Nevada Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
Nevada dental hygienists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Board of Dental Examiners of Nevada.
A general Nevada dental hygiene license renews every two years, and the renewal must be complete on or before June 30. Missing that June 30 deadline automatically suspends the license, which can then be reinstated only by paying the reinstatement fee and meeting the renewal requirements; a suspension that runs 12 months without reinstatement automatically revokes the license. Limited, restricted and specialty licenses issued under NRS 631.271, 631.2715 and 631.275 renew every year instead, and their holders owe the annual rather than the biennial continuing education total.
Summary
Nevada dental hygienists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Board of Dental Examiners of Nevada. A general Nevada dental hygiene license renews every two years, and the renewal must be complete on or before June 30. Missing that June 30 deadline automatically suspends the license, which can then be reinstated only by paying the reinstatement fee and meeting the renewal requirements; a suspension that runs 12 months without reinstatement automatically revokes the license. Limited, restricted and specialty licenses issued under NRS 631.271, 631.2715 and 631.275 renew every year instead, and their holders owe the annual rather than the biennial continuing education total. Nevada also mandates specific subjects. Infection control, in accordance with the CDC guidelines adopted by reference in NAC 631.178: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Medical consequences of an act of terrorism involving a weapon of mass destruction: a one-time requirement of 4 contact hours (every licensee, within two years after initial licensure). Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment approach to substance use disorder: a one-time requirement of 2 contact hours (every licensee, within two years after initial licensure). No more than 15 contact hours may be self-study or online and hours do not carry over between cycles.
Nevada 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, 06/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Category 1 minimum | 24 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 15 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Approved study by a group (3 hour cap); Attendance at a meeting or convention of a dental or dental hygiene society (1 hour per meeting, 3 hour cap); Dental hygiene services provided on a voluntary basis to approved nonprofit agencies (6 hour cap, no more than 3 hours for any one day); Home study, online study, self-study or journal study by correspondence, webinar, compact disc or digital video disc |
A dental hygienist on the standard biennial license owes at least 30 hours per two year period under NAC 631.173(3), which is ten hours less than the 40 the same rule sets for dentists; the annual figure in that subsection is 15 hours. Hours cannot be transferred or carried over from one licensing period to the next. The 24 hour figure recorded in category_1_minimum is Nevada's own category split, not an AMA category: NAC 631.175(3) requires at least 24 of the 30 biennial hours to be in clinical subjects, where the dentist minimum is 30. Home study, online study, self-study and journal study together are capped at 50 percent of the required hours, which is 15 hours on the biennial cycle rather than the dentist's 20. CPR is not part of the 30: NAC 631.173(4) requires current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or another medically acceptable means of maintaining basic bodily functions in addition to the hours of instruction, taught by a certified instructor, and NAC 631.177(1)(d) requires proof of that certification to be submitted with the renewal. Two one time requirements land on new licensees within two years after initial licensure and count as part of continuing education: a 4 hour course on the medical consequences of an act of terrorism involving a weapon of mass destruction, and 2 hours of training in the screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment approach to substance use disorder. Holders of an inactive license, and licensees who are retired or have a disability, are exempt from continuing education under NRS 631.343.
Required CE topics for Nevada 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, in accordance with the CDC guidelines adopted by reference in NAC 631.178At least 4 hours biennially, or 2 hours annually for licensees on an annual renewal period. This is the one subject minimum Nevada sets at the same number for hygienists and dentists. It counts inside the 30 hours and inside the clinical subject minimum. | 4 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | NAC 631.175(4) |
| Medical consequences of an act of terrorism involving a weapon of mass destructionBasic Disaster Life Support or Core Disaster Life Support from a provider accredited by the National Disaster Life Support Foundation, or another course the board treats as equivalent, may be taken instead. | 4 contact hours | One time | every licensee, within two years after initial licensure | NRS 631.342(2) and (3) |
| Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment approach to substance use disorderCompleted as part of continuing education. | 2 contact hours | One time | every licensee, within two years after initial licensure | NRS 631.342(5) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 3 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The provider or instructor must be approved by the Board unless the course is CPR training or is approved by the American Dental Association or its component societies, the American Dental Hygienists' Association or its component societies, the Academy of General Dentistry, a nationally recognized association of dental or medical specialists, any university, college or community college in or out of Nevada, or a hospital accredited by The Joint Commission. An instructor seeking board approval files the board's form at least 45 days before the course begins. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Nevada RDH need to renew?
- Nevada dental hygienists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Board of Dental Examiners of Nevada. A dental hygienist on the standard biennial license owes at least 30 hours per two year period under NAC 631.173(3), which is ten hours less than the 40 the same rule sets for dentists; the annual figure in that subsection is 15 hours. Hours cannot be transferred or carried over from one licensing period to the next. The 24 hour figure recorded in category_1_minimum is Nevada's own category split, not an AMA category: NAC 631.175(3) requires at least 24 of the 30 biennial hours to be in clinical subjects, where the dentist minimum is 30. Home study, online study, self-study and journal study together are capped at 50 percent of the required hours, which is 15 hours on the biennial cycle rather than the dentist's 20. CPR is not part of the 30: NAC 631.173(4) requires current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or another medically acceptable means of maintaining basic bodily functions in addition to the hours of instruction, taught by a certified instructor, and NAC 631.177(1)(d) requires proof of that certification to be submitted with the renewal. Two one time requirements land on new licensees within two years after initial licensure and count as part of continuing education: a 4 hour course on the medical consequences of an act of terrorism involving a weapon of mass destruction, and 2 hours of training in the screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment approach to substance use disorder. Holders of an inactive license, and licensees who are retired or have a disability, are exempt from continuing education under NRS 631.343.
- How often does a Nevada RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in Nevada renew every two years. A general Nevada dental hygiene license renews every two years, and the renewal must be complete on or before June 30. Missing that June 30 deadline automatically suspends the license, which can then be reinstated only by paying the reinstatement fee and meeting the renewal requirements; a suspension that runs 12 months without reinstatement automatically revokes the license. Limited, restricted and specialty licenses issued under NRS 631.271, 631.2715 and 631.275 renew every year instead, and their holders owe the annual rather than the biennial continuing education total.
- What specific CE topics are required for Nevada dental hygienists?
- Infection control, in accordance with the CDC guidelines adopted by reference in NAC 631.178: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Medical consequences of an act of terrorism involving a weapon of mass destruction: a one-time requirement of 4 contact hours (every licensee, within two years after initial licensure). Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment approach to substance use disorder: a one-time requirement of 2 contact hours (every licensee, within two years after initial licensure). Citations: infection control, in accordance with the CDC guidelines adopted by reference in NAC 631.178 (NAC 631.175(4)), medical consequences of an act of terrorism involving a weapon of mass destruction (NRS 631.342(2) and (3)), and screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment approach to substance use disorder (NRS 631.342(5)).
- Do Nevada 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. The provider or instructor must be approved by the Board unless the course is CPR training or is approved by the American Dental Association or its component societies, the American Dental Hygienists' Association or its component societies, the Academy of General Dentistry, a nationally recognized association of dental or medical specialists, any university, college or community college in or out of Nevada, or a hospital accredited by The Joint Commission. An instructor seeking board approval files the board's form at least 45 days before the course begins.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- NAC Chapter 631, Dentistry and Dental Hygiene, Nevada Administrative CodeStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- NRS Chapter 631, Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, Dental Therapy and Expanded Function Dental AssistanceStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Program Support Services, continuing education, Board of Dental Examiners of NevadaState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Board of Dental Examiners of NevadaState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Nevada regulates dental hygienists through the same Board of Dental Examiners as dentists, with no separate hygiene board or committee, but the totals are written as separate subsections. Every hygienist figure here was read in its own provision: 30 biennial hours in NAC 631.173(3), 24 clinical hours in NAC 631.175(3), and the 50 percent distance study cap in NAC 631.175(6)(c) applied to the hygienist total, giving 15 hours. None of these were scaled from the dentist numbers, which are 40, 30 and 20 respectively. The biennial renewal and June 30 deadline come from NRS 631.330. The opioid provision in NAC 631.175(5) reaches only dentists registered to dispense controlled substances under NRS 453.231, so it is not recorded for hygienists; the two NRS 631.342 one time courses, by contrast, are written as applying to 'each licensee' and do reach hygienists. Retention of three years, the random initial and follow up audits and the signed certification filed at renewal come from NAC 631.177, which spells out a separate certification form for dental hygienists at 15 hours per year. CPR sits outside the hour total by the plain words of NAC 631.173(4), 'in addition to the hours of instruction', so it is described in the CE notes rather than listed as a mandatory topic, though proof of it is filed with the renewal. The topic keys 'bioterrorism' and 'substance_use_screening' are not in the canonical list. Nevada also requires biennial immunization related continuing education of licensees holding a special endorsement under NRS 631.285; that endorsement is a separate credential and its hours are not folded into this record.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Board of Dental Examiners of Nevada before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.