21 NCAC 66 .0902 VETERINARY FACILITY PERMITS
(b) As a condition of any veterinary facility permit issued by the Board, the owner shall designate a supervising veterinarian.
(c) The Board shall issue a veterinary facility permit to an owner after the owner submits an application, pays the veterinary facility permit fee, and passes a facility inspection. The Board shall inspect the veterinary facility to ensure compliance with Rules .0207 and .0208 of this Chapter if an inspection has not been performed in the last two years. It is the responsibility of the owners to ensure that the veterinary facility meets the minimum veterinary facility standards in Rules .0207 and .0208 of this Chapter.
(d) The application for a veterinary facility permit shall be on a form prescribed by the Board and available on the Board's website. The application shall contain:
(1) the owner's name, physical address, mailing address, email address, and telephone number;
(2) proposed or existing name of the facility, as set forth in G.S. 90-181.1, physical address, mailing address, email address, and telephone number; and
(3) designation of a supervising veterinarian of the facility subject to the provisions of Rules .0903 of this Section.
(e) Each veterinary facility permit shall be renewed yearly. The veterinary facility must have passed an inspection pursuant to Rule .0207(b)(16) of this Chapter within the 24 months prior to issuance of renewal.
(f) Each veterinary facility that is identified by a separate physical address or that is located at the same physical address as another veterinary facility but has different owners or supervising veterinarians shall be a separate veterinary facility requiring a separate veterinary facility permit. The physical address for a veterinary facility shall be the primary business location.
(g) The owner shall notify the Board within 10 business days of any changes in contact information.
(h) The owner shall notify the Board in writing of a planned change in the ownership or in the supervising veterinarian of the veterinary facility at least 20 business days prior to the planned change.
(i) In the event of an owner's inability to maintain the facility's compliance with Chapter 90 of the General Statutes and the rules of this Chapter, the Board shall be notified within 10 business days by an owner, or if the owner is unable to do so as a result of physical inability, the supervising veterinarian, or a member of the veterinary facility's staff.
(j) In the event that the Board is notified that the owner to whom a facility permit is issued is dissolved voluntarily, administratively, or by operation of law; suspended by the NC Department of Revenue; or has its certificate of authority revoked by the NC Secretary of State, the Board shall also suspend the permit issued to the owner. The suspension shall remain in effect until the suspension has been lifted by NC Department of Revenue, or the person has been reinstated by the NC Secretary of State, or both.
(k) The Board may issue a temporary veterinary facility permit to the owners of a veterinary facility for a period of 35 business days to allow the owners to address and resolve violations of the rules of this Chapter, particularly, Rules .0207 and .0208 of this Chapter, discovered during the veterinary facility inspection. However, the Board shall not issue a temporary veterinary facility permit if the violations present a danger to the health or safety of the public or animals. Upon request of the owner, the Board may extend a temporary permit for an additional period of no more than 35 business days, as long as satisfactory progress has been made as determined by the Board. In the event of the death of an owner, the permit remains valid for 50 business days from the date of the death of the owner, so long as the facility continues to have an active, supervising veterinarian registered with the Board.
(l) The following are exempt from the requirement for a veterinary facility permit:
(1) those exempted by licensure under G.S. 90-187.10;
(2) a veterinary facility owned and operated by the State of North Carolina, a political subdivision thereof, or the federal government, so long as the facility does not offer or provide veterinary services to the public; or
(3) a temporary veterinary facility established as a result of an emergency declared by the Governor of North Carolina.
(n) The veterinary facility permit shall be displayed by the owners at the facility at a location viewable by the public. Veterinary facility permits for mobile facilities shall be available upon request.
(o) An owner or supervising veterinarian shall provide a copy of medical records maintained pursuant to Rule .0207 of this Chapter within 10 business days of receipt of a request by a current or former patient's owner. The veterinary facility may charge the patient's owner the actual cost of reproducing the records as a reasonable fee.
(p) Owners shall post on any existing veterinary facility website home page:
(1) The facility's name, address, and telephone number;
(2) The facility's regular business hours;
(3) Availability of after-hours emergency care at the facility; and
(4) If after-hours emergency care is not available, the name, address, and telephone number of an after-hours emergency provider.
History Note: Authority G.S. 90-185; 90-186(2); 90‑186(8); 90-186(9);
Amended Eff. October 1, 2024.