Georgia Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
Georgia dental hygienists must complete 22 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
Georgia dental hygiene licenses expire at the close of December 31 in every odd-numbered year, on the same schedule as dental licenses. Late renewal is allowed from January 1 through June 30 of the following even-numbered year.
Summary
Georgia dental hygienists must complete 22 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Georgia Board of Dentistry. Georgia dental hygiene licenses expire at the close of December 31 in every odd-numbered year, on the same schedule as dental licenses. Late renewal is allowed from January 1 through June 30 of the following even-numbered year. Georgia also mandates specific subjects. Infection control in the practice of dental hygiene, including dental unit water lines: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Legal ethics and professionalism in the practice of dental hygiene: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. In-person CPR, Basic Life Support or Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support course: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. No more than 11 contact hours may be self-study or online and hours do not carry over between cycles.
Georgia 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, 12/31 each cycleFirst renewal is not prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 22 contact hours |
| Live or interactive minimum | 11 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 11 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | No |
| Other accepted activities | Assisting the Board with administering the clinical licensing examination or with investigations of licensees, up to 8 hours per year; Teaching dental hygiene at an ADA approved educational facility, up to 5 hours per biennium; Uncompensated dental hygiene care at a charitable dental event as defined by O.C.G.A. 43-11-53, up to 5 hours per biennium; Georgia Board of Dentistry member service, up to 10 hours per biennium at one hour per five hours of service; Teaching an approved continuing education course, 2 credit hours per hour presented, up to 5 hours per biennium; Home study courses from a recognized organization |
Rule 150-5-.05(1) sets 22 hours per biennium for dental hygienists. This is the hygienist figure read in the hygienist rule; the dentist requirement of 40 hours sits in a different chapter (Rule 150-3-.09) and neither was derived from the other. At least 15 of the 22 hours must be scientific courses in the actual delivery of dental services to the patient or to the community (150-5-.05(3)(b)). At least 11 of the 22 hours must be acquired in person at an on-site course or seminar, so no more than 11 may come from online courses, electronic means or journal study (150-5-.05(4)(d)); the 11 hour self-study figure is that in-person floor applied to the 22 hour total. Credit hours are not retroactive or cumulative and only 12 credit hours are accepted per calendar day. Continuing education does not apply to hygienists on inactive status. The requirement does apply in the first biennium of Georgia licensure, but a newly licensed hygienist may instead submit proof of dental hygiene coursework taken in the previous two years at a CODA accredited institution.
Required CE topics for Georgia dental hygienists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infection control in the practice of dental hygiene, including dental unit water linesEffective on and after January 1, 2024. Counts toward the 22 hour total. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 150-5-.05(3)(i) |
| Legal ethics and professionalism in the practice of dental hygieneEffective on and after January 1, 2022. Covers professional boundaries, unprofessional conduct relating to sexual intimacy, abuse, misconduct or exploitation, legislative and rule updates, professional conduct and ethics, proper billing practices, professional liability and risk management. Counts toward the 22 hour total. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 150-5-.05(3)(h) |
| In-person CPR, Basic Life Support or Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support courseThe Board treats the in-person CPR course required by Georgia law as continuing education: four credit hours may be used to satisfy the requirement per renewal period. The four hours are the maximum credit allowed, not a separate hour mandate. The hygienist CPR requirement itself sits in Rule 150-5-.04, which the Board cites on its hygienist application page. The topic key basic_life_support is not one of the canonical keys. | 4 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 150-5-.05(3)(c); Rule 150-5-.04 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 3 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Rule 150-5-.05(2) accepts coursework, including home study, sponsored or approved by any organization recognized under Rule 150-3-.09(2), which includes the ADA and ADHA and their affiliates, the Academy of General Dentistry, the National Dental Association and its affiliates, CODA accredited dental and dental hygiene schools, in-person CPR providers such as the American Red Cross and American Heart Association, recognized specialty societies, the Veterans Administration and Armed Forces dental departments, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the AMA and National Medical Association and their affiliates, and JCAHO accredited hospitals. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Georgia RDH need to renew?
- Georgia dental hygienists must complete 22 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Georgia Board of Dentistry. Rule 150-5-.05(1) sets 22 hours per biennium for dental hygienists. This is the hygienist figure read in the hygienist rule; the dentist requirement of 40 hours sits in a different chapter (Rule 150-3-.09) and neither was derived from the other. At least 15 of the 22 hours must be scientific courses in the actual delivery of dental services to the patient or to the community (150-5-.05(3)(b)). At least 11 of the 22 hours must be acquired in person at an on-site course or seminar, so no more than 11 may come from online courses, electronic means or journal study (150-5-.05(4)(d)); the 11 hour self-study figure is that in-person floor applied to the 22 hour total. Credit hours are not retroactive or cumulative and only 12 credit hours are accepted per calendar day. Continuing education does not apply to hygienists on inactive status. The requirement does apply in the first biennium of Georgia licensure, but a newly licensed hygienist may instead submit proof of dental hygiene coursework taken in the previous two years at a CODA accredited institution.
- How often does a Georgia RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in Georgia renew every two years. Georgia dental hygiene licenses expire at the close of December 31 in every odd-numbered year, on the same schedule as dental licenses. Late renewal is allowed from January 1 through June 30 of the following even-numbered year.
- What specific CE topics are required for Georgia dental hygienists?
- Infection control in the practice of dental hygiene, including dental unit water lines: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Legal ethics and professionalism in the practice of dental hygiene: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. In-person CPR, Basic Life Support or Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support course: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: infection control in the practice of dental hygiene, including dental unit water lines (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 150-5-.05(3)(i)), legal ethics and professionalism in the practice of dental hygiene (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 150-5-.05(3)(h)), and In-person CPR, Basic Life Support or Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support course (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 150-5-.05(3)(c); Rule 150-5-.04).
- Do Georgia 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 3 years. Rule 150-5-.05(2) accepts coursework, including home study, sponsored or approved by any organization recognized under Rule 150-3-.09(2), which includes the ADA and ADHA and their affiliates, the Academy of General Dentistry, the National Dental Association and its affiliates, CODA accredited dental and dental hygiene schools, in-person CPR providers such as the American Red Cross and American Heart Association, recognized specialty societies, the Veterans Administration and Armed Forces dental departments, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the AMA and National Medical Association and their affiliates, and JCAHO accredited hospitals.
- Is the first Georgia RDH renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Georgia 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.
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 150-5-.05, Requirements for Continuing Education for Dental HygienistsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Dental Hygienist FAQs, Georgia Board of DentistryState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 150-3-.09, Continuing Education for Dentists (cited by the hygienist rule for approved sponsors, and read to confirm the two figures are set separately)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
Dental hygienists are licensed by the same Georgia Board of Dentistry as dentists, but under a separate chapter of rules. The 22 hour figure was read directly in Rule 150-5-.05(1) and the Board repeats it in its own Dental Hygienist FAQs (twenty-two hours for the two year renewal period, fifteen of them in clinical science). It was not scaled from the dentist figure of 40 hours. The hygienist rule contains no opioid or controlled substance mandate; that requirement exists only in the dentist rule. rules.sos.ga.gov blocks automated clients and was read in a browser. The rules state no carryover and no general first-renewal exemption. Local anesthesia and other hygiene endorsements are governed elsewhere in Chapter 150-5 and any training tied to them is not part of the 22 hour license total.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Georgia Board of Dentistry before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.