# Washington dental license requirements

> Source-backed dentist licensure pathway, exam, residency, endorsement, reciprocity, and official-board signals for Washington.

URL: https://dentovio.com/dental-license-requirements/washington

Last verified: 2026-07-08

Dentovio is not a dental board. Confirm current application forms, education rules, exam acceptance, score windows, jurisprudence requirements, endorsement eligibility, reciprocity, credentialing, fees, and foreign-trained exceptions directly with Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission (Dept. of Health).

## Direct answer

For dentist license requirements in Washington, Dentovio's sourced licensure record highlights education/pathway language, exam signals, and any residency, endorsement, reciprocity, or credentialing notes it could isolate. Education/pathway signal: Two routes for a non-CODA / non-accredited-school graduate (WAC 246-817-160): (1) advanced-standing route — evidence of at least two additional predoctoral or postdoctoral academic years of CODA-approved dental education (must include clinical training if. Exam signal: Written: iNBDE, or NBDE Parts I & II, or the Canadian NDEB exam. Clinical: ADEX, CDCA, CITA, WREB, SRTA, CRDTS, or DLOSCE (results within 5 years) — OR the qualifying WA-based low-income CODA residency in lieu of the clinical exam. Confirm current requirements, application forms, score windows, endorsement eligibility, and foreign-trained exceptions with Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission (Dept. of Health).

## Education and pathway signal

Two routes for a non-CODA / non-accredited-school graduate (WAC 246-817-160): (1) advanced-standing route — evidence of at least two additional predoctoral or postdoctoral academic years of CODA-approved dental education (must include clinical training if completed after July 1, 2018); OR (2) CODA residency in lieu of the practical/clinical exam — a general practice residency, AEGD, or pediatric residency, at least one year, ACCREDITED BY CODA, LOCATED IN WASHINGTON STATE, in a residency program that serves predominantly low-income patients (RCW 18.32.040(3)(c)). The residency substitutes for the clinical exam but the 2-additional-academic-years education requirement for non-accredited-school grads still applies.

## Exam signal

Written: iNBDE, or NBDE Parts I & II, or the Canadian NDEB exam. Clinical: ADEX, CDCA, CITA, WREB, SRTA, CRDTS, or DLOSCE (results within 5 years) — OR the qualifying WA-based low-income CODA residency in lieu of the clinical exam. Plus WA jurisprudence.

## Endorsement, reciprocity, or credentials signal

Dentovio did not isolate a licensure-by-endorsement, reciprocity, credentialing, or portability signal in this sourced state record. Verify current out-of-state license options directly with the dental board.

## Residency signal

Residency or advanced education is flagged as a possible pathway signal in the sourced state record; verify degree, program, exam, and applicant-status conditions with the board.

## Notes

Residency pathway is conditional: must be a CODA GPR/AEGD/pediatric residency located in Washington serving predominantly low-income patients (RCW 18.32.040(3)(c)) and substitutes only for the clinical exam. WAC 246-817-160 was under review to clarify foreign-trained/non-accredited education requirements — verify current text. University of Washington also offers an advanced-standing DDS (UWIDDS) as a separate route.

## Official sources

- <https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/professions-new-renew-or-update/dentist/licensing-requirements>
- <https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-817-160>
- <https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.32.040>
- <https://www.ada.org/~/media/Project/ADA%20Organization/ADA/ADA-org/Files/Education/Licensure%20by%20State/Washington_Licensure>

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