How do I become a licensed vet tech?

You are not credentialed (licensed/registered/certified) as a veterinary technician automatically by earning a degree in veterinary technology. A degree in veterinary technology from an AVMA accredited program is generally one of the steps to becoming credentialed in your state, but after that you must also submit the appropriate paperwork and get a passing grade on the appropriate test or tests in order to be credentialed. Most states require at least a passing grade on the Veterinary Technician National Exam, but some states also require you to take and pass a state exam because the VTNE doesn't cover state laws governing veterinary medicine. To find out what is required in your state, contact your state veterinary technician association. While they likely are not the agency that credentials technicians, they will know what is required and who to contact to get the ball rolling. As for choosing a school, you need to look for one that is AVMA accredited. The specific "veterinary technology schools" tend to be for profit programs and rush students through the process. In my opinion, you are better off with a not-for-profit school--community or 4 year university. You should always look at the pass rate of students when they take the VTNE, the percentage of students who complete the program in a timely manner, the percentage of students who are employed within a 3 month period after earning their degree and if possible talk to several current students to get a good idea of what the program is really like. AVMA accreditation doesn't mean that one program is just as good as another or even very similar to another. You should also earn some experience volunteering or working as a veterinary assistant at a clinic or at the very least shadowing a veterinary technician before you enroll in a veterinary technology degree program. Many veterinary technology degree programs require this for application to the program. Your state veterinary technician association is a good resource to help you decide if this profession is right for you, what school to choose and what you need to do to get credentialed.