North Dakota Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
North Dakota dental hygienists must complete 16 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners.
Dental hygienists renew every two years by December 31 of an odd-numbered year, on the same schedule as dentists, and the renewal fee covers the following 24 months. Renewal notices go out by email on November 1, but the license still expires on December 31 whether or not the notice arrives. A hygienist who misses the date may renew late for 60 days with a late fee and may not practice during that window, and may still late renew for up to one year after expiration with further fees. A hygienist licensed part way through a cycle still has to renew at the next December 31 deadline. A license may instead be placed on inactive status, which is renewed annually by December 31 with a smaller fee and no continuing education.
Summary
North Dakota dental hygienists must complete 16 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners. Dental hygienists renew every two years by December 31 of an odd-numbered year, on the same schedule as dentists, and the renewal fee covers the following 24 months. Renewal notices go out by email on November 1, but the license still expires on December 31 whether or not the notice arrives. A hygienist who misses the date may renew late for 60 days with a late fee and may not practice during that window, and may still late renew for up to one year after expiration with further fees. A hygienist licensed part way through a cycle still has to renew at the next December 31 deadline. A license may instead be placed on inactive status, which is renewed annually by December 31 with a smaller fee and no continuing education. North Dakota also mandates specific subjects. Ethics or jurisprudence: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Infection control: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation course: required every renewal cycle. Sedation or anesthesia, not including local anesthesia: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (registered dental anesthesia hygienist permit holders). Restorative dentistry: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (registered dental restorative hygienist permit holders). Medical emergencies: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (dental hygienists practicing under general supervision). No more than 8 contact hours may be self-study or online and the first renewal is exempt.
North Dakota 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, 12/31 each cycleFirst renewal is not prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 16 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 8 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Publications; Seminars, symposiums and lectures; College courses; Webinars or classroom style learning that allows real-time interaction with the proctor |
N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08, the dental hygienist rule, sets the minimum at 16 hours within a two-year cycle, of which no more than eight may be self-study. The board's own continuing education page publishes the same pair, 16 total and 8 self-study for hygienists, next to 32 total and 16 self-study for dentists, so the two credentials are set separately. Self-study means learning without a proctor or without real-time interaction with one, for example a pre-recorded online program or self-paced printed material. A live webinar with real-time interaction counts as live rather than self-study, so there is no cap on live remote attendance. Credit accrues one hour per hour, and subject matter directly related to clinical dentistry must be accepted without limit. No more than one hour may relate to practice management or administration, against two hours for dentists. Merely registering at a dental convention without attending presentations earns nothing. Certificates must name the provider, the date and the hours, must say so if the course was a webinar, and must be signed by the proctor for proctored courses. CPR is counted here rather than excluded: the rule lists a cardiopulmonary resuscitation course among the things the continuing education must include, and separately requires all dental hygienists to hold a current CPR certificate. A hygienist on inactive status owes no continuing education. The rule has no opioid or controlled substance requirement for hygienists, and the anesthesia simulation requirement that starts January 1, 2028 is written only for dentists who administer general anesthesia, deep sedation or moderate sedation.
Required CE topics for North Dakota 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 or jurisprudenceAt least two of the 16 hours must be ethics or jurisprudence. Passing the board's laws and rules examination is the equivalent of two hours of ethics or jurisprudence, and the board hosts that examination on its own site. Two hours is the same absolute figure the dentist rule uses, so it is a larger share of the hygienist total. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(a) |
| Infection controlAt least two of the 16 hours must be infection control. Same absolute figure as the dentist rule. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(b) |
| Cardiopulmonary resuscitation courseThe rule lists a cardiopulmonary resuscitation course among the required content of the 16 hours, so North Dakota treats it as continuing education rather than only as a side condition. The course must provide hands-on training. Subsection 5 separately requires all dental hygienists to hold a current CPR certificate. The rule states no fixed number of CPR hours. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(c) and (5) |
| Sedation or anesthesia, not including local anesthesiaAt least two hours related to sedation or anesthesia, excluding local anesthesia. The rule places this inside the required content of the 16 hours rather than on top of them, so it is recorded here, but it reaches only hygienists holding the registered dental anesthesia hygienist permit. The parallel dentist requirement is larger, six hours of sedation or anesthesia plus two hours of anesthesia emergencies. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | Registered dental anesthesia hygienist permit holders | N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(d) |
| Restorative dentistryAt least two hours related to restorative dentistry, required only of hygienists holding the registered dental restorative hygienist permit. The dentist rule has no counterpart. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | Registered dental restorative hygienist permit holders | N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(e) |
| Medical emergenciesTwo hours related to medical emergencies, required only of hygienists who practice under general supervision. The dentist rule has no counterpart. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | Dental hygienists practicing under general supervision | N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(f) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 2 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The rule does not restrict hours to a list of approved providers. It instead sets documentation standards: certificates must indicate the name of the continuing education provider, the date and the number of hours, certificates from webinar courses must indicate the course was a webinar, and the certificate for a proctored course must be signed by the proctor. The board offers a continuing education reporting form for tracking but states it is not required and need not be submitted. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a North Dakota RDH need to renew?
- North Dakota dental hygienists must complete 16 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners. N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08, the dental hygienist rule, sets the minimum at 16 hours within a two-year cycle, of which no more than eight may be self-study. The board's own continuing education page publishes the same pair, 16 total and 8 self-study for hygienists, next to 32 total and 16 self-study for dentists, so the two credentials are set separately. Self-study means learning without a proctor or without real-time interaction with one, for example a pre-recorded online program or self-paced printed material. A live webinar with real-time interaction counts as live rather than self-study, so there is no cap on live remote attendance. Credit accrues one hour per hour, and subject matter directly related to clinical dentistry must be accepted without limit. No more than one hour may relate to practice management or administration, against two hours for dentists. Merely registering at a dental convention without attending presentations earns nothing. Certificates must name the provider, the date and the hours, must say so if the course was a webinar, and must be signed by the proctor for proctored courses. CPR is counted here rather than excluded: the rule lists a cardiopulmonary resuscitation course among the things the continuing education must include, and separately requires all dental hygienists to hold a current CPR certificate. A hygienist on inactive status owes no continuing education. The rule has no opioid or controlled substance requirement for hygienists, and the anesthesia simulation requirement that starts January 1, 2028 is written only for dentists who administer general anesthesia, deep sedation or moderate sedation.
- How often does a North Dakota RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in North Dakota renew every two years. Dental hygienists renew every two years by December 31 of an odd-numbered year, on the same schedule as dentists, and the renewal fee covers the following 24 months. Renewal notices go out by email on November 1, but the license still expires on December 31 whether or not the notice arrives. A hygienist who misses the date may renew late for 60 days with a late fee and may not practice during that window, and may still late renew for up to one year after expiration with further fees. A hygienist licensed part way through a cycle still has to renew at the next December 31 deadline. A license may instead be placed on inactive status, which is renewed annually by December 31 with a smaller fee and no continuing education.
- What specific CE topics are required for North Dakota dental hygienists?
- Ethics or jurisprudence: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Infection control: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation course: required every renewal cycle. Sedation or anesthesia, not including local anesthesia: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (registered dental anesthesia hygienist permit holders). Restorative dentistry: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (registered dental restorative hygienist permit holders). Medical emergencies: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (dental hygienists practicing under general supervision). Citations: ethics or jurisprudence (N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(a)), infection control (N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(b)), cardiopulmonary resuscitation course (N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(c) and (5)), sedation or anesthesia, not including local anesthesia (N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(d)), restorative dentistry (N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(e)), and medical emergencies (N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08(3)(f)).
- Do North Dakota 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 2 years. The rule does not restrict hours to a list of approved providers. It instead sets documentation standards: certificates must indicate the name of the continuing education provider, the date and the number of hours, certificates from webinar courses must indicate the course was a webinar, and the certificate for a proctored course must be signed by the proctor. The board offers a continuing education reporting form for tracking but states it is not required and need not be submitted.
- Is the first North Dakota RDH renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. North Dakota 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.
- Continuing Education Overview, North Dakota Board of Dental ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- License and Registration Renewal, North Dakota Board of Dental ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- N.D. Admin. Code 20-04-01-08, Continuing dental education for dental hygienists (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- N.D. Admin. Code 20-02-01-06, Continuing dental education for dentists (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
North Dakota licenses dental hygienists and regulates them through the same body as dentists, the North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners, but hygienists have their own chapter and their own continuing education rule, 20-04-01-08, separate from the dentist rule at 20-02-01-06. Both were read in full and compared. The 16 hour hygienist total and the 8 hour self-study cap are stated as hygienist figures on the board's own continuing education page and again in the hygienist rule; they were not halved from the dentist figures even though they happen to be half. The mandated subject hours are not proportional: ethics or jurisprudence and infection control are two hours each for both credentials, so they take up a larger share of the hygienist total, and the hygienist rule adds three permit or supervision specific mandates that the dentist rule does not have. The December 31 odd-year deadline is on the board's renewal page, which covers dentists and hygienists together. The North Dakota Administrative Code is published on ndlegis.gov only as PDF, which was not fetched, so the rule text was read on the Cornell LII mirror and is cited as a supporting third party source. The rule states no carryover provision, no category 1 minimum and no live or interactive minimum. Retention is recorded as 2 years because the rule requires keeping certificates from the previous renewal cycle, which is one two-year cycle. First renewal is exempt from continuing education for new graduates licensed by examination within 24 months of the renewal deadline, but the license term is not prorated. The mandatory topic keys cpr_certification, medical_emergencies, restorative_dentistry, sedation_anesthesia are not on the canonical topic list in the brief, so short snake_case keys were used.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.