<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000874716-04-000082
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20041202
<FILING-DATE>20041203
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20041203
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>IDEXX LABORATORIES INC /DE
<CIK>0000874716
<ASSIGNED-SIC>2835
<IRS-NUMBER>010393723
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>ONE IDEXX DRIVE
<CITY>WESTBROOK
<STATE>ME
<ZIP>04092-2041
<PHONE>2078560300
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>ONE IDEXX DRIVE
<CITY>WESTBROOK
<STATE>ME
<ZIP>04092-2041
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>IDEXX CORP / DE
<DATE-CHANGED>19600201
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</ISSUER>
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>TONELLI QUENTIN J
<CIK>0001184154
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-19271
<FILM-NUMBER>041182360
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<PHONE>2078560300
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>C/O IDEXX LABORATORIES, INC.
<STREET2>ONE IDEXX DRIVE
<CITY>WESTBROOK
<STATE>ME
<ZIP>04092
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>primary_doc.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2004-12-02</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000874716</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>IDEXX LABORATORIES INC /DE</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>IDXX</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001184154</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>TONELLI QUENTIN J</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O IDEXX LABORATORIES, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>ONE IDEXX DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WESTBROOK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>ME</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>04092</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Vice President</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2004-12-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate>
                <value>2004-12-02</value>
            </deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>400</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>52.31</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>4646</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>by Trust</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Reporting person directly holds 5,061 shares of IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. Common Stock, which includes 296 shares acquired under the IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan on June 30, 2004.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of all shares held by the Andrew Q. Tonelli, UTMA and the Bret C. Tonelli, UTMA accounts with Charles Schwab, and this report should not be deemed an admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of such shares for purposes of Section 16 or any other purpose.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Conan R. Deady, Attorney-in-Fact for Quentin J. Tonelli, PhD</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-12-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
