# Foreign-trained dentist license in District of Columbia

> District of Columbia pathway signal for internationally trained dentists: Advanced-standing route required.

URL: https://dentovio.com/foreign-trained-dentist-license/district-of-columbia

Last verified: 2026-07-08

Research confidence: medium

Educational summary only, not legal or immigration advice. Dental licensure rules change and the details vary; confirm current requirements directly with the District of Columbia board before acting.

## Pathway

Advanced-standing CODA DDS/DMD only. 17 DCMR 4202.1 requires the applicant to have (a) completed a dental education program at a CODA-recognized institution at the time of graduation and (b) received a US (incl. US territories) or Canadian DDS or DMD degree. A foreign/non-CODA graduate must therefore complete a US/Canadian CODA advanced-standing DDS/DMD. A CODA GPR/AEGD residency alone does NOT satisfy the degree requirement.

## Required exams

NBDE Parts I and II or the iNBDE, plus a Board-accepted regional clinical examination (e.g., ADEX; historically NERB/CDCA). WREB retired Dec 31, 2022.

## Notes

17 DCMR 4202.1 language (US/Canadian CODA-recognized DDS/DMD required, degree must be US/US-territory/Canadian issued) was confirmed via secondary indexing of the DC Municipal Regulations; the source PDF (Chapter 42 Dentistry) could not be fully text-extracted, so exam specifics (NBDE vs iNBDE; ADEX vs NERB) should be verified directly on the DC Health application-documents page. Confidence set to medium pending direct read of the regulation PDF. No residency-only pathway found.

## Official board source

- DC Board of Dentistry (DC Health, Department of Health): <https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/board-dentistry-dentistry-licensing>

## References

- Source 1: <https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/board-dentistry-dentistry-licensing>
- Source 2: <https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/dentistry-initial-license-application-documents>
- Source 3: <https://dchealth.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/doh/publication/attachments/Chapter.42.Dentistry.3.26.21.pdf>
- Source 4: <http://dcrules.elaws.us/dcmr/t17_ch17-42>
- Source 5: <https://www.ada.org/resources/careers/licensure/licensure-for-the-international-dentists>

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- [District of Columbia dental license requirements](https://dentovio.com/dental-license-requirements/district-of-columbia/index.html.md)
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