Florida Dentist license renewal and CE requirements
Florida dentists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Dentistry.
Florida dental licenses renew biennially and expire at midnight Eastern Time on February 28 of even-numbered years; 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 dentists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Dentistry. Florida dental licenses renew biennially and expire at midnight Eastern Time on February 28 of even-numbered years; 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. Safe and Effective Prescribing of Controlled Substances: 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 Dentist 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 | 30 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; Participating in the dental clinical licensure exercise, 8 hours; Participating in both exercises, 11 hours; Pro bono dental and dental hygiene services to indigent Florida residents, one CE credit per hour of patient services, up to 6 hours; Serving as an expert witness in disciplinary review cases, up to 11 hours total; Adjunct or part-time faculty at an accredited school, 3 hours per semester or quarter; Attending a Board of Dentistry meeting where disciplinary cases are considered, up to 4 hours; Serving as an anesthesia inspection consultant, 2 hours |
The board's dentist renewal page sets 28 general hours plus 2 hours of medical error for a 30 hour biennial total. The 2 hour Safe and Effective Prescribing of Controlled Substances course, required of all dentists at every renewal since July 1, 2019, may be counted inside those 30 hours. Domestic violence is 2 hours due every third biennium; the dentist table does not describe it as being on top of the 30, unlike the hygienist table which does say the hygienist domestic violence hours are in addition to the total. HIV/AIDS is 2 hours for the first renewal only. Current CPR certification is listed at 0 hours, so it is a renewal condition that carries no CE credit. A dentist who holds an active sedation permit of any level owes an additional 4 hour Management of Medical Emergencies course that must include a component on airway management and come from a board-approved provider; that is scoped to the permit and is not part of the base 30 hours. For a first biennium renewal a newly licensed dentist owes only 2 hours on prescribing controlled substances and 2 hours of HIV/AIDS rather than the full 30. Continuing education is reported through the licensee's MQA Online Account under Additional Activities, Report CE/CME, and board-approved courses are listed in CE Broker. 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 dentists
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 30 hour total alongside the 28 general hours. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Rule 64B5-12, F.A.C. |
| Safe and Effective Prescribing of Controlled SubstancesEffective July 1, 2019, required for all dentists at every renewal, not only for those who designate as controlled substance prescribing practitioners. The course may be included toward the 30 total hours. Board approved courses are listed in CE Broker. The hygienist renewal page carries no equivalent requirement. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Rule 64B5-12, F.A.C. |
| Domestic ViolenceDue every third biennium rather than every renewal. | 2 contact hours | Periodic | All licensees | Section 456.031, Florida Statutes |
| HIV/AIDSDue for the first renewal only. A newly licensed dentist renewing for the first time owes only this 2 hours plus 2 hours on prescribing controlled substances. | 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 30. It must be a live course. Reactivating licensees must show current CPR at the basic life support level under rule 64B5-12.020. | 0 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Rule 64B5-12.020, 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 Academy of General Dentistry, the American Red Cross, American Heart Association or American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association's Liaison Committee for Medical Education, 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, or providers and courses approved by the Board of Dentistry and listed in CE Broker. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Florida DDS/DMD need to renew?
- Florida dentists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Dentistry. The board's dentist renewal page sets 28 general hours plus 2 hours of medical error for a 30 hour biennial total. The 2 hour Safe and Effective Prescribing of Controlled Substances course, required of all dentists at every renewal since July 1, 2019, may be counted inside those 30 hours. Domestic violence is 2 hours due every third biennium; the dentist table does not describe it as being on top of the 30, unlike the hygienist table which does say the hygienist domestic violence hours are in addition to the total. HIV/AIDS is 2 hours for the first renewal only. Current CPR certification is listed at 0 hours, so it is a renewal condition that carries no CE credit. A dentist who holds an active sedation permit of any level owes an additional 4 hour Management of Medical Emergencies course that must include a component on airway management and come from a board-approved provider; that is scoped to the permit and is not part of the base 30 hours. For a first biennium renewal a newly licensed dentist owes only 2 hours on prescribing controlled substances and 2 hours of HIV/AIDS rather than the full 30. Continuing education is reported through the licensee's MQA Online Account under Additional Activities, Report CE/CME, and board-approved courses are listed in CE Broker. 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 DDS/DMD license need to be renewed?
- Dentist licenses in Florida renew every two years. Florida dental licenses renew biennially and expire at midnight Eastern Time on February 28 of even-numbered years; 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 dentists?
- Medical Error: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Safe and Effective Prescribing of Controlled Substances: 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.), safe and Effective Prescribing of Controlled Substances (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 64B5-12.020, F.A.C.).
- Do Florida dentists 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 Academy of General Dentistry, the American Red Cross, American Heart Association or American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association's Liaison Committee for Medical Education, 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, or providers and courses approved by the Board of Dentistry and listed in CE Broker.
- Is the first Florida DDS/DMD 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.
- Dentist 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, and each credential has its own renewal page with its own continuing education table. Every figure here came from the dentist table. Two differences from the hygienist record are substantive rather than proportional: dentists owe a 2 hour Safe and Effective Prescribing of Controlled Substances course at every renewal and hygienists owe none, and the hygienist table states that its domestic violence hours are in addition to the 24 hour total while the dentist table does not say that about the 30. The text of Rule 64B5-12 in the Florida Administrative Code was not opened: the flrules.org gateway page for 64B5-12.013 shows only the rule's amendment history and serves the rule text through a separate document link, so the rule citations here 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.