Indiana Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
Indiana dental hygienists must complete 19 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Indiana State Board of Dentistry, Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.
All Indiana dental hygienist licenses expire March 1 of even-numbered years. Renewal notices go out about 90 days before the expiration date, and the license can be renewed online or by paper form with the renewal fee. A dental hygienist may instead ask to be placed on inactive status on the renewal form, which carries no renewal fee and no continuing education.
Summary
Indiana dental hygienists must complete 19 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Indiana State Board of Dentistry, Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. All Indiana dental hygienist licenses expire March 1 of even-numbered years. Renewal notices go out about 90 days before the expiration date, and the license can be renewed online or by paper form with the renewal fee. A dental hygienist may instead ask to be placed on inactive status on the renewal form, which carries no renewal fee and no continuing education. Indiana also mandates specific subjects. Ethics, professional responsibility, and Indiana statutes and administrative rules governing the licensure and practice of dentists and dental hygienists: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Basic life support course: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. No more than 9.5 contact hours may be self-study or online and the first renewal is exempt.
Indiana 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, 03/01 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 19 contact hours |
| Live or interactive minimum | 9.5 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 9.5 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | College courses under a regular curriculum, 1 credit hour per lecture hour; Non-college courses, 1 credit hour per lecture hour and 2 credit hours per participation hour; Attending a study club meeting featuring a guest speaker, 1 credit hour per hour attended; Home study courses from an approved organization, credited at the college rate or 1 credit hour per hour of study material; Basic life support course, capped at 2 credit hours per renewal period |
The board page sets 19 hours for dental hygienists in its own section, separate from the 20 hours it sets for dentists. One half must be in live presentations or live workshops, which is the basis for the 9.5 hour live minimum and the matching cap on pre-recorded self-study with no live interaction (IC 25-13-2-6(e)). Online webinars with presenter interaction count as live. No more than 5 credit hours per period may come from courses that relate specifically to practice management (IC 25-13-2-6(c)). Continuing education is not required of a graduate student or resident in a program offered by an approved organization, or a person the board determines cannot practice dental hygiene because of a disability. The board's credit-award examples for presentations and for ADA sponsored study club materials are written for dentists, so no hygienist cap for those activities is recorded here.
Required CE topics for Indiana dental hygienists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethics, professional responsibility, and Indiana statutes and administrative rules governing the licensure and practice of dentists and dental hygienistsTwo of the 19 hours must cover ethics, professional responsibility, and the Indiana statutes and rules on dental licensure and practice. The board page states there is no exception to this rule. These 2 hours are not treated as practice management courses. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 828 IAC 1-5-6 |
| Basic life support courseDental hygienists must complete a board approved basic life support course each renewal period. Only 2 hours of basic life support may be applied toward the 19 hour credit requirement, so the course counts as continuing education up to that cap. The board may waive the requirement for a medical condition or disability documented by a physician's statement filed with the renewal application. If audited, the hygienist submits the CPR card or a signed course attendance sheet. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | IC 25-13-2-8(b)(3); IC 25-13-2-6(d); 828 IAC 1-6-1 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 3 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Courses must be approved by an approved organization as defined at IC 25-13-2-2, which includes the American Dental Hygiene Association, the National Dental Hygiene Association, the ADA, the National Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the AMA, the Joint Commission, accredited colleges and teaching institutions, federal, state and local government agencies, study clubs approved by the board, affiliated entities of those organizations, hospital internships and residencies they approve, and any other organization or individual the board approves. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Indiana RDH need to renew?
- Indiana dental hygienists must complete 19 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Indiana State Board of Dentistry, Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. The board page sets 19 hours for dental hygienists in its own section, separate from the 20 hours it sets for dentists. One half must be in live presentations or live workshops, which is the basis for the 9.5 hour live minimum and the matching cap on pre-recorded self-study with no live interaction (IC 25-13-2-6(e)). Online webinars with presenter interaction count as live. No more than 5 credit hours per period may come from courses that relate specifically to practice management (IC 25-13-2-6(c)). Continuing education is not required of a graduate student or resident in a program offered by an approved organization, or a person the board determines cannot practice dental hygiene because of a disability. The board's credit-award examples for presentations and for ADA sponsored study club materials are written for dentists, so no hygienist cap for those activities is recorded here.
- How often does a Indiana RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in Indiana renew every two years. All Indiana dental hygienist licenses expire March 1 of even-numbered years. Renewal notices go out about 90 days before the expiration date, and the license can be renewed online or by paper form with the renewal fee. A dental hygienist may instead ask to be placed on inactive status on the renewal form, which carries no renewal fee and no continuing education.
- What specific CE topics are required for Indiana dental hygienists?
- Ethics, professional responsibility, and Indiana statutes and administrative rules governing the licensure and practice of dentists and dental hygienists: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Basic life support course: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: ethics, professional responsibility, and Indiana statutes and administrative rules governing the licensure and practice of dentists and dental hygienists (828 IAC 1-5-6) and basic life support course (IC 25-13-2-8(b)(3); IC 25-13-2-6(d); 828 IAC 1-6-1).
- Do Indiana 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. Courses must be approved by an approved organization as defined at IC 25-13-2-2, which includes the American Dental Hygiene Association, the National Dental Hygiene Association, the ADA, the National Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the AMA, the Joint Commission, accredited colleges and teaching institutions, federal, state and local government agencies, study clubs approved by the board, affiliated entities of those organizations, hospital internships and residencies they approve, and any other organization or individual the board approves.
- Is the first Indiana RDH renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Indiana 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.
- Dentistry Licensing Information (Renewal Information, Continuing Education Requirements for Dental Hygienists, Basic Life Support for Dental Hygienist's Renewal), Indiana Professional Licensing AgencyState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Dentistry Home, Indiana Professional Licensing AgencyState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Indiana regulates dentists and dental hygienists through one regulator, the Indiana State Board of Dentistry within the Professional Licensing Agency, but sets different totals: 19 hours for hygienists and 20 hours for dentists, stated in separate sections of the board's licensing information page and read separately. The hygienist requirement also differs in that a basic life support course is required every renewal period and counts toward the total up to 2 hours, where the board page states no BLS renewal condition for dentists. The board page's list of hygienist continuing education exemptions has a blank first bullet followed by the example 'Initial license was issued from March 2, 2024 to March 1, 2026', which is the two years before the March 1, 2026 renewal, matching the dentist exemption for an initial license held less than two years; exempt_first_renewal is recorded as true on that basis and the blank bullet is flagged here. The Indiana General Assembly site (iga.in.gov) renders the Indiana Code and Indiana Administrative Code through a client-side application that serves no readable text to an automated client, so the underlying IC and 828 IAC sections were not read directly. The board states no carryover provision. Nitrous oxide administration by a hygienist is governed by IC 25-13-1-10.7 and the board issues no permit for it; no separate continuing education for it is stated.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Indiana State Board of Dentistry, Indiana Professional Licensing Agency before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.