California Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
California dental hygienists must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Dental Hygiene Board of California.
Each California dental hygiene licensee must renew every two years by the last day of the month of their birthday. The renewal application and fee must be postmarked on or before the expiration date or the license is expired; renewing more than 30 days late adds a delinquency fee equal to half the renewal fee. A license expired more than five years is cancelled and cannot be renewed or restored. No continuing education is required for the first renewal period.
Summary
California dental hygienists must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Dental Hygiene Board of California. Each California dental hygiene licensee must renew every two years by the last day of the month of their birthday. The renewal application and fee must be postmarked on or before the expiration date or the license is expired; renewing more than 30 days late adds a delinquency fee equal to half the renewal fee. A license expired more than five years is cancelled and cannot be renewed or restored. No continuing education is required for the first renewal period. California also mandates specific subjects. Dental Board of California approved California Dental Practice Act course: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Dental Board of California approved Infection Control course: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Basic Life Support (BLS): 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. No more than 12.5 contact hours may be self-study or online and the first renewal is exempt.
California Dental Hygienist renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth monthFirst renewal is not prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 25 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 12.5 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
The Dental Hygiene Board of California requires 25 CE units per two year renewal for a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) and for a Registered Dental Hygienist in Extended Functions (RDHEF), including the mandatory coursework. A Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP) needs 35 units. These are the hygiene board's own figures, not a share of the 50 units the Dental Board of California sets for dentists. A licensee holding more than one hygiene license or permit completes the largest single total rather than adding them, so someone with both an RDH and an RDHAP completes 35. One unit of credit is granted for every hour of contact instruction and may be issued in half hour increments. No more than 50 percent of the total required units may be correspondence courses, which the board states as 12.5 units for RDH and RDHEF and 17.5 units for RDHAP; correspondence means tape recorded courses, home study materials, newsletters, video courses, computer courses, self-study, self-instructional and recorded or on-demand webinars, while live lecture, live telephone or video conferencing, live workshop demonstration, live classroom study, live webinars and live zooms count as live-interactive. A maximum of 8 units may be earned in one day. Courses primarily of benefit to the licensee, such as practice and human resource management or leadership and team development, are limited to 20 percent of the total required units, and courses of direct personal benefit or outside the scope of California dental practice, such as personal finance, health, motivation or business profitability, earn no credit at all. All courses including BLS must be completed within the most recent two year renewal period. A licensee who has not practiced in California for more than a year because of disability may be waived from CE for that renewal period under 16 CCR 1017(m).
Required CE topics for California dental hygienists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Board of California approved California Dental Practice Act courseMust be taken through a Registered CE Provider approved by the Dental Board of California and qualified to teach a California Dental Practice Act course. A HIPAA course does not satisfy it. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 16 CCR 1016; 16 CCR 1016.2; 16 CCR 1017; BPC 1936.1 |
| Dental Board of California approved Infection Control courseMust be taken through a Registered CE Provider approved by the Dental Board of California and qualified to teach an Infection Control course. OSHA and bloodborne pathogens courses do not satisfy it. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 16 CCR 1016; 16 CCR 1016.2; 16 CCR 1017; BPC 1936.1 |
| Basic Life Support (BLS)A maximum of four units from a BLS course may be applied toward the total, so the figure recorded is a cap rather than a floor. The course must come from the American Heart Association, American Red Cross or the American Safety and Health Institute, or a provider approved by ADA CERP or AGD PACE. BLS courses that are 100 percent online are not accepted: the course must include a live in person skills practice session, a skills test and a written examination. | 4 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 16 CCR 1016; 16 CCR 1017 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 6 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | CE courses must be taken through a provider recognized and approved by the Dental Board of California, ADA CERP or AGD PACE. The two mandatory didactic courses must come from a Registered CE Provider that the Dental Board of California has qualified to teach that specific course. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a California RDH need to renew?
- California dental hygienists must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Dental Hygiene Board of California. The Dental Hygiene Board of California requires 25 CE units per two year renewal for a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) and for a Registered Dental Hygienist in Extended Functions (RDHEF), including the mandatory coursework. A Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP) needs 35 units. These are the hygiene board's own figures, not a share of the 50 units the Dental Board of California sets for dentists. A licensee holding more than one hygiene license or permit completes the largest single total rather than adding them, so someone with both an RDH and an RDHAP completes 35. One unit of credit is granted for every hour of contact instruction and may be issued in half hour increments. No more than 50 percent of the total required units may be correspondence courses, which the board states as 12.5 units for RDH and RDHEF and 17.5 units for RDHAP; correspondence means tape recorded courses, home study materials, newsletters, video courses, computer courses, self-study, self-instructional and recorded or on-demand webinars, while live lecture, live telephone or video conferencing, live workshop demonstration, live classroom study, live webinars and live zooms count as live-interactive. A maximum of 8 units may be earned in one day. Courses primarily of benefit to the licensee, such as practice and human resource management or leadership and team development, are limited to 20 percent of the total required units, and courses of direct personal benefit or outside the scope of California dental practice, such as personal finance, health, motivation or business profitability, earn no credit at all. All courses including BLS must be completed within the most recent two year renewal period. A licensee who has not practiced in California for more than a year because of disability may be waived from CE for that renewal period under 16 CCR 1017(m).
- How often does a California RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in California renew every two years. Each California dental hygiene licensee must renew every two years by the last day of the month of their birthday. The renewal application and fee must be postmarked on or before the expiration date or the license is expired; renewing more than 30 days late adds a delinquency fee equal to half the renewal fee. A license expired more than five years is cancelled and cannot be renewed or restored. No continuing education is required for the first renewal period.
- What specific CE topics are required for California dental hygienists?
- Dental Board of California approved California Dental Practice Act course: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Dental Board of California approved Infection Control course: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Basic Life Support (BLS): 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: Dental Board of California approved California Dental Practice Act course (16 CCR 1016; 16 CCR 1016.2; 16 CCR 1017; BPC 1936.1), Dental Board of California approved Infection Control course (16 CCR 1016; 16 CCR 1016.2; 16 CCR 1017; BPC 1936.1), and Basic Life Support (BLS) (16 CCR 1016; 16 CCR 1017).
- Do California dental hygienists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 6 years. CE courses must be taken through a provider recognized and approved by the Dental Board of California, ADA CERP or AGD PACE. The two mandatory didactic courses must come from a Registered CE Provider that the Dental Board of California has qualified to teach that specific course.
- Is the first California RDH renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. California does not require continuing education for a RDH's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- CE Units Required, Dental Hygiene Board of CaliforniaState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- CE Course Requirements, Dental Hygiene Board of CaliforniaState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- CE Audits, Dental Hygiene Board of CaliforniaState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewals and License Maintenance, Dental Hygiene Board of CaliforniaState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- CE for License Renewal, Dental Hygiene Board of CaliforniaState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
California is the clearest board split in this set. Dental hygienists are licensed and renewed by the Dental Hygiene Board of California, a separate body from the Dental Board of California that regulates dentists, and every value in this record was read on dhbc.ca.gov rather than on the dentist board's site. The hygiene board cites Business and Professions Code section 1936.1 and 16 CCR sections 1016, 1016.2 and 1017. Two differences from the dentist record are worth naming because they are not scaling: the hygiene board sets no opioid prescribing course, while the Dental Board of California requires a two unit course on Responsibilities and Requirements of Prescribing Schedule II Opioid Drugs and labels its provider list for that course Dentist only; and the hygiene board adds a 20 percent cap on courses primarily of benefit to the licensee that the dentist page does not state. The two mandatory didactic courses are the same two unit courses in both records because both boards route them through Dental Board of California approved providers. The 12.5 unit correspondence limit is the hygiene board's own stated figure, not a calculation. Retention is stated as three license renewal cycles, which the board itself writes as six years. Carryover is not addressed, so those fields are null. topic key cpr_bls is not on the canonical list; it is used because no canonical key covers Basic Life Support.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Dental Hygiene Board of California before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.