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License renewal · Rhode Island

Dental Hygienist License Renewal in Rhode Island

The Board of Examiners in Dentistry (Rhode Island Department of Health) sets the rules. Renewal: every 2 years (biennial); license expires June 30 of even-numbered years; deadline: Renewal application with CE attestation due by May 1 of each even-numbered year; license expires June 30 of even-numbered years. Continuing education: 20 hours in the preceding two years (prorated at an average of 10 hours per year if licensed less than two years). 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 2 years (biennial); license expires June 30 of even-numbered years — Renewal application with CE attestation due by May 1 of each even-numbered year; license expires June 30 of even-numbered years

Source: rules.sos.ri.gov

Continuing education

20 hours in the preceding two years (prorated at an average of 10 hours per year if licensed less than two years).

  • Minimum of one hour per year of training on the CDC Infection Control Guidelines (for hygienists practicing in a dental setting)
  • Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certificate with hands-on skill component (certification, not counted as CE in the rule text read)

Courses must be relevant to the practice of dental hygiene and approved under the Board criteria in section 2.16; Records kept at least five years for random audit; Board may extend CE requirements one six-month period for hardship

Source: rules.sos.ri.gov

CPR / BLS

All dental hygienists practicing in a dental setting must hold a current certificate of completion in Basic Life Support (BLS) for the Healthcare Provider that includes a hands-on skill component and conforms to current American Heart Association guidelines

Source: rules.sos.ri.gov

Late renewal and lapse

Certificate of hygienists whose renewals and fee are not filed on or before July 1 of the even-numbered year are automatically revoked under the rule (statute says automatically expire); Board may reinstate at its discretion on payment of fees. Fee: Reinstatement requires the current registration fee plus an additional fee set in the Department fee schedule (amount not on pages read).

Source: rules.sos.ri.gov · webserver.rilegislature.gov

Verify a license

We could not confirm the official lookup page for Rhode Island; start from the board's site.

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

  • “Board of Examiners in Dentistry, or any committee or subcommittee thereof, established in the Rhode Island Department of Health” — rules.sos.ri.gov
  • “Said license unless sooner suspended or revoked shall expire biennially on the 30th of June of each even-numbered year.” — rules.sos.ri.gov
  • “shall file with the Board by the 1st of May in each even-numbered year, a renewal application duly executed together with attestation” — rules.sos.ri.gov
  • “on or before the first day of May in each even numbered year, shall apply to” — webserver.rilegislature.gov
  • “a license registration for a two-year (2) period” — webserver.rilegislature.gov
  • “completed at least twenty (20) hours of continuing education courses relevant to the practice of dental hygiene” — rules.sos.ri.gov
  • “an average of ten (10) hours of continuing education shall be required each year the license is in effect” — rules.sos.ri.gov
  • “a minimum of one (1) hour per year of training on the CDC Infection Control Guidelines.” — rules.sos.ri.gov
  • “shall hold a current certificate of completion in Basic Life Support (BLS) for the Healthcare Provider that includes a hands-on skill component” — rules.sos.ri.gov
  • “safeguarded by the dental hygienist for a minimum of five (5) years for random audit by the Board” — rules.sos.ri.gov
  • “Licensure renewal shall be denied to any applicant who fails to attest to completion of continuing education” — rules.sos.ri.gov
  • “The board may extend for only one six-month (6) period those educational requirements” — webserver.rilegislature.gov
  • “are not filed on or before the first day of July of each even numbered year, shall be automatically revoked.” — rules.sos.ri.gov
  • “are not filed on or before the first day of July automatically expire.” — webserver.rilegislature.gov
  • “reinstate any certificate expired under the provisions of this section” — webserver.rilegislature.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.

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