Veterinary Non-Competes in Indiana
Indiana has no non-compete statute for veterinarians.
Indiana's only enacted non-compete statute, Ind.
Code ch. 25-22.5-5.5, is physician-only; its § 25-22.5-5.5-2.5(b) bars a primary care physician from entering a non-compete agreement on or after July 1, 2023.
The chapter sits entirely within Article 22.5, "Physicians" — veterinarians are licensed under the separate Article 38.1 and are not named.
Absent a governing statute, a veterinarian's covenant is presumed to fall under common-law reasonableness, though the sources read for this page do not identify a leading Indiana case establishing that test.
Mechanics, not a verdict on your contract
At a glance
Permitted — judged on reasonableness
Court decisions (no governing statute) — No non-compete statute governs Indiana veterinarians; presumed common-law reasonableness, with no leading Indiana case identified in the sources read. Indiana's only enacted non-compete statute, Ind. Code ch. 25-22.5-5.5 (Physician Noncompete Agreements), sits entirely within Article 22.5 ("Physicians") and does not reach veterinarians, who are licensed under the separate Article 38.1..
Healthcare statute reaches veterinarians: No — the healthcare statute's own definitions leave veterinarians out.
Indiana has no non-compete statute for veterinarians; the general rule is presumed common-law reasonableness, though the sources read for this page do not identify a leading Indiana case establishing that test. Indiana's only enacted non-compete statute, Ind. Code ch. 25-22.5-5.5, sits entirely within Article 22.5 ("Physicians") and does not reach veterinarians.
No. Ind. Code ch. 25-22.5-5.5 ("Physician Noncompete Agreements") sits entirely within Article 22.5, "Physicians." Indiana licenses veterinarians under a separate article, Article 38.1; Chapter 5.5's defined terms are scoped to Article 22.5 physician licensure.
Not stated in the sources read.
Not stated in the sources read.
Not stated in the sources read.
Not stated in the sources read.
Not stated in the sources read.
Ind. Code § 25-22.5-5.5-2.5, effective for agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2023 (primary-care physicians only; does not reach veterinarians).
What Indiana’s text actually says
“Notwithstanding any other law, a primary care physician and an employer may not enter into a noncompete agreement.”
The rule that governs an Indiana veterinarian's non-compete
Indiana has not enacted a general non-compete statute that reaches veterinarians.
Indiana's only enacted non-compete statute, Ind.
Code ch. 25-22.5-5.5, is physician-only and sits entirely within Article 22.5, "Physicians" — a licensing article that does not cover veterinarians, who are licensed instead under Article 38.1.
Its § 2.5(b) bars a primary care physician from entering into a non-compete agreement, for agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2023.
Absent a governing statute, a veterinarian's covenant in Indiana is presumed to fall under the state's common-law reasonableness tradition.
The sources read for this page do not identify a leading Indiana case that sets out the specific factors a court would weigh for a veterinarian's covenant.
For an associate reading an offer or a relief veterinarian comparing agreements, that means there is no fixed statutory duration, mileage radius, or wage threshold to check a covenant against in Indiana.
“Notwithstanding any other law, a primary care physician and an employer may not enter into a noncompete agreement.”
Why Indiana's physician non-compete ban does not cover veterinarians
Ind.
Code § 25-22.5-5.5-2.5(b), effective for agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2023, bars a primary care physician from entering into a non-compete agreement with an employer.
It sits inside Chapter 5.5, "Physician Noncompete Agreements," which itself sits entirely within Article 22.5 of Title 25, titled "Physicians." Indiana licenses veterinarians under a separate article, Article 38.1, "Veterinarians"; Chapter 5.5's defined terms are scoped to Article 22.5 physician licensure.
The same chapter is reported to include a second, newer restriction on hospital-employed physicians' non-competes, § 25-22.5-5.5-2.3, but the sources read for this page do not include confirmed primary text of that provision, so it is not described further here.
Either provision would be physician-specific and would not reach a veterinarian's covenant regardless.
“Notwithstanding any other law, a primary care physician and an employer may not enter into a noncompete agreement.”
What this page does not answer for Indiana
The research behind this page confirms Indiana has no general non-compete statute for veterinarians and reads the state's physician-only non-compete provision, but it does not identify a leading Indiana case setting out the reasonableness factors a court would apply to a veterinarian's covenant, a wage or salary threshold, a statutory duration or geographic limit, how Indiana treats a covenant tied to selling a practice or an ownership interest, or how client and staff non-solicitation clauses are handled.
Those gaps matter most at a buy-in or buy-out, where a covenant may be drafted alongside the purchase terms.
They are left blank here rather than filled from another state's rule or from memory — take them to an Indiana attorney with the whole agreement in hand.
Have the agreement itself reviewed
Start with the mechanics
The reasonableness test, what a radius is measured from, the access-to-care argument, and the difference between a non-compete and a non-solicitation clause are covered in the national guide to veterinary non-competes. This page covers only what is specific to Indiana.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Indiana have a non-compete statute for veterinarians?
No. Indiana has not enacted a general non-compete statute that reaches veterinarians.
Indiana's only enacted non-compete statute, Ind.
Code ch. 25-22.5-5.5, is physician-only and sits within Article 22.5, "Physicians," which does not cover veterinarians, licensed under the separate Article 38.1.
Its § 2.5(b) bars a primary care physician from entering a non-compete agreement.
Absent a governing statute, a veterinarian's covenant is presumed to fall under Indiana's common-law reasonableness tradition.
Have an Indiana attorney who handles veterinary employment agreements read your specific covenant against that standard.
Does Indiana's physician non-compete ban protect veterinarians?
No. Ind.
Code § 25-22.5-5.5-2.5(b) names only primary care physicians, and the chapter it sits in, Chapter 5.5, is entirely inside Article 22.5, "Physicians." Indiana licenses veterinarians under the separate Article 38.1; Chapter 5.5's defined terms are scoped to Article 22.5 physician licensure.
A further physician-only restriction is reported in the same chapter, but this page's sources do not include confirmed primary text of it, and neither provision would reach a veterinarian's covenant regardless.
Ask an Indiana attorney to confirm how the chapter currently reads.
Is there a wage or salary threshold for veterinary non-competes in Indiana?
The sources read for this page do not identify one.
Indiana has no non-compete statute covering veterinarians, and the physician-only ban in Ind.
Code § 25-22.5-5.5-2.5(b) does not set a wage threshold either — it bars primary care physician non-competes outright, regardless of pay.
Because Indiana's general rule for a veterinarian is presumed to be common-law reasonableness without an identified leading case, there is no confirmed figure to check a specific contract against.
A licensed Indiana attorney can tell you what applies to your agreement.
Does selling my share of an Indiana veterinary practice change how a non-compete is treated?
The sources read for this page do not address how Indiana treats a covenant tied to selling a veterinary practice or an ownership interest, so this page does not answer that question.
A buy-in or buy-out agreement may carry its own covenant, drafted alongside the purchase terms rather than the employment terms.
Before signing one, have an Indiana attorney who handles veterinary practice transactions review the covenant and the purchase agreement together.
When did Indiana's non-compete law last change for physicians?
The confirmed change on record for this page is Ind.
Code § 25-22.5-5.5-2.5(b), which bars primary care physician non-competes entered into on or after July 1, 2023.
A further hospital-employer physician restriction is reported in the same chapter, but this page's sources do not include confirmed primary text of it.
Neither provision reaches veterinarians.
This page was last verified in September 2026; confirm the current text and ask an attorney before relying on it.
More Indiana Non-Compete Resources
Sources
- Ind. Code § 25-22.5-5.5-2.5 — Justia (Indiana Code mirror) (retrieved 2026-09-16)
- Ind. Code ch. 25-22.5-5.5, Physician Noncompete Agreements — Justia (Indiana Code mirror) (retrieved 2026-09-16)
Sourced from Indiana’s own statute or leading court decisions (see the citations above). Verified September 2026; the governing provision was last amended Ind. Code § 25-22.5-5.5-2.5, effective for agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2023 (primary-care physicians only; does not reach veterinarians). This page is general information, not legal advice.