Washington Dentist license renewal and CE requirements

Summary

Washington dentists must complete 63 contact hours of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission, Washington State Department of Health. A dentist license expires on the practitioner's birthday and must be renewed every year. Continuing education runs on a separate three year clock: a dentist attests to 63 hours every three years as part of the annual renewal that closes the reporting period. For a dentist licensed in Washington before 2019 the three year reporting period began January 1, 2019 with the first verification due at the 2022 annual renewal and every three years after that; for a dentist first licensed in 2019 or later it begins on the date of licensure. Renewal fees are accepted no sooner than 90 days before expiration. Washington also mandates specific subjects. Commission approved dental jurisprudence examination: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Commission approved health equity training: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Suicide assessment, treatment and management training: a one-time requirement of 3 contact hours. Health care provider basic life support (BLS): required every renewal cycle.

Washington 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.

The dentist total is 63 hours every three years, a figure with no relation to the dental hygienist requirement, which is 15 clock hours every year under a different chapter and a different regulator. Washington does not cap online study but it discounts it: self-study provided online or through the mail counts 30 minutes for every hour completed, except for live or recorded interactive webinars. Practice management and billing practices are capped at 21 hours every three years. Health care provider BLS certification is required by WAC 246-817-720; one hour of continuing education is granted for each BLS certification course and no more than three hours every three years may be counted in that category, so BLS does count toward the 63 but only in a small amount. The commission does not authorize or approve specific continuing education courses.

Required CE topics for Washington dentists

State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.

Documentation and audit

Common questions

How many CE hours does a Washington DDS/DMD need to renew?

Washington dentists must complete 63 contact hours of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission, Washington State Department of Health. The dentist total is 63 hours every three years, a figure with no relation to the dental hygienist requirement, which is 15 clock hours every year under a different chapter and a different regulator. Washington does not cap online study but it discounts it: self-study provided online or through the mail counts 30 minutes for every hour completed, except for live or recorded interactive webinars. Practice management and billing practices are capped at 21 hours every three years. Health care provider BLS certification is required by WAC 246-817-720; one hour of continuing education is granted for each BLS certification course and no more than three hours every three years may be counted in that category, so BLS does count toward the 63 but only in a small amount. The commission does not authorize or approve specific continuing education courses.

How often does a Washington DDS/DMD license need to be renewed?

Dentist licenses in Washington renew every year. A dentist license expires on the practitioner's birthday and must be renewed every year. Continuing education runs on a separate three year clock: a dentist attests to 63 hours every three years as part of the annual renewal that closes the reporting period. For a dentist licensed in Washington before 2019 the three year reporting period began January 1, 2019 with the first verification due at the 2022 annual renewal and every three years after that; for a dentist first licensed in 2019 or later it begins on the date of licensure. Renewal fees are accepted no sooner than 90 days before expiration.

What specific CE topics are required for Washington dentists?

Commission approved dental jurisprudence examination: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Commission approved health equity training: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Suicide assessment, treatment and management training: a one-time requirement of 3 contact hours. Health care provider basic life support (BLS): required every renewal cycle. Citations: commission approved dental jurisprudence examination (WAC 246-817-440(2)), commission approved health equity training (WAC 246-817-440(3)), suicide assessment, treatment and management training (RCW 43.70.442(5)), and health care provider basic life support (BLS) (WAC 246-817-440(4)(c); WAC 246-817-720).

Do Washington 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. The commission will not authorize or approve specific continuing education courses; the licensee chooses courses inside the subject categories listed in WAC 246-817-440(4). A dentist attests to completion at renewal. The commission may randomly audit up to 25 percent of licensed dentists every three years after the license is renewed, under WAC 246-12-170 through 246-12-240. Proof is a certificate of completion, letter or other documentation from the organization that provided the activity, showing the date of attendance or completion, hours earned and course title or subject. WAC 246-12-200 requires records to be kept for four years.

Sources

Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.

• WAC 246-817-440, Dentist continuing education requirements (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
• Dentist Continuing Education, Washington State Department of HealthState board page, accessed September 8, 2026

Washington is one of the states where the two credentials sit under different regulators. Dentists are regulated by the Dental Quality Assurance Commission under chapter 246-817 WAC; dental hygienists are regulated by the Department of Health with a Dental Hygiene Examining Committee under chapter 246-815 WAC. The two continuing education rules share almost nothing: 63 hours every three years for dentists against 15 clock hours a year for hygienists, a jurisprudence examination and health equity training for dentists only. Everything here was read in the full text of WAC 246-817-440 on the Legislature's site, which shows the section last filed 12/28/23 effective 1/28/24, plus the Department of Health dentist continuing education page. The annual birthday expiration comes from WAC 246-12-030, the four year record retention from WAC 246-12-200, and the one-time suicide training from RCW 43.70.442. The rule states no carryover and no first renewal exemption, so those fields are null. Anesthesia and sedation permits under chapter 246-817 WAC are separate credentials and no permit hours are folded into the 63.