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Role-specific CE

Dental Hygienist CE Requirements by State

Use Dentovio's dental hygienist CE requirements directory to compare role-specific CE hours, renewal-cycle notes, mandatory topics, and official board sources across all 51 U.S. jurisdictions. Final renewal requirements are controlled by the state dental board.

StateRequirementRenewal signalSource
Alabama12 hours / 1 year (annual)Annual renewal; CE must be completed in the 12-month period Oct 1 – Sep 30. Dentists: no more than 1/2 of the 20 hours may be by self-study/analog or digital media, journals,...Board
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Alaska20 contact hours / 2 years (biennial)Biennial cycle; licenses expire Feb 28 of odd-numbered years and are renewed every two years. Per 12 AAC 28.400: dentists complete >=32 contact hours; hygienists >=20 contact hours (one...Board
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Arizona45 hours / 3 years (triennial)Triennial cycle; licenses now expire on the licensee's birthday. Dentists: 63 hours per 3 years, of which up to 21 hours may be self-study/online (and charitable) activities; mandatory...Board
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Arkansas40 hours (CEUs) / 2 years (biennial)Two-year reporting period. Per Article XIV (038.00.08 Ark. Code R. 002): dentists 50 CEUs, hygienists 40 CEUs per 2-year period. Mandatory: at least 1 CE hour on infection control each...Board
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California25 units / 2 years (biennial) [regulated by the Dental Hygiene Board of California]Biennial cycle. Dentists (Dental Board of California): 50 units per 2 years including mandatory 2-unit Infection Control, 2-unit California Dental Practice Act, 2-unit course on...Board
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Colorado30 hours / 2 years2-year license period. Dentists/Dental Therapists and Dental Hygienists both need 30 CE hours per 2-year cycle. First-renewal proration: licensed <12 months = no CE; 12-24 months = 15...Board
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Connecticut16 contact hours / 2 years2-year (24-month) cycle; 1 contact hour = 50 minutes. DENTISTS (25 hrs): must include at least 1 contact hour in each of (A) any three of ten Commissioner-designated topics, (B)...Board
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Delaware24 hours / 2 years2-year cycle; licenses expire May 31 of even-numbered years (renewal period June 1 - May 31). Dentists/Dentist-Academic/Dentist-Community Health: 50 CPE hours. Dental Hygienists: 24 CPE...Board
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District of ColumbiaReported as 15 hours / 2 years by DC Dental Society summary; some CE-vendor sources state 20 hours / 2 years — value not confirmed against the official DCMR, treat as unconfirmed2-year cycle; licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years (e.g., 12/31/2025). Common mandatory topics across dentists/hygienists/assistants: infection control 2 hrs; ethics 1 hr;...Board
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Florida24 hours / 2 years (biennium)2-year biennium; licenses expire February 28 of even-numbered years. DENTISTS 30 hrs, HYGIENISTS 24 hrs. Mandatory courses (count toward totals unless noted): 2-hr Prevention of Medical...Board
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Georgia22 hours / 2 yearsBiennial (odd-year Dec 31 expiration). Dentists: 30 of 40 hours must be clinical science; at least 20 of the 40 hours must be earned in-person/on-site (Rule 150-3-.09(4)(d)) — i.e. up to...Board
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Hawaii20 hours / 2 yearsBiennial, renewal not later than Dec 31 of each odd-numbered year (HAR 16-79-144). Newly licensed in first year of biennium: dentists owe 16 hrs; licensed in second year: 0 hrs. Clinical...Board
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Idaho30 hours / 2 years (biennium)Biennial. Per official IDAPA 24.31.01 sec. 100.06, an active-status licensee must report 30 oral-health/health-related CE hour credits per biennium (verifiable CE or volunteer practice)...Board
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Illinois36 hours / 3 years (triennial licensing period)Triennial (3-year) renewal period; CE not required for the first renewal cycle after original license issuance. Correspondence/self-study cap: no more than 50% of required hours may be...Board
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Indiana19 hours / 2 years (biennium; expires March 1 of even-numbered years)Biennial, expiring March 1 of even-numbered years (current cycle: March 2, 2026 - March 1, 2028); no CE required for a dentist who has held an initial license less than 2 years....Board
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Iowa30 hours / 2 yearsBiennial. Mandatory (min 1 hr each unless noted): infection control; Iowa jurisprudence; CPR/BLS with hands-on clinical component (may claim up to 3 hrs); opioid training for dentists...Board
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Kansas30 hours / 2 yearsBiennial (courses must be completed in the 24-month period immediately preceding license expiration). Dentists: min 2 hours in ethics; specialists must complete at least 40 of the 60...Board
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Kentucky30 hours / 2 yearsBiennial. Dentist CE due by Dec 31 of odd-numbered years; hygienist CE due by Dec 31 of even-numbered years. At least 10 of the 30 hours must be live/interactive; at least 20 hours must...Board
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Louisiana20 hours / 2 yearsBiennial; licenses valid for two years, staggered by last name (A-L renew odd years, M-Z even years), expiring Dec 31; CE reported via CE Broker by Dec 31. Dentists: 30 hrs, of which 20...Board
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Maine30 hours / 2 yearsDentists and hygienists: biennial, 2-year fixed term (dentist CE cycle ends Dec 31 odd years; hygienist Dec 31 even years). EFDA and Dental Radiographer: 5-year staggered terms. Current...Board
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Maryland30 hours / 2 years2-year cycle running Jan 1 through Dec 31 of the following year; CE must be completed by Dec 31 of the year preceding the renewal year. Dentists & hygienists: 30 hrs. Mandatory each...Board
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Massachusetts20 CEUs / 2 yearsBiennial cycle (234 CMR 8.00). Dentists: 40 CEUs, completed in the 24 months preceding March 31 of EVEN years. Hygienists: 20 CEUs, preceding March 31 of ODD years. Dental assistants: 12...Board
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Michigan36 hours / 3 years3-year cycle. Dentists (60 hrs): 3 hrs pain & symptom management, 1 hr dental ethics & jurisprudence (incl. delegation of duties to allied dental personnel), 1 hr infection control...Board
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Minnesota25 hours / 2 yearsBiennial (24-month) cycle ending on the last day of the licensee's birth month in an even- or odd-numbered year (MN Rules 3100.5100). Dentists & dental therapists: 50 hrs (min 30...Board
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Mississippi20 hours / 2 yearsBiennial cycle (Board Reg. 41 / 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2301 R. 1.41). Dentists: 40 hrs, cycle Jan 1 of even year–Dec 31 of odd year. Hygienists: 20 hrs, cycle Jan 1 of odd year–Dec 31...Board
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Missouri30 hours / 2 yearsBiennial (2-year) cycle; reporting deadline Dec 31 of renewal year. Dentists: of the 50 hrs, at least 40 must relate to patient treatment/health/safety. Hygienists: of the 30 hrs, at...Board
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Montana36 hours / 3 yearsThree-year cycle (baseline start 2015), per ARM 24.138.2110. Dentists 60 hrs (if holding anesthesia permit: 20 hrs must be anesthesia-specific for deep sedation/GA, or 12 hrs for...Board
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Nebraska30 hours / 2 yearsBiennial (24-month) cycle; renewal due on or before March 1 of each odd-numbered year (per 172 NAC ch. 57 §006). Both dentists and hygienists: 30 hrs. Mandatory: at least 2 hrs infection...Board
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Nevada30 hours / 2 years (15 hrs annually)Requirements stated annually and can be met biennially (NAC 631.173/631.175). Dentists: 20 hrs/yr (40/biennium), of which at least 15 hrs/yr (30/biennium) in clinical subjects....Board
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New Hampshire20 hours (CEUs) / 2 yearsBiennial cycle (renewals due by March 31; dentists renew in even years, hygienists in odd years), per N.H. Admin. Code Den 403.03. Dentists: 40 CEUs, at least 30 in clinical dental care...Board
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New Jersey20 hours / 2 years (biennial)Biennial renewal. Dentist mandatory hours (10 of the 40): 3 hrs CPR (hands-on, AHA-standard, in-person), 2 hrs infection control/prevention, 3 hrs pharmacology & internal medicine (incl....Board
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New Mexico45 hours / 3 years (triennial)Triennial renewal, July 1–June 30 of every third year. Self-study cap: up to 30 hrs may be self-study for dentists (30 live), up to ~22.5 self-study for hygienists; max 8 CE hours...Board
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New York24 contact hours / 3 years (triennial registration)Three-year registration cycle. Live-vs-self-study caps: dentists must earn at least 70% (42 of 60 hrs) via live courses — max 18 self-study hrs; hygienists must earn at least 7/12 (14 of...Board
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North Carolina6 hours / year (annual; ~12 per 2 years)Annual renewal (license year ends March 31; CE measured per calendar year). Hygienists: 6 clock hrs/year; per rule 21 NCAC 16I .0102 ALL 6 hrs may be self-study if a post-course test and...Board
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North Dakota16 hours / 2 years (biennial)Biennial renewal. Dentists & hygienists renew by Dec 31 of ODD-numbered years; dental assistants (RDA/QDA) renew by Dec 31 of EVEN-numbered years. Self-study/home-study & online cap: up...Board
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Ohio20 hours / 2 years (biennial)Biennial cycle; dentists and hygienists renew on the odd/even schedule via the eLicense portal. Radiographers renew by Dec 31 of even years. MANDATORY: current Healthcare-Provider-level...Board
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Oklahoma20 hours / 2 years (same reporting period)2-year reporting period (current: Jul 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2027); hours do not roll over. CE reported via CE Broker (began Jul 1, 2025). MANDATORY for dentists & hygienists: an ethics...Board
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Oregon24 hours / 2 years (Expanded Practice Dental Hygienist / EPDH: 36 hours / 2 years)2-year cycle. Dentist licensure year runs Apr 1 – Mar 31; hygienist licensure year runs Oct 1 – Sep 30. CE must be directly related to clinical patient care or dental public health....Board
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Pennsylvania20 hours / 2 years (Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner also 20 hrs, of which 5 must be public-health related)Biennial cycle renewing Apr 1 of every odd-numbered year (State Board of Dentistry). MANDATORY for dentists, hygienists, and EFDAs: 2 hours of approved child abuse recognition and...Board
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Rhode Island20 hours / 2 years2-year cycle; licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years, renewal due by May 1 of even-numbered years. MANDATORY: minimum of 1 hour PER YEAR (i.e., part of each cycle) of training on...Board
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South Carolina14 hours / 2 years (7 hours/year)Biennial renewal cycle; licenses renew by March 1 of odd-numbered years. Mandatory topics: at least 1 hour biennially in sterilization and infection control (dentists and hygienists);...Board
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South Dakota75 hours / 5 years (minimum 5 hours in dental radiography per 5-year period)5-year CE cycle. CPR: dentists, hygienists, and RDAs must maintain a current CPR card (AHA Healthcare Provider, ARC Professional Rescuer, or equivalent with hands-on skills assessment)....Board
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Tennessee30 hours / 2 yearsCE cycle = two calendar years, January 1 of an odd-numbered year through December 31 of the following even-numbered year, preceding the renewal year (Rule 0460-01-.05). Mandatory topics:...Board
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Texas24 hours / 2 yearsBiennial (2-year) renewal. For dentists and hygienists: minimum 16 of the 24 hours must be scientific/technical (clinical); up to 8 hours may be risk management...Board
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Utah30 hours / 2 yearsTwo-year (biennial) licensure/renewal cycle (R156-69-304a). CPR: current CPR-BLS (or ACLS/PALS as required by permit classification) required for renewal, but recertification hours do...Board
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Vermont18 hours / 2 yearsBiennial renewal via VT Office of Professional Regulation. Dentist: 30 hrs every 2 yrs; all may be completed by home/self-study (self-study courses must conclude with an examination to...Board
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Virginia15 hours / 1 year (annual)ANNUAL renewal for both dentists (18VAC60-21-250) and dental hygienists (18VAC60-25-190): minimum 15 hrs of approved CE each year (no CE required for the first renewal after initial...Board
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Washington15 hours / 1 year (annual)DENTIST (WAC 246-817-440): 63 hrs every 3 yrs. Mandatory: 2 hrs health equity training every reporting cycle (per RCW 43.70.613, effective Jan 1 2024); one-time 3-hr suicide-prevention...Board
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West Virginia20 hours / 2 yearsBIENNIAL (W.Va. CSR §5-11-3). Dentist: not less than 35 hrs / 2 yrs; Hygienist: not less than 20 hrs / 2 yrs. Reporting due Feb 1 of even-numbered years. MANDATORY TOPICS (both): 2 hrs...Board
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Wisconsin12 credit hours / 2 yearsBIENNIAL (Wis. Admin. Code ch. DE 13; renewal biennium). DENTIST: 30 credit hrs / 2 yrs, of which not less than 25 must be clinical dentistry/medicine, and 2 hrs must cover prescribing...Board
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Wyoming16 hours / 2 years (biennial)Biennial (2-year) renewal cycle for dentists and hygienists; renewal deadline December 31 with a grace period Jan 1–Mar 31. Of the 16 dentist hours, 3 hours MUST be on responsible...Board
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Frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do dental hygienists need?
Dental hygienists have state-specific CE requirements. Use this directory to compare the current Dentovio summary for each jurisdiction, then open the state page and official board source before renewing.
Do dental hygienists have the same CE requirements as dentists?
Not always. Dental hygienists often have different hour totals, renewal cycles, permit rules, or exemptions than dentists, so the role-specific state page is safer than using a general dentist CE number.
Can dental hygienists complete CE online?
It depends on the state and course format. Some boards allow online, webinar, home-study, or correspondence CE with limits; use the online CE directory and the state board source before choosing courses.

Last verified 2026-07-08. Educational summary only, not compliance advice. CE hours, mandatory topics, approved-provider rules, and audit rules change; confirm current requirements with the relevant dental board before filing a renewal.