Minnesota Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
Minnesota dental hygienists must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Minnesota Board of Dentistry.
A dental hygiene license is renewed every two years. The renewal application and fee are due no later than the last day of the licensee's birth month, and the renewed license runs 24 months from the first day of the month after the old one expired. An initial license runs until the last day of the birth month in the even-numbered or odd-numbered year that matches the licensee's birth year, so the first term is shorter or longer than 24 months. A license not renewed within 30 days after expiration is administratively terminated.
Summary
Minnesota dental hygienists must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Minnesota Board of Dentistry. A dental hygiene license is renewed every two years. The renewal application and fee are due no later than the last day of the licensee's birth month, and the renewed license runs 24 months from the first day of the month after the old one expired. An initial license runs until the last day of the birth month in the even-numbered or odd-numbered year that matches the licensee's birth year, so the first term is shorter or longer than 24 months. A license not renewed within 30 days after expiration is administratively terminated. Minnesota also mandates specific subjects. Infection control course: required every renewal cycle. Hours do not carry over between cycles.
Minnesota 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 monthFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 25 contact hours |
| Category 1 minimum | 15 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | No |
| Other accepted activities | Volunteerism or community service relating to dentistry; Professional reading of published articles and other self-study; Teaching a dental course or presenting a continuing dental education program; Presenting a table clinic; Authoring a published dental article or text; Participating in test construction for a recognized dental organization; Participating in a dental research program or evidence-based clinical study; Dental practice management courses; General attendance at a multiday state or national dental convention, 3 hours maximum per convention; Leadership or committee involvement with a dental board or dental professional association, 3 hours maximum per cycle; College courses, 5 hours per course and 15 hours maximum per cycle |
Minnesota calls this professional development. Minnesota Rules 3100.5100, subpart 2, item B, states the requirement for dental hygienists and licensed dental assistants separately from the dentist requirement: 25 hours per initial or biennial cycle, of which at least 15 must be fundamental activities and no more than ten may be elective activities. Dentists and dental therapists owe 50 hours under the same subpart. Credit is hour for hour and excess hours cannot be carried forward. Self-study and professional reading sit in the elective category, so they are limited by the ten hour elective ceiling rather than by a separate self-study cap; the rule states no cap on webinars or other distance formats. CPR is handled outside the hour total: Minnesota Rules 3100.1700, subpart 2, makes each renewal application certify a consecutive and current CPR certification, and failure to keep it is grounds for discipline, but the rule does not count CPR toward the 25 hours. The 15 extra anesthesia hours in 3100.5100, subpart 2, item C, apply only to dentists holding a sedation or general anesthesia certificate and do not reach hygienists. A licensee who cannot finish on time may ask the board in writing for an extension at least seven days before the cycle ends.
Required CE topics for Minnesota 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 courseThe rule says an infection control course is mandatory for each licensee to maintain licensure and must primarily address patient safety and health issues as referenced in part 3100.6300 and chapter 6950. It is a fundamental activity, so it counts toward the 25 hours. The rule does not state a minimum number of infection control hours. This is the same text that applies to dentists; the rule does not set a separate hygienist infection control figure. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | Minn. R. 3100.5100, subp. 3, item A(2) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Minnesota does not publish a closed list of approved providers in rule. Activities must fall within the fundamental or elective categories in Minnesota Rules 3100.5100, subpart 3, and the board approves other activities case by case only if their content directly relates to dental care and treatment, public safety and professionalism, or otherwise supports dentistry. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Minnesota RDH need to renew?
- Minnesota dental hygienists must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Minnesota Board of Dentistry. Minnesota calls this professional development. Minnesota Rules 3100.5100, subpart 2, item B, states the requirement for dental hygienists and licensed dental assistants separately from the dentist requirement: 25 hours per initial or biennial cycle, of which at least 15 must be fundamental activities and no more than ten may be elective activities. Dentists and dental therapists owe 50 hours under the same subpart. Credit is hour for hour and excess hours cannot be carried forward. Self-study and professional reading sit in the elective category, so they are limited by the ten hour elective ceiling rather than by a separate self-study cap; the rule states no cap on webinars or other distance formats. CPR is handled outside the hour total: Minnesota Rules 3100.1700, subpart 2, makes each renewal application certify a consecutive and current CPR certification, and failure to keep it is grounds for discipline, but the rule does not count CPR toward the 25 hours. The 15 extra anesthesia hours in 3100.5100, subpart 2, item C, apply only to dentists holding a sedation or general anesthesia certificate and do not reach hygienists. A licensee who cannot finish on time may ask the board in writing for an extension at least seven days before the cycle ends.
- How often does a Minnesota RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in Minnesota renew every two years. A dental hygiene license is renewed every two years. The renewal application and fee are due no later than the last day of the licensee's birth month, and the renewed license runs 24 months from the first day of the month after the old one expired. An initial license runs until the last day of the birth month in the even-numbered or odd-numbered year that matches the licensee's birth year, so the first term is shorter or longer than 24 months. A license not renewed within 30 days after expiration is administratively terminated.
- What specific CE topics are required for Minnesota dental hygienists?
- Infection control course: required every renewal cycle. Citations: infection control course (Minn. R. 3100.5100, subp. 3, item A(2)).
- Do Minnesota 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 4 years. Minnesota does not publish a closed list of approved providers in rule. Activities must fall within the fundamental or elective categories in Minnesota Rules 3100.5100, subpart 3, and the board approves other activities case by case only if their content directly relates to dental care and treatment, public safety and professionalism, or otherwise supports dentistry.
- Is the first Minnesota RDH renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Minnesota 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.
- Minnesota Rules 3100.5100, Professional Development; Dentists, Dental Therapists, Dental Hygienists, and Licensed Dental AssistantsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Minnesota Rules 3100.1700, Terms and Renewal of License or Registration; GeneralStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Minnesota Rules 3100.5300, Audit Process of PortfolioStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
Minnesota licenses dental hygienists, and the same regulator, the Minnesota Board of Dentistry, covers dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists and licensed dental assistants; there is no separate hygiene board or committee. The 25 hour hygienist figure and the 15 hour fundamental minimum were read as hygienist figures in Minnesota Rules 3100.5100, subpart 2, item B(2), not scaled from the 50 hour dentist total in item B(1). Renewal terms, cycle and the CPR certification condition come from 3100.1700, which is written for all licensees and registrants, so hygienists share the birth month cycle with dentists. The board's own site at mn.gov is behind a Radware bot wall that serves a CAPTCHA to every automated client and to a browser session, so no board page was read and none is cited; board_url is given only as a pointer for readers and renewal_url is left null. Retention is recorded as 4 years because 3100.5100, subpart 5, requires keeping the portfolio for the current biennial cycle plus the previous completed biennial cycle. The rule states no live or interactive minimum and no separate self-study cap.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Minnesota Board of Dentistry before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.