Illinois Dentist license renewal and CE requirements
Illinois dentists must complete 48 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 license expires September 30 every three years. The license is renewed during the month before the expiration date by paying the renewal fee and certifying on the application to 48 hours of continuing education and to current Basic Life Support certification.
Summary
Illinois dentists must complete 48 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 license expires September 30 every three years. The license is renewed during the month before the expiration date by paying the renewal fee and certifying on the application to 48 hours of continuing education and to current Basic Life Support certification. 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 (dentists are named medical personnel mandated reporters). No more than 24 contact hours may be self-study or online and the first renewal is exempt.
Illinois 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 | Three-year (36 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 09/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 48 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 24 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 |
The prerenewal period is the 36 months preceding September 30 of the renewal year (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.440(a)(3)). No continuing education is required for the first renewal after the license is originally issued. Continuing education is not required to renew a dental specialty license, but the holder still completes 48 hours to renew the underlying dental license. Hours used to satisfy another state's requirement may be applied in Illinois. The self-study figure of 24 hours is the rule's 50 percent cap on correspondence courses applied to the 48 hour total. Current BLS certification is a separate condition of renewal under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.170(b) and the rules do not state that it counts as continuing education. Dentists holding a Permit A (moderate sedation) or Permit B (deep sedation or general anesthesia) must additionally show 9 hours of sedation-technique continuing education per renewal cycle for the permit; that is a separate permit requirement and is not part of the 48 hour license total.
Required CE topics for Illinois dentists
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 48 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 among the Acts this mandate reaches. One hour per renewal period, may be counted toward the 48 hour total. From July 1, 2026 licensees who report that they provide maternal health care services must take a version covering maternal health risk factors for marginalized racial or ethnic groups. | 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 48 hour total. | 1 contact hour | Periodic | All licensees | 20 ILCS 2105/2105-370 |
| Mandated reporter training (Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act)IDFPR names Dentist 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 | Dentists 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 ADA and its constituent associations, the Academy of General Dentistry, ADA-recognized specialty organizations, 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 DDS/DMD need to renew?
- Illinois dentists must complete 48 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. The prerenewal period is the 36 months preceding September 30 of the renewal year (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.440(a)(3)). No continuing education is required for the first renewal after the license is originally issued. Continuing education is not required to renew a dental specialty license, but the holder still completes 48 hours to renew the underlying dental license. Hours used to satisfy another state's requirement may be applied in Illinois. The self-study figure of 24 hours is the rule's 50 percent cap on correspondence courses applied to the 48 hour total. Current BLS certification is a separate condition of renewal under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.170(b) and the rules do not state that it counts as continuing education. Dentists holding a Permit A (moderate sedation) or Permit B (deep sedation or general anesthesia) must additionally show 9 hours of sedation-technique continuing education per renewal cycle for the permit; that is a separate permit requirement and is not part of the 48 hour license total.
- How often does a Illinois DDS/DMD license need to be renewed?
- Dentist licenses in Illinois renew every three years. Every Illinois dental license expires September 30 every three years. The license is renewed during the month before the expiration date by paying the renewal fee and certifying on the application to 48 hours of continuing education and to current Basic Life Support certification.
- What specific CE topics are required for Illinois dentists?
- 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 (dentists 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 dentists 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 ADA and its constituent associations, the Academy of General Dentistry, ADA-recognized specialty organizations, 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 DDS/DMD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Illinois does not require continuing education for a DDS/DMD'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 1220.170 Renewal, 1220.440 Continuing Education, 1220.510 and 1220.520 anesthesia permits)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
Hour total, three year cycle, September 30 expiration, first renewal exemption, 50 percent correspondence cap, five year retention and random audits read directly from 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220.170 and 1220.440 on the Illinois General Assembly's administrative code site. The dentist figure of 48 hours and the dental hygienist figure of 36 hours are stated in separate subsections of 1220.440(a) and were read separately; neither was derived from the other. The statutory topic mandates come from IDFPR's own legislative mandate page. The Alzheimer's and other dementias mandate was checked and the Illinois Dental Practice Act is not in IDFPR's list of Acts it reaches, so it is not recorded here. The rules state no carryover provision and no live or interactive minimum. IDFPR does not publish a separate dental hygienist landing page; the Dental page covers both credentials.
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.