Virginia Dentist license renewal and CE requirements
Virginia dentists must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Virginia Board of Dentistry, Department of Health Professions.
An active or inactive dentist license, and any sedation or anesthesia permit, is renewed every year in the licensee's birth month. Faculty, temporary resident and restricted volunteer licenses and temporary permits renew by June 30 instead, and mobile clinic or portable dental operation permits by December 31. A license not renewed by the deadline expires; the board will still renew on a late fee within one year of the deadline if there are no grounds to deny renewal.
Summary
Virginia dentists must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Virginia Board of Dentistry, Department of Health Professions. An active or inactive dentist license, and any sedation or anesthesia permit, is renewed every year in the licensee's birth month. Faculty, temporary resident and restricted volunteer licenses and temporary permits renew by June 30 instead, and mobile clinic or portable dental operation permits by December 31. A license not renewed by the deadline expires; the board will still renew on a late fee within one year of the deadline if there are no grounds to deny renewal. Virginia also mandates specific subjects. Continuing education on pain management for prescribers: 2 contact hours on a periodic schedule set by the board (dentists who prescribe Schedule II, III or IV controlled substances). Administration and monitoring of general anesthesia, deep sedation or moderate sedation: 4 contact hours on a periodic schedule set by the board (dentists who administer or monitor patients under general anesthesia, deep sedation or moderate sedation). Up to 15 excess contact hours carry over to the next cycle and the first renewal is exempt.
Virginia 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth month |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 15 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Yes, up to 15 contact hours |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Up to three of the 15 hours for delivering dental services without compensation to low income individuals through a local health department or a free clinic; Verifiable attendance at or participation in audio and video presentations given by a board approved sponsor |
Virginia is an annual state: a dentist completes a minimum of 15 hours for each annual renewal, not per biennium. The exceptions are the first renewal following initial licensure and any renewal of a restricted volunteer license. Hours in excess of the number required may be transferred or credited to the next renewal year for a total of not more than 15. The dental hygienist figure is also 15 hours a year, but it sits in a separate chapter of the regulations, 18VAC60-25-190, and was read there rather than assumed from this chapter. CPR is a certification condition, not counted hours: a dentist must maintain current training certification in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation with hands-on airway training for health care providers or basic life support, unless 18VAC60-21-290 or 18VAC60-21-300 requires current advanced life support certification with hands-on simulated airway and megacode training. Courses must be directly relevant to patient treatment and care and must be clinical courses in dentistry and dental hygiene or nonclinical subjects supporting clinical services such as patient management, legal and ethical responsibilities and stress management; estate planning, financial planning, investments, business management, marketing and personal health are excluded. Hours ordered by the board as discipline do not count. The board may grant an exemption for temporary disability, mandatory military service or officially declared disasters, and may grant an extension of up to one year.
Required CE topics for Virginia dentists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing education on pain management for prescribersTwo hours every two years, not every annual renewal, which is why the frequency is periodic. The rule states the hours may be included in the 15 hours required for renewal. Nothing equivalent appears in the dental hygiene chapter, so this does not reach hygienists. | 2 contact hours | Periodic | dentists who prescribe Schedule II, III or IV controlled substances | 18VAC60-21-106 |
| Administration and monitoring of general anesthesia, deep sedation or moderate sedationFour hours every two years, counted as part of the hours required for licensure renewal rather than added to them. | 4 contact hours | Periodic | dentists who administer or monitor patients under general anesthesia, deep sedation or moderate sedation | 18VAC60-21-250 A 2 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Credit may be earned for verifiable attendance at or participation in any course, including audio and video presentations, that meets the content requirements of 18VAC60-21-250 B and is given by a sponsor approved by the board. A licensee verifies compliance on the annual renewal; after the renewal period the board may audit, and a licensee selected for audit must provide original documents by the board's deadline. Original documents showing the date, subject, sponsor and time earned must be kept for four years following renewal. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Virginia DDS/DMD need to renew?
- Virginia dentists must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Virginia Board of Dentistry, Department of Health Professions. Virginia is an annual state: a dentist completes a minimum of 15 hours for each annual renewal, not per biennium. The exceptions are the first renewal following initial licensure and any renewal of a restricted volunteer license. Hours in excess of the number required may be transferred or credited to the next renewal year for a total of not more than 15. The dental hygienist figure is also 15 hours a year, but it sits in a separate chapter of the regulations, 18VAC60-25-190, and was read there rather than assumed from this chapter. CPR is a certification condition, not counted hours: a dentist must maintain current training certification in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation with hands-on airway training for health care providers or basic life support, unless 18VAC60-21-290 or 18VAC60-21-300 requires current advanced life support certification with hands-on simulated airway and megacode training. Courses must be directly relevant to patient treatment and care and must be clinical courses in dentistry and dental hygiene or nonclinical subjects supporting clinical services such as patient management, legal and ethical responsibilities and stress management; estate planning, financial planning, investments, business management, marketing and personal health are excluded. Hours ordered by the board as discipline do not count. The board may grant an exemption for temporary disability, mandatory military service or officially declared disasters, and may grant an extension of up to one year.
- How often does a Virginia DDS/DMD license need to be renewed?
- Dentist licenses in Virginia renew every year. An active or inactive dentist license, and any sedation or anesthesia permit, is renewed every year in the licensee's birth month. Faculty, temporary resident and restricted volunteer licenses and temporary permits renew by June 30 instead, and mobile clinic or portable dental operation permits by December 31. A license not renewed by the deadline expires; the board will still renew on a late fee within one year of the deadline if there are no grounds to deny renewal.
- What specific CE topics are required for Virginia dentists?
- Continuing education on pain management for prescribers: 2 contact hours on a periodic schedule set by the board (dentists who prescribe Schedule II, III or IV controlled substances). Administration and monitoring of general anesthesia, deep sedation or moderate sedation: 4 contact hours on a periodic schedule set by the board (dentists who administer or monitor patients under general anesthesia, deep sedation or moderate sedation). Citations: continuing education on pain management for prescribers (18VAC60-21-106) and administration and monitoring of general anesthesia, deep sedation or moderate sedation (18VAC60-21-250 A 2).
- Do Virginia 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 4 years. Credit may be earned for verifiable attendance at or participation in any course, including audio and video presentations, that meets the content requirements of 18VAC60-21-250 B and is given by a sponsor approved by the board. A licensee verifies compliance on the annual renewal; after the renewal period the board may audit, and a licensee selected for audit must provide original documents by the board's deadline. Original documents showing the date, subject, sponsor and time earned must be kept for four years following renewal.
- Is the first Virginia DDS/DMD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Virginia 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.
- 18VAC60-21-250, Requirements for continuing education (Virginia Administrative Code)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 18VAC60-21-240, License renewal and reinstatement (Virginia Administrative Code)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 18VAC60-21-106, Continuing education required for prescribers (Virginia Administrative Code)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Virginia Board of Dentistry, Dentists Continuing EducationState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
One board, the Virginia Board of Dentistry, regulates both credentials, but it writes them into two separate chapters of the Administrative Code: dentists in 18VAC60-21 and dental hygienists in 18VAC60-25. Each chapter has its own renewal section and its own continuing education section, and both were read. The 15 hour annual figure, the first renewal exception, the 15 hour carryover cap, the four year retention and the audit process were read in the full text of 18VAC60-21-250, which shows amendments effective October 24, 2024. The birth month annual renewal comes from 18VAC60-21-240. The prescriber pain management mandate comes from 18VAC60-21-106. No jurisprudence, human trafficking, implicit bias or opioid mandate beyond the prescriber rule appears in the dentist chapter. The regulations state no cap on audio or video presentations, so max_self_study_or_online is null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Virginia Board of Dentistry, Department of Health Professions before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.