Illinois Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
Illinois dental hygienists must complete 36 contact hours of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Illinois State Board of Dentistry, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation.
Every Illinois dental hygienist license expires September 30 every three years. The license is renewed during the month before the expiration date by certifying to 36 hours of continuing education, certifying to current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers certification, and paying the renewal fee.
Summary
Illinois dental hygienists must complete 36 contact hours of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Illinois State Board of Dentistry, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation. Every Illinois dental hygienist license expires September 30 every three years. The license is renewed during the month before the expiration date by certifying to 36 hours of continuing education, certifying to current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers certification, and paying the renewal fee. Illinois also mandates specific subjects. Sexual harassment prevention training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Implicit bias awareness training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Cultural competency training: 1 contact hour on a periodic schedule set by the board. Mandated reporter training (Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act): 1 contact hour on a periodic schedule set by the board (dental hygienists are named medical personnel mandated reporters). No more than 18 contact hours may be self-study or online and the first renewal is exempt.
Illinois 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 | Three-year (36 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 09/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 36 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 18 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Individual study courses (correspondence, audio or video) from an approved sponsor that include a test, capped at 50 percent of the requirement; Teleconferencing courses with a moderator present, given by an Illinois approved sponsor; Courses leading to an advanced degree or specialty, credited at 15 hours per semester hour and 10 hours per quarter hour; Teaching continuing education courses for approved sponsors, first presentation only, capped at 50 percent of the requirement; Presenting volunteer community oral health education programs, capped at 2 hours per prerenewal period |
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.440(a)(2) sets 36 hours for dental hygienists, a separate figure from the 48 hours 1220.440(a)(1) sets for dentists. The prerenewal period is the 36 months preceding September 30 of the renewal year. No continuing education is required for the first renewal after the license is originally issued. The self-study figure of 18 hours is the rule's 50 percent cap on correspondence courses applied to the 36 hour total. Current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers certification is a separate condition of renewal under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.270(a)(2) and the rules do not state that it counts as continuing education.
Required CE topics for Illinois dental hygienists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sexual harassment prevention trainingRequired of every individual license holder IDFPR regulates, beginning with the first renewal after initial licensure. May be counted toward the 36 hour total. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5 |
| Implicit bias awareness trainingIDFPR lists the Illinois Dental Practice Act, under which dental hygienists are licensed, among the Acts this mandate reaches. One hour per renewal period, may be counted toward the 36 hour total. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.7 |
| Cultural competency trainingIDFPR lists the Illinois Dental Practice Act among the Acts this mandate reaches. Completed before the first renewal that requires continuing education and retaken once every six years thereafter, for renewals on or after January 1, 2025. May be counted toward the 36 hour total. | 1 contact hour | Periodic | All licensees | 20 ILCS 2105/2105-370 |
| Mandated reporter training (Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act)IDFPR names Dental Hygienist as medical personnel under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Medical personnel who work with children complete the training at least every six years and attest at each renewal. Medical personnel who do not work with children may attest at each renewal instead of repeating the training. The hour may count toward continuing education. | 1 contact hour | Periodic | Dental hygienists are named medical personnel mandated reporters | 325 ILCS 5/4 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 5 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Courses must be given by a sponsor listed in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.440(b)(2), which includes the American Dental Hygienists' Association and its constituent associations, the ADA and its constituent associations, community colleges with an approved dental hygiene program, accredited dental and dental hygiene programs, accredited colleges and universities, Joint Commission accredited hospitals, the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society, the AMA and ACCME, federal and state government agencies, and persons or firms approved by the Division as continuing education sponsors. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Illinois RDH need to renew?
- Illinois dental hygienists must complete 36 contact hours of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Illinois State Board of Dentistry, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.440(a)(2) sets 36 hours for dental hygienists, a separate figure from the 48 hours 1220.440(a)(1) sets for dentists. The prerenewal period is the 36 months preceding September 30 of the renewal year. No continuing education is required for the first renewal after the license is originally issued. The self-study figure of 18 hours is the rule's 50 percent cap on correspondence courses applied to the 36 hour total. Current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers certification is a separate condition of renewal under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.270(a)(2) and the rules do not state that it counts as continuing education.
- How often does a Illinois RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in Illinois renew every three years. Every Illinois dental hygienist license expires September 30 every three years. The license is renewed during the month before the expiration date by certifying to 36 hours of continuing education, certifying to current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers certification, and paying the renewal fee.
- What specific CE topics are required for Illinois dental hygienists?
- Sexual harassment prevention training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Implicit bias awareness training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Cultural competency training: 1 contact hour on a periodic schedule set by the board. Mandated reporter training (Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act): 1 contact hour on a periodic schedule set by the board (dental hygienists are named medical personnel mandated reporters). Citations: sexual harassment prevention training (20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5), implicit bias awareness training (20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.7), cultural competency training (20 ILCS 2105/2105-370), and mandated reporter training (Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act) (325 ILCS 5/4).
- Do Illinois 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 5 years. Courses must be given by a sponsor listed in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.440(b)(2), which includes the American Dental Hygienists' Association and its constituent associations, the ADA and its constituent associations, community colleges with an approved dental hygiene program, accredited dental and dental hygiene programs, accredited colleges and universities, Joint Commission accredited hospitals, the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society, the AMA and ACCME, federal and state government agencies, and persons or firms approved by the Division as continuing education sponsors.
- Is the first Illinois RDH renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Illinois 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.
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220, Illinois Dental Practice Act rules (Sections 1220.270 Renewal, 1220.440 Continuing Education)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Illinois Continuing Education (CE) Requirements Pursuant to Legislative Mandate, IDFPR Division of Professional RegulationState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Dental, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Illinois regulates dentists and dental hygienists through the same regulator, the Illinois State Board of Dentistry within IDFPR, under one rule Part. The 36 hour hygienist total was read in its own subsection, 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.440(a)(2), not scaled from the 48 hour dentist total in 1220.440(a)(1). Renewal date, three year cycle and BLS condition read from 1220.270. The 50 percent correspondence cap, five year retention and random audits in 1220.440 apply to both credentials. The statutory topic mandates come from IDFPR's own legislative mandate page; the Alzheimer's and other dementias mandate does not list the Illinois Dental Practice Act and so is not recorded. The rules state no carryover provision and no live or interactive minimum. Illinois has no separate hygiene board or committee, and hygienists renew on the same September 30 triennial schedule as dentists.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Illinois State Board of Dentistry, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.