted effective March 16, 1992 (19:5 Md. R. 579) Regulation .03 amended as an emergency provision effective May 21, 1991 18:12 Md. R. 1318); emergency status extended at 18:16 Md. R. 1809 (August 9, 1991); amended permanently effective October 28, 1991 (18:21 Md. R. 2310) Regulation .03 amended effective March 16, 1992 (19:5 Md. R. 579) Regulation .03A amended effective October 5, 2009 (36:20 Md. R. 1532) Regulation .04 amended effective January 1, 2007 (33:26 Md. R. 1997); October 5, 2009 (36:20 Md. R. 1532) Regulation .04C amended effective July 28, 1997 (24:15 Md. R. 1062) Regulation .04D amended effective March 16, 1992 (19:5 Md. R. 579) Regulation .05 amended effective March 16, 1992 (19:5 Md. R. 579) Regulation .06 amended effective September 12, 2005 (32:18 Md. R. 1521) Chapter revised effective March 16, 2015 (42:5 Md. R. 487) Regulation .02 amended effective March 6, 2023 (50:4 Md. R. 123) Regulation .05D amended effective March 6, 2023 (50:4 Md. R. 123) Regulation .05E amended effective July 16, 2018 (45:14 Md. R. 698); March 6, 2023 (50:4 Md. R. 123)