License renewal · New Mexico

Dental Hygienist License Renewal in New Mexico

The New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care (Regulation and Licensing Department) sets the rules. Renewal: every three years (three-year cycle); deadline: Dental hygiene licenses expire every three years on June 30 (licenses not renewed by July 1 are considered expired; the renewal application must be post-marked on or before July 1 of the renewal year). Continuing education: 45 hours per triennial (three-year) renewal cycle, July 1 through June 30. Each fact below is quoted from an official state source, linked beside it, and was checked on 2026-10-12. Confirm with the board before you rely on it: rules change.

Renewal cycle and deadline

every three years (three-year cycle) — Dental hygiene licenses expire every three years on June 30 (licenses not renewed by July 1 are considered expired; the renewal application must be post-marked on or before July 1 of the renewal year)

Source: rld.nm.gov · rld.nm.gov · rld.nm.gov · srca.nm.gov · srca.nm.gov

Continuing education

45 hours per triennial (three-year) renewal cycle, July 1 through June 30.

Basic life support (BLS) or CPR certification
Infection control: a course in infection control techniques and sterilization procedures per renewal period

A maximum of 30 hours can be on-line, webinars or self-study.

Source: rld.nm.gov · srca.nm.gov

CPR / BLS

basic life support (BLS) or cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR): proof of current certification accepted by the American heart association, the American red cross, or the American safety and health institute (ASHI); cannot be a self-study course

Source: srca.nm.gov

Late renewal and lapse

Renewal post-marked after July 1 but before August 1 requires the late fee; from August 1 to before September 1 a cumulative late fee of $5 per day also applies. Per 16.5.18.8 NMAC the late renewal fee is $100 (after July 1 through September 1) plus renewal and impaired fees. If the application is not received or post-marked before September 1 the license is revoked for non-renewal; within one year of the revocation notice it may be reinstated by paying renewal and reinstatement fees ($200) and meeting CE for the previous renewal cycle and the year of revocation; after one year the person must apply as a new applicant. The board FAQ adds that paying the late fee does not allow a licensee to keep working once the license has expired.

Source: rld.nm.gov · srca.nm.gov · srca.nm.gov · srca.nm.gov

Verify a license

The board's public lookup: www.rld.nm.gov

For the office manager

The renewal is the hygienist's to complete, but a lapsed license is the practice's problem on the schedule. Keep each hygienist's expiry date where an alert reaches both of you well before it, long enough for any CE still owed. The free renewal calendar makes reminders for your own calendar; LVL Up Performance keeps the dates on each staff record and alerts ahead. Neither tracks CE hours or checks anything with the board.

Sources, quoted

“All Dental Hygiene licenses are on a three-year cycle; licenses are renewed every three years.” — rld.nm.gov
“all licenses expire on June 30 of your renewal year” — rld.nm.gov
“Complete 45 hours of continuing education Current BLS or CPR Complete a course in infection control.” — rld.nm.gov
“45 hours of continuing education, a maximum of 30 hours can be on-line, webinars or self-study are required during each triennial renewal cycle” — srca.nm.gov
“Continuing education requirements are pro-rated at 15 hours per full year of the initial licensing period.” — srca.nm.gov
“The following courses are required for license renewal” — srca.nm.gov
“basic life support (BLS) or cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR): proof of current certification accepted by the American heart association” — srca.nm.gov
“cannot be a self-study course” — srca.nm.gov
“a course in infection control techniques and sterilization procedures per renewal period” — srca.nm.gov
“Taking courses outside of the renewal period (July 1 through June 30) of every third year” — rld.nm.gov
“If my license has not been renewed and I pay the late fee, can I continue to work?” — rld.nm.gov
“You may reinstate the license within the year of revocation.” — rld.nm.gov
“If the licensed is revoked for more than a year from the date of revocation, you must reapply for a license as a new applicant.” — rld.nm.gov
“Renewals Dentist $550 Dentist Impairment Fee $30 Dental Hygienist $325 Dental Hygienist Impairment Fee $15” — rld.nm.gov
“dental hygiene licenses expire every three years on June 30” — srca.nm.gov
“Dental hygiene licenses not renewed by July 1 are considered expired.” — srca.nm.gov
“The completed renewal application must be post-marked on or before July 1, of the renewal year.” — srca.nm.gov
“Renewal applications post-marked after July 1, and prior to August 1, of the renewal year” — srca.nm.gov
“late renewal fee of $100 after July 1 through September 1, plus renewal and impaired fees” — srca.nm.gov
“cumulative late fee of $5 per day from August 1 to the date of the postmark or hand-delivery to the board office” — srca.nm.gov
“Reinstatement fee is $200.” — srca.nm.gov
“Unless an application for license renewal is received by the board office, or post-marked, before September 1, the license shall be revoked for non-renewal.” — srca.nm.gov
“Within one year of the revocation notice, the license may be reinstated by payment of renewal and reinstatement fees” — srca.nm.gov
“Applicants for reinstatement after one year of revocation shall apply as a new applicant” — srca.nm.gov

Checked 2026-10-12. Something out of date? Write to mauricio@lvlupperformance.com and we will fix it. This page is information, not legal advice.