Dental licensure, state by state
There is no national dental licence in the United States. Each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia sets its own rules, built from the same four components — and the differences between them decide where you can practise first.
Step 1
An accredited dental degree
A DDS or DMD from a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. For internationally trained dentists this is what an Advanced Standing seat provides, and it is the component a foreign degree alone rarely satisfies.
Step 2
The national written board
A passing Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) result. Older NBDE Part I and II records are still recognised for candidates who completed them before the transition.
Step 3
A clinical examination the board accepts
This is the component that varies most between states: which regional testing agency's examination is accepted, whether a manikin-based format counts, and whether completed residency training can substitute for it.
Step 4
State law, fees and background checks
A jurisprudence or state-law component, current CPR or basic life support certification, fingerprinting or a background check, and the application fee the board publishes.
Board rules change between cycles. Use this page to orient yourself, then verify every requirement against the board's own current publication before you pay a fee or book an examination.
Alabama
Programs listed here
Alaska
West region
Arizona
West region
Arkansas
South region
California
Programs listed here
Colorado
Programs listed here
Connecticut
Northeast region
Delaware
South region
District of Columbia
Programs listed here
Florida
Programs listed here
Georgia
South region
Hawaii
West region
Idaho
West region
Illinois
Programs listed here
Indiana
Programs listed here
Iowa
Programs listed here
Kansas
Midwest region
Kentucky
Programs listed here
Louisiana
Programs listed here
Maine
Programs listed here
Maryland
South region
Massachusetts
Programs listed here
Michigan
Programs listed here
Minnesota
Programs listed here
Mississippi
South region
Missouri
Programs listed here
Montana
West region
Nebraska
Programs listed here
Nevada
Programs listed here
New Hampshire
Northeast region
New Jersey
Programs listed here
New Mexico
West region
New York
Programs listed here
North Carolina
Programs listed here
North Dakota
Midwest region
Ohio
Programs listed here
Oklahoma
Programs listed here
Oregon
West region
Pennsylvania
Programs listed here
Rhode Island
Northeast region
South Carolina
South region
South Dakota
Midwest region
Tennessee
Programs listed here
Texas
Programs listed here
Utah
West region
Vermont
Northeast region
Virginia
Programs listed here
Washington
Programs listed here
West Virginia
South region
Wisconsin
Programs listed here
Wyoming
West region
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