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License renewal · Washington

Dental Hygienist License Renewal in Washington

The Washington State Department of Health (licensing authority); Dental Hygiene Examining Committee sets the rules. Renewal: annually (every year); deadline: the practitioner's birthday; credentials may be renewed within 90 days of the expiration date. Continuing education: 15 clock hours of continuing education each year following the first license renewal. 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

annually (every year) — the practitioner's birthday; credentials may be renewed within 90 days of the expiration date

Source: app.leg.wa.gov · doh.wa.gov

Continuing education

15 clock hours of continuing education each year following the first license renewal.

  • Suicide assessment (including screening and referral): one-time training of at least three hours (counts toward CE hours)
  • Health equity continuing education: two hours every four years (counts toward CE hours)

No specific continuing education courses are required yearly beyond the above. Self-study is limited to 5 hours per year; practice-management/insurance/retirement courses to 5 hours per year.

Source: app.leg.wa.gov · doh.wa.gov

CPR / BLS

Maintain a current basic life support (BLS) for health care providers certification

Source: app.leg.wa.gov

Late renewal and lapse

A $50 late renewal penalty applies. The credential is expired if not renewed on or before the expiration date and the practitioner must not practice until it is returned to active status; a renewal postmarked or presented after midnight on the expiration date is late.

Source: doh.wa.gov · app.leg.wa.gov

Verify a license

The board's public lookup: doh.wa.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

  • “Licenses must be renewed every year on the practitioner's birthday as provided in chapter 246-12 WAC.” — app.leg.wa.gov
  • “Credentials expire on the credential holder's birthday and may be renewed within 90 days of the expiration date.” — doh.wa.gov
  • “Complete fifteen clock hours of continuing education each year following the first license renewal” — app.leg.wa.gov
  • “must complete and attest to 15 hours of continuing education (CE) every year at renewal” — doh.wa.gov
  • “Maintain a current basic life support (BLS) for health care providers certification” — app.leg.wa.gov
  • “No specific continuing education courses are required yearly, per WAC 246-815-140” — doh.wa.gov
  • “Dental Hygienists must complete a one-time, three-hour, suicide prevention continuing education training” — doh.wa.gov
  • “must complete a department-approved one-time training that is at least three hours in length for suicide assessment” — app.leg.wa.gov
  • “must complete two hours of health equity continuing education training every four years” — app.leg.wa.gov
  • “Renewal - $70 Late renewal penalty - $50 Expired license reissue - $50” — doh.wa.gov
  • “The credential status is expired if the practitioner does not renew on or before the expiration date.” — app.leg.wa.gov
  • “The practitioner must not practice until the credential is returned to active status.” — app.leg.wa.gov
  • “Any renewal that is postmarked or presented to the department after midnight on the expiration date is late” — app.leg.wa.gov
  • “a summary of what was learned, not to exceed five hours per year” — app.leg.wa.gov
  • “medical/dental insurance courses, or retirement, not to exceed five hours per year” — app.leg.wa.gov
  • “WAC 246-12-200 requires licensees to keep continuing education records for four years.” — doh.wa.gov
  • “The department may randomly audit up to twenty-five percent of practitioners” — app.leg.wa.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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