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Dental Hygienist — License Requirements by State
Provides preventive oral care and cleanings under dentist supervision. Requires the NBDHE and a state license.
12 of 51 states populated with official data (retrieved 2026-08-20).
By The LicenseFig Editorial Team · independent editorial research project
How to get your Dental Hygienist license
- Check your state requirements. Open the requirements table for your state on this page — education hours, exam vendor, fees and retake rules.
- Complete pre-license education. Finish the required education hours (or approved equivalent) from an accepted provider.
- Pass the background check. Submit fingerprints and clear the required criminal background check where applicable.
- Register and pass the exam. Register with the exam vendor (PSI, Pearson VUE or Prometric), then pass the national and state portions.
- Pay the license fee. Submit the application and license fee to the state board to receive your license.
- Keep it active. Track renewal dates and continuing-education hours using the License Renewal Calculator.
How much does it cost to get your Dental Hygienist license?
Costs vary by state. Most charge a modest application or license fee — often between $0 and $120 — and a handful of states also require a small exam fee. A few occupations add pre-license education tuition. See the Fees column in the table below for your state, then compare costs across states with the Exam Cost Compare tool.
| State | Education | Exam | Pass % | Fees | Retake | Reciprocity | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AK | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AZ | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $55 · Lic $55 | — | ADEX/CDCA/CRDTS/WREB/SRTA clinical exams accepted; AZ jurisprudence exam + Fingerprint Clearance Card required | Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners ↗ |
| AR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CA | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $200 · Lic $200 | — | ADEX/WREB/CRDTS clinical exams accepted; CA Law & Ethics exam plus local anesthesia, nitrous oxide, and soft tissue curettage courses required for initial licensure | Dental Hygiene Board of California ↗ |
| CO | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| FL | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $100 · Lic $100 | — | No endorsement pathway — ADEX clinical exam and FL Laws and Rules exam required of all applicants regardless of prior licensure | Florida Board of Dentistry ↗ |
| GA | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $75 · Lic $25 | — | CRDTS/SRTA/ADEX clinical exams accepted; GA jurisprudence exam required | Georgia Board of Dentistry ↗ |
| HI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ID | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| IL | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $100 · Lic $100 | — | ADEX/CDCA-WREB-CITA/CRDTS/SRTA clinical exams accepted; IL jurisprudence exam required | Illinois Division of Professional Regulation (IDFPR) ↗ |
| IN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| IA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| KS | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| KY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ME | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MI | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $98.8 · Lic $98.8 | — | ADEX only clinical exam accepted; MI jurisprudence exam required (passing 75%) | Michigan Board of Dentistry (LARA) ↗ |
| MN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MS | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MO | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NH | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NM | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NY | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $294 · Lic $294 | — | ADEX/CDCA/CRDTS/NERB/WREB clinical exams accepted; separate local anesthesia certification required | New York State Education Department — Office of the Professions ↗ |
| NC | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $75 · Lic $75 | — | Clinical exam required; licenses renew annually | North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners ↗ |
| ND | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OH | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $184 · Lic $184 | — | ADEX or CRDTS-SRTA clinical exams accepted; jurisprudence exam required | Ohio State Dental Board ↗ |
| OK | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| PA | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $154 · Lic $154 | — | NERB/SRTA/WREB/CRDTS/CITA clinical exams accepted | Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry ↗ |
| RI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TX | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $125 · Lic $125 | — | ADEX/CRDTS clinical exams accepted; TX jurisprudence assessment required; separate Local Anesthesia Administration Permit for anesthesia | Texas State Board of Dental Examiners ↗ |
| UT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| VT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| VA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WA | — | 350N · 75% · $600 | — | App $100 · Lic $100 | — | WREB/CRDTS/CDCA/CITA clinical exams accepted; WA State Drug and Law jurisprudence exam required | Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission ↗ |
| WV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
● Data updated 2026-08-20Data retrieved 2026-08-20 from state boards, PSI, Pearson VUE and CMS. Requirements change — verify with your state board before enrolling or paying. Dash (—) = not published / pending verification.
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