# What continuing-education, renewal, and permit rules do California dentists need?

> Use this guide when you need the California renewal numbers, mandatory courses, permit-maintenance expectations, or first-renewal exceptions.

Last verified: 2026-06-10
Reviewed by: Mahtab Mansour, DDS on 2026-04-25 (re-verification in progress)

## Direct answer
- Dentists generally need 50 CE units, but the first renewal is exempt from CE.
- Mandatory California topics and current BLS expectations matter alongside the raw unit count.
- Permit maintenance is part of the renewal picture, so do not separate CE questions from the permit facts that travel with them.

## Full guide

## High-yield California rules for this topic

### Continuing education, auxiliaries, and license renewal

Licenses expire the last day of the birth month, in years whose even/odd parity matches the licensee's birth year (renew via BreEZe; excess units do not carry over), and each biennial cycle needs **50 CE units** with at most **20 percent (10 units)** in self-benefit or practice-management courses.[^A7] Mandatory core: Dental Practice Act (2 units), Infection Control (2 units), the California opioid course (2 units, 16 CCR §1016 — repeating, unlike the one-time federal MATE training), and current BLS (creditable up to 4 CE units) with a live in-person skills session, skills test, and written exam — online-only BLS is rejected.[^A61] [^A7] There is **no grace period**: **practicing on an expired license is a criminal offense**, a **$325 delinquency fee** applies after **30 days**, and a license unrenewed for **5 years is cancelled**, forcing reapplication as a new applicant.[^A7] Under Senate Bill 1453, unlicensed dental assistants must complete a Board-approved 8-hour infection control course before performing any basic supportive procedures with potential blood or saliva exposure.[^A38]

**Memorize it:** **"50-2-2-2-BLS / 5-year-cancel / 8-hr-prior"** — 50 total units, 2 DPA, 2 IC, 2 CA-Opioid, plus current hands-on BLS; 5 years until cancellation; DA needs 8-hour IC course prior to blood/saliva exposure.

[^A7]: `A7` Dental Board of California — continuing education, renewal, and permit-maintenance guidance. <https://dbc.ca.gov/licensees/dentist_continuing_education.shtml>
[^A9]: `A9` California Health & Safety Code §123110 — patient inspection and copy timelines (still apply to telehealth records). <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=123110.>
[^A11]: `A11` California Business & Professions Code §2290.5 — telehealth consent and parity. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=2290.5.>
[^A12]: `A12` Department of Consumer Affairs CURES overview. <https://www.dca.ca.gov/licensees/cures_update.shtml>
[^A13]: `A13` Department of Consumer Affairs CURES mandatory-consultation flyer and exemptions. <https://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/cures_flyer.pdf>
[^A15]: `A15` California Business & Professions Code §§1625, 1680 (including §1680(z) seven-day written report for a patient death or removal to a hospital or emergency center), 1684.5, 1685 — definition of dentistry, unprofessional conduct, telehealth-supervision cap, delivery of dental care. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1625.>
[^A19]: `A19` Dental Board of California — current anesthesia and sedation permit framework (GA, MGA, MS, PMS, OCS-A). <https://www.dbc.ca.gov/licensees/dds/permits/anesthesia_permit_dentist.shtml>
[^A20]: `A20` Dental Board of California, SB 1453 alert — anesthesia/sedation changes effective 1/1/2025 (MGA permit, pediatric endorsements, physical presence). <https://www.dbc.ca.gov/formspubs/alert_sb_1453.pdf>
[^A21]: `A21` California Business & Professions Code §651 — advertising rules, including disclosure of material limits on advertised fees. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=651.>
[^A24]: `A24` California Health & Safety Code §11158.1 (opioid counseling), §11159.2 (counseling for minors), and AB 2760 (naloxone co-prescribing). <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=11158.1.>
[^A27]: `A27` California Family Code §§6922 (self-sufficient minor), 7002/7050 (emancipated minor) — minor self-consent statutes. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=FAM&sectionNum=6922.>
[^A28]: `A28` California Business & Professions Code §654.3 — patient financing and third-party credit arrangements. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=654.3.>
[^A29]: `A29` California Civil Code §51 (Unruh Civil Rights Act); Government Code §§7290–7299.8 (Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act); ADA Title III. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=51.>
[^A30]: `A30` California Business & Professions Code §1683.1 — telehealth provider identification disclosures. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1683.1.>
[^A31]: `A31` California Business & Professions Code §1683.2 — complaint-waiver prohibition. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1683.2.>
[^A32]: `A32` California Business & Professions Code §688 — electronic prescribing and exemptions. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=688.>
[^A37]: `A37` California Business & Professions Code §1700 — license, permit, and registration display. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1700.>
[^A39]: `A39` 16 CCR §1018.05 — 30-day reporting of criminal indictments and felony or misdemeanor convictions to the Board. <https://www.dbc.ca.gov/about_us/lawsregs/index.shtml>
[^A40]: `A40` California Business & Professions Code §1682 — anesthesia informed consent and pediatric warning language. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1682.>
[^A49]: `A49` *Cobbs v. Grant*, 8 Cal.3d 229 (1972) — patient-centered material-risk informed-consent standard. <https://scocal.stanford.edu/opinion/cobbs-v-grant-30236>
[^A50]: `A50` *Truman v. Thomas*, 27 Cal.3d 285 (1980) — duty to disclose material risks of refusing recommended treatment. <https://scocal.stanford.edu/opinion/truman-v-thomas-30565>
[^A51]: `A51` *Arato v. Avedon*, 5 Cal.4th 1172 (1993) — limits and context for the informed-consent disclosure analysis. <https://scocal.stanford.edu/opinion/arato-v-avedon-31521>
[^A52]: `A52` California Probate Code §§4683, 4711, 4712, plus AB 2338 default-surrogate framework for adults lacking capacity. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PROB&sectionNum=4683.>
[^A57]: `A57` California Family Code §6550 — Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit for relative caregivers (good-faith reliance immunity; parent contrary wishes override). <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=FAM&sectionNum=6550.>
[^A38]: `A38` California Business & Professions Code §1750 — dental assistant definition, basic supportive dental procedures, and infection-control prerequisites. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1750.>
[^A59]: `A59` Senate Bill 351 (2025) — prohibitions on private equity and hedge fund clinical interference. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=1191>
[^A60]: `A60` Assembly Bill 82 (2025); HSC §11165(k) — CURES reporting exemptions for testosterone and mifepristone. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB82>
[^A61]: `A61` 16 CCR §1016 — continuing education repeating opioid course mandate. <https://www.dbc.ca.gov/about_us/lawsregs/index.shtml>
[^A62]: `A62` Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact (DDHC) — member-state status (13 member states as of May 2026; California not a member; compact privileges not yet issued in any state). <https://ddhcompact.org/>
[^A63]: `A63` Assembly Bill 116 Health Omnibus — elimination of State-only Medi-Cal dental benefits for undocumented adults effective July 1, 2026. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB116>
[^A73]: `A73` California Business & Professions Code §1647.31 — minimal sedation of a patient under age 13; PMS, GA, or pediatric-endorsed MS permit required. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1647.31.>
[^A80]: `A80` California Business & Professions Code §1647.2 (SB 501, operative 1/1/2022) — pediatric moderate-sedation requirements for patients under 13, including pediatric endorsement and pediatric life support (PALS or Board-approved equivalent) certification. <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1647.2.>

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