Washington Dental Hygienist license renewal and CE requirements
Washington dental hygienists must complete 15 clock hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Washington State Department of Health, Dental Hygiene Examining Committee.
A dental hygienist license expires on the practitioner's birthday and is renewed every year. At each annual renewal the hygienist signs a declaration attesting to the required continuing education hours and must hold a current basic life support certification for health care providers. Renewal fees are accepted no sooner than 90 days before expiration.
Summary
Washington dental hygienists must complete 15 clock hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Washington State Department of Health, Dental Hygiene Examining Committee. A dental hygienist license expires on the practitioner's birthday and is renewed every year. At each annual renewal the hygienist signs a declaration attesting to the required continuing education hours and must hold a current basic life support certification for health care providers. Renewal fees are accepted no sooner than 90 days before expiration. Washington also mandates specific subjects. Suicide assessment, treatment and management training: a one-time requirement of 3 clock hours. Basic life support (BLS) for health care providers certification: required every renewal cycle. The first renewal is exempt.
Washington 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth date |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 15 clock hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Serving as an educator or lecturer in continuing education programs, counting content preparation, up to ten hours per year; Dental hygiene examination standardization and calibration workshops and item writer workshops, up to ten hours per year; Self-study through study clubs, books, research materials or other publications with a written summary, up to five hours per year; Practice organization and management, medical or dental insurance, or retirement courses, up to five hours per year; Volunteer clinical dental hygiene services preceded by instructional training, up to five hours per year; Public health prevention work for underserved, rural and at risk populations, counting content preparation, up to five hours per year; College courses; BLS for health care providers, ACLS, OSHA or WISHA, and other emergency related training |
The hygienist requirement is 15 clock hours each year following the first license renewal, which is an annual figure and completely unlike the dentist requirement of 63 hours every three years. It was read as a hygienist figure in WAC 246-815-140(1)(a), a different chapter from the dentist rule and under a different regulator. The rule caps two categories that read like self study but leaves online distance learning uncapped: self-study through study clubs, books, research materials or other publications is limited to five hours a year and requires a written summary, while distance learning that includes an assessment tool, such as a correspondence course, webinar, audio or video broadcast, teleconference, computer aided instruction, e-learning or webcasting, carries no stated limit. Because those two limits point in different directions, max_self_study_or_online is left null rather than set to five. A current basic life support certification for health care providers must be maintained as a renewal condition, and BLS, ACLS and OSHA or WISHA training are also listed as acceptable continuing education activities. There is no jurisprudence examination or health equity requirement for hygienists, unlike dentists.
Required CE topics for Washington dental hygienists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suicide assessment, treatment and management trainingRCW 43.70.442(5)(a)(x) names a dental hygienist licensed under chapter 18.29 RCW among the professionals who must complete a one-time training, and (5)(b)(iii) sets the timing at the end of the full continuing education reporting period after August 1, 2020 or the first full reporting period after initial licensure, whichever is later. RCW 43.70.442(3) provides that the hours count toward the continuing education requirement. The three hour length is stated on the Department of Health dental hygienist continuing education page, which also says the training can be counted toward the 15 hour annual total. | 3 clock hours | One time | All licensees | RCW 43.70.442(5) |
| Basic life support (BLS) for health care providers certificationRecorded as a mandated subject because WAC 246-815-140 both requires the hygienist to maintain a current BLS for health care providers certification to renew and lists BLS among the activities that count as continuing education. The rule sets no cap on the BLS category for hygienists, unlike the three hour cap the dentist rule applies. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | WAC 246-815-140(1)(b); WAC 246-815-140(3)(b)(ii) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The department will not authorize or approve specific continuing education courses; course work must contribute to the professional knowledge and development of the dental hygienist or enhance services provided to patients, within the activity list in WAC 246-815-140(3). The hygienist signs a declaration attesting to completion as part of annual renewal. The department may randomly audit up to 25 percent of practitioners for compliance after the credential is renewed, under chapter 246-12 WAC Part 7, and WAC 246-12-200 requires records to be kept for four years. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Washington RDH need to renew?
- Washington dental hygienists must complete 15 clock hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Washington State Department of Health, Dental Hygiene Examining Committee. The hygienist requirement is 15 clock hours each year following the first license renewal, which is an annual figure and completely unlike the dentist requirement of 63 hours every three years. It was read as a hygienist figure in WAC 246-815-140(1)(a), a different chapter from the dentist rule and under a different regulator. The rule caps two categories that read like self study but leaves online distance learning uncapped: self-study through study clubs, books, research materials or other publications is limited to five hours a year and requires a written summary, while distance learning that includes an assessment tool, such as a correspondence course, webinar, audio or video broadcast, teleconference, computer aided instruction, e-learning or webcasting, carries no stated limit. Because those two limits point in different directions, max_self_study_or_online is left null rather than set to five. A current basic life support certification for health care providers must be maintained as a renewal condition, and BLS, ACLS and OSHA or WISHA training are also listed as acceptable continuing education activities. There is no jurisprudence examination or health equity requirement for hygienists, unlike dentists.
- How often does a Washington RDH license need to be renewed?
- Dental Hygienist licenses in Washington renew every year. A dental hygienist license expires on the practitioner's birthday and is renewed every year. At each annual renewal the hygienist signs a declaration attesting to the required continuing education hours and must hold a current basic life support certification for health care providers. Renewal fees are accepted no sooner than 90 days before expiration.
- What specific CE topics are required for Washington dental hygienists?
- Suicide assessment, treatment and management training: a one-time requirement of 3 clock hours. Basic life support (BLS) for health care providers certification: required every renewal cycle. Citations: suicide assessment, treatment and management training (RCW 43.70.442(5)) and basic life support (BLS) for health care providers certification (WAC 246-815-140(1)(b); WAC 246-815-140(3)(b)(ii)).
- Do Washington 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. The department will not authorize or approve specific continuing education courses; course work must contribute to the professional knowledge and development of the dental hygienist or enhance services provided to patients, within the activity list in WAC 246-815-140(3). The hygienist signs a declaration attesting to completion as part of annual renewal. The department may randomly audit up to 25 percent of practitioners for compliance after the credential is renewed, under chapter 246-12 WAC Part 7, and WAC 246-12-200 requires records to be kept for four years.
- Is the first Washington RDH renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Washington 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.
- WAC 246-815-140, Continuing education and renewal requirements for dental hygienists (Washington State Legislature)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-12-030, How to renew a credential (Washington State Legislature)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-12-200, What is acceptable audit documentation (Washington State Legislature)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- RCW 43.70.442, Suicide assessment, treatment, and management training (Washington State Legislature)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Dental Hygienist Continuing Education, Washington State Department of HealthState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Washington splits the two credentials between regulators. Dentists answer to the Dental Quality Assurance Commission under chapter 246-817 WAC; dental hygienists answer to the Department of Health, with a Dental Hygiene Examining Committee, under chapter 246-815 WAC, and the Department's hygienist continuing education page cites WAC 246-815-140 and RCW 43.70.442 rather than any commission rule. Every figure here was read in the hygienist rule and on the hygienist page. The hygienist total of 15 clock hours a year and the dentist total of 63 hours per three years are unrelated numbers set by different bodies, and neither was derived from the other. The words each year following the first license renewal are the basis for exempt_first_renewal being true. The rule states no carryover, so that field is null. The annual birthday expiration comes from WAC 246-12-030 and the four year retention from WAC 246-12-200. One point to keep an eye on: RCW 43.70.442(6)(c), which sets the minimum content standards, refers to three-hour trainings for pharmacists or dentists and does not name dental hygienists, while RCW 43.70.442(5)(c) allows three hours for any profession whose disciplining authority has made the screening and referral determination under subsection (10)(b). The three hour figure recorded here is the one the Department of Health states on its own dental hygienist continuing education page, so it is treated as authoritative, but the statute alone would not settle the length.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Washington State Department of Health, Dental Hygiene Examining Committee before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.