Florida Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
Florida dental hygienists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Dentistry.
Florida dental hygiene licenses renew biennially and expire at midnight Eastern Time on February 28 of even-numbered years, on the same schedule as dentists; the current cycle ends February 28, 2028. The department mails a renewal notification postcard at least 90 days before expiration. Missing the date puts the license in delinquent status, and a delinquent license that is not renewed before the end of the following licensure cycle becomes null and void. Continuing education must be reported to the department's CE tracking system before the renewal is submitted.
Summary
Florida dental hygienists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Dentistry. Florida dental hygiene licenses renew biennially and expire at midnight Eastern Time on February 28 of even-numbered years, on the same schedule as dentists; the current cycle ends February 28, 2028. The department mails a renewal notification postcard at least 90 days before expiration. Missing the date puts the license in delinquent status, and a delinquent license that is not renewed before the end of the following licensure cycle becomes null and void. Continuing education must be reported to the department's CE tracking system before the renewal is submitted. Florida also mandates specific subjects. Medical Error: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Domestic Violence: 2 contact hours on a periodic schedule set by the board. HIV/AIDS: 2 contact hours at the first renewal only. Current CPR Certification: 0 contact hours every renewal cycle.
Florida 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 | Same date for every licensee, 02/28 each cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 24 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | No |
| Other accepted activities | Participating in the dental hygiene licensure exercise, 6 hours per biennium; Pro bono dental hygiene services to indigent Florida residents, one CE credit per hour of patient services, up to 6 hours; Adjunct or part-time faculty at an accredited school, 3 hours per semester or quarter, restrictions apply; Attending a Board of Dentistry meeting where disciplinary cases are considered, up to 4 hours per renewal cycle |
The board's dental hygienist renewal page sets 22 general hours plus 2 hours of medical error for a 24 hour biennial total. This is the hygienist table on the hygienist renewal page, read on its own; the dentist table on the separate dentist page sets 28 general plus 2 medical error for 30. Domestic violence is 2 hours due every third biennium and the hygienist table says explicitly that it is in addition to the 24 hour requirement, wording the dentist table does not use. Current CPR certification is listed at 0 hours, so it is a renewal condition that carries no CE credit, and it must be a live course. The hygienist table has no Safe and Effective Prescribing of Controlled Substances requirement at all, unlike the dentist table, and no standing HIV/AIDS requirement outside the first renewal. For a first biennium renewal a newly licensed hygienist owes only 2 hours of HIV/AIDS rather than the full 24. A hygienist who volunteers for medically indigent Florida residents at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or who volunteers in public schools for at least 80 hours a year (400 if retired), may be eligible for a waiver of the biennial renewal fee and of no more than 25 percent of the continuing education hours, but the domestic violence, HIV and AIDS and medical errors requirements cannot be waived. Continuing education is reported through the licensee's MQA Online Account under Additional Activities, Report CE/CME. The board's pages state no self-study or online cap and no carryover rule, so those fields are null.
Required CE topics for Florida dental hygienists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical ErrorCounted inside the 24 hour total alongside the 22 general hours. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Rule 64B5-12, F.A.C. |
| Domestic ViolenceDue every third biennium, and the board's hygienist table states these 2 hours are in addition to the 24 hour requirement rather than inside it. | 2 contact hours | Periodic | All licensees | Section 456.031, Florida Statutes |
| HIV/AIDSA newly licensed hygienist renewing for the first time owes only these 2 hours. The hygienist table lists no HIV/AIDS requirement for later renewals. | 2 contact hours | First renewal only | All licensees | Section 456.033, Florida Statutes |
| Current CPR CertificationThe board's table lists this at 0 required hours: a current CPR certification is a renewal condition but earns no CE credit toward the 24. It must be a live course. | 0 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Rule 64B5-12, F.A.C. |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Courses must come from a board rule approved provider: the American or National Dental Associations, the Florida Dental Association or its components, the American or National Dental Hygienist Associations, the Florida Dental Hygiene Association or its components, the Academy of General Dentistry, a CODA accredited dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting school, a hospital, college, university or community college accredited by a US Department of Education approved agency, the American Red Cross, American Heart Association or American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association's Liaison Committee for Medical Education, or providers and courses approved by the Board of Dentistry and listed in CE Broker. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Florida RDH need to renew?
- Florida dental hygienists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Dentistry. The board's dental hygienist renewal page sets 22 general hours plus 2 hours of medical error for a 24 hour biennial total. This is the hygienist table on the hygienist renewal page, read on its own; the dentist table on the separate dentist page sets 28 general plus 2 medical error for 30. Domestic violence is 2 hours due every third biennium and the hygienist table says explicitly that it is in addition to the 24 hour requirement, wording the dentist table does not use. Current CPR certification is listed at 0 hours, so it is a renewal condition that carries no CE credit, and it must be a live course. The hygienist table has no Safe and Effective Prescribing of Controlled Substances requirement at all, unlike the dentist table, and no standing HIV/AIDS requirement outside the first renewal. For a first biennium renewal a newly licensed hygienist owes only 2 hours of HIV/AIDS rather than the full 24. A hygienist who volunteers for medically indigent Florida residents at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or who volunteers in public schools for at least 80 hours a year (400 if retired), may be eligible for a waiver of the biennial renewal fee and of no more than 25 percent of the continuing education hours, but the domestic violence, HIV and AIDS and medical errors requirements cannot be waived. Continuing education is reported through the licensee's MQA Online Account under Additional Activities, Report CE/CME. The board's pages state no self-study or online cap and no carryover rule, so those fields are null.
- How often does a Florida RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in Florida renew every two years. Florida dental hygiene licenses renew biennially and expire at midnight Eastern Time on February 28 of even-numbered years, on the same schedule as dentists; the current cycle ends February 28, 2028. The department mails a renewal notification postcard at least 90 days before expiration. Missing the date puts the license in delinquent status, and a delinquent license that is not renewed before the end of the following licensure cycle becomes null and void. Continuing education must be reported to the department's CE tracking system before the renewal is submitted.
- What specific CE topics are required for Florida dental hygienists?
- Medical Error: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Domestic Violence: 2 contact hours on a periodic schedule set by the board. HIV/AIDS: 2 contact hours at the first renewal only. Current CPR Certification: 0 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: Medical Error (Rule 64B5-12, F.A.C.), Domestic Violence (Section 456.031, Florida Statutes), HIV/AIDS (Section 456.033, Florida Statutes), and Current CPR Certification (Rule 64B5-12, F.A.C.).
- Do Florida dental hygienists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates. Courses must come from a board rule approved provider: the American or National Dental Associations, the Florida Dental Association or its components, the American or National Dental Hygienist Associations, the Florida Dental Hygiene Association or its components, the Academy of General Dentistry, a CODA accredited dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting school, a hospital, college, university or community college accredited by a US Department of Education approved agency, the American Red Cross, American Heart Association or American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association's Liaison Committee for Medical Education, or providers and courses approved by the Board of Dentistry and listed in CE Broker.
- Is the first Florida RDH renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Florida applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Dental Hygienist Renewal, Florida Board of Dentistry (requirements, process, fees and continuing education tables)State board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewals, Florida Board of DentistryState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Florida regulates both credentials through one Board of Dentistry under the Department of Health, but publishes a separate renewal page and a separate continuing education table for each. Every figure here came from the hygienist table, and the hygienist provider list is its own list that adds the American and National Dental Hygienist Associations and the Florida Dental Hygiene Association. The differences from the dentist record are not proportional: hygienists owe no controlled substance prescribing course where dentists owe 2 hours at every renewal, the hygienist domestic violence hours sit on top of the total while the dentist table does not say that, and the 4 hour Management of Medical Emergencies course tied to sedation permits appears only on the dentist side. The text of Rule 64B5-12 in the Florida Administrative Code was not opened: the flrules.org gateway page shows only amendment history and serves the rule text through a separate document link, so rule citations are the ones the board's own page gives. The board's pages do not state a certificate retention period, an audit provision, a self-study cap or a carryover rule, so those fields are null. topic key cpr_bls is not on the canonical list; it is used because no canonical key covers CPR.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Florida Board of Dentistry before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.