Idaho Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
Idaho dental hygienists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Idaho State Board of Dentistry, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses.
Dental hygienist licenses renew on the licensee's birthday every two years. The upcoming renewal proceeds as usual with a deadline of March 31, 2027; after that renewal the license expires on the licensee's birthday in 2029, 2030 or 2031 depending on birth year and renewal timing, as set out in the board's July 2026 notice. Renewal is available up to 60 days before expiration and the renewal fee is currently waived for licensees who renew on or before their expiration date. The dental hygienist provisional license is excluded from the birth date transition.
Summary
Requirements are changing. Idaho is mid-transition. Beginning August 1, 2026 the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses is moving the Board of Dentistry from its old fixed renewal date to a two year cycle that ends on the licensee's birthday, and the year a given license lands in depends on whether the licensee was born in an even or odd year and whether the 2027 renewal came before or after March 31. Dental hygienists renewing by March 31, 2027 renew as usual first, and the dental hygienist provisional license is excluded from the change. Check your own expiration date in the DOPL online services account and confirm with the board before relying on any date here.
Idaho dental hygienists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Idaho State Board of Dentistry, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Dental hygienist licenses renew on the licensee's birthday every two years. The upcoming renewal proceeds as usual with a deadline of March 31, 2027; after that renewal the license expires on the licensee's birthday in 2029, 2030 or 2031 depending on birth year and renewal timing, as set out in the board's July 2026 notice. Renewal is available up to 60 days before expiration and the renewal fee is currently waived for licensees who renew on or before their expiration date. The dental hygienist provisional license is excluded from the birth date transition. Idaho also mandates specific subjects. Current BLS certification: required every renewal cycle (practicing licensees).
Idaho 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 date |
| 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 | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Verifiable volunteer practice, which the rule allows in place of course hours |
The board states in its own FAQ that all active status dental hygienists must report thirty hours of continuing education during the biennial renewal period, and describes that as an increase of six total hours every two years. IDAPA 24.31.01.100.06 states the same requirement in rule form: a licensee renewing an active status license shall report 30 oral health or health related continuing education hour credits to the Board, of verifiable CE or volunteer practice. Idaho is one of the states where a single rule sets one requirement for both credentials rather than separate dentist and hygienist figures, so dentists owe the same 30 hours; that was read in the rule text, not scaled from this record. IDAPA 24.31.01.100.01.b separately requires practicing licensees to maintain current BLS certification, and the rule does not say that certification counts toward the 30 hours. A restorative endorsement renews with the underlying hygiene license and the rule states no extra continuing education for it.
Required CE topics for Idaho dental hygienists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current BLS certificationThe rule requires applicants for initial licensure to provide proof of current BLS certification and requires practicing licensees to maintain it. It is a condition of practice; the rule does not state that it counts toward the 30 continuing education hours. The topic key basic_life_support is not one of the canonical keys. | Not stated | Every renewal | Practicing licensees | IDAPA 24.31.01.100.01.b |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Not stated |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Idaho RDH need to renew?
- Idaho dental hygienists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Idaho State Board of Dentistry, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. The board states in its own FAQ that all active status dental hygienists must report thirty hours of continuing education during the biennial renewal period, and describes that as an increase of six total hours every two years. IDAPA 24.31.01.100.06 states the same requirement in rule form: a licensee renewing an active status license shall report 30 oral health or health related continuing education hour credits to the Board, of verifiable CE or volunteer practice. Idaho is one of the states where a single rule sets one requirement for both credentials rather than separate dentist and hygienist figures, so dentists owe the same 30 hours; that was read in the rule text, not scaled from this record. IDAPA 24.31.01.100.01.b separately requires practicing licensees to maintain current BLS certification, and the rule does not say that certification counts toward the 30 hours. A restorative endorsement renews with the underlying hygiene license and the rule states no extra continuing education for it.
- How often does a Idaho RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in Idaho renew every two years. Dental hygienist licenses renew on the licensee's birthday every two years. The upcoming renewal proceeds as usual with a deadline of March 31, 2027; after that renewal the license expires on the licensee's birthday in 2029, 2030 or 2031 depending on birth year and renewal timing, as set out in the board's July 2026 notice. Renewal is available up to 60 days before expiration and the renewal fee is currently waived for licensees who renew on or before their expiration date. The dental hygienist provisional license is excluded from the birth date transition.
- What specific CE topics are required for Idaho dental hygienists?
- Current BLS certification: required every renewal cycle (practicing licensees). Citations: Current BLS certification (IDAPA 24.31.01.100.01.b).
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Board of Dentistry, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, including the FAQ on dental hygienist continuing educationState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Board of Dentistry transition to a two year birth date renewal cycle, DOPL notice dated July 9, 2026State board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Idaho Admin. Code r. 24.31.01.100, Licensure, including subsection 06 Continuing Education Requirements (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- Statutes, Rules and Guidance, Idaho Board of DentistryState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
The 30 hour hygienist figure and the biennial renewal period are both stated on the board's own site at dopl.idaho.gov, which is why this record is published while the Idaho dentist record is not: no official Idaho page states a dentist figure, and Idaho publishes IDAPA 24.31.01 only as a PDF that was not fetched under the no-download rule. The rule text read on Cornell LII confirms the board FAQ and shows that Idaho sets one continuing education requirement for every active status licensee rather than separate dentist and hygienist figures. The board's July 2026 notice states that the move to biennial birth date renewal makes no change to continuing education requirements, and that the dental hygienist provisional license is excluded from the transition. The rule states no self-study cap, no carryover provision, no first-renewal proration and no documentation retention period; those fields are left null. PDF URL a person can open to confirm the rule: https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/24/243101.pdf
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Idaho State Board of Dentistry, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.