Colorado dental hygienist license
What Colorado requires to license a dental hygienist, what a licensed hygienist may do, and how to keep the license current, taken from Colorado Dental Board, within the Division of Professions and Occupations at the Department of Regulatory Agencies. and state code pages.
| Licensing board | Colorado Dental Board, within the Division of Professions and Occupations at the Department of Regulatory Agencies. Source: dpo.colorado.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
|---|---|
| How to apply | Hygienists apply online through the DPO Online Services system; the board's Applications and Forms page links the initial license application by examination or endorsement. Open the page Source: dpo.colorado.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Education | Graduation from a dental hygiene school approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), with a program of at least two academic years or the equivalent. Source: sos.state.co.us, checked 2026-10-29. |
| National written exam | Applicants must pass the examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (the NBDHE). Source: sos.state.co.us, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Clinical exam | Applicants must pass a clinical skills examination given by a regional testing agency made up of at least four states, or another state's examination. Source: sos.state.co.us, checked 2026-10-29. |
| State law exam | No separate jurisprudence exam is named in the rule; instead applicants attest to at least one hour of jurisprudence education on the Colorado Dental Practice Act before applying. Source: sos.state.co.us, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Licensed in another state | Hygienists with an active license in good standing in another state or U.S. territory may apply by endorsement through the Occupational Credential Portability Program, and must also show current clinical competency, for example recent active clinical practice. Source: sos.state.co.us, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Local anesthesia | Hygienists may administer local anesthesia after obtaining a Board Local Anesthesia Permit, which requires an application and completion of courses from a CODA-accredited school (twelve hours of didactic and twelve hours of clinical training). Source: sos.state.co.us, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Nitrous oxide | A dentist may delegate monitoring and administration of nitrous oxide/oxygen to appropriately trained hygienists under indirect supervision. Training comes from CODA-accredited education or continuing education courses of at least six hours. Source: sos.state.co.us, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Renewal | Hygienist licenses renew every two years and expire on February 28 of even-numbered years (February 29 in leap years). Source: dpo.colorado.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Continuing education | At least 30 hours of continuing education each two-year license period, including at least 2 hours of infection control, at least 16 clinical or science-based hours, OSHA bloodborne pathogen training, and at least 50% live and interactive. Source: dpo.colorado.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Background check | Applicants submit electronic fingerprints for CBI and FBI background checks through an approved vendor; the Division must receive both results before issuing a license. Source: dpo.colorado.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
| Interstate compact | Colorado adopted the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact through SB24-010, signed May 17, 2024 and effective August 7, 2024. Source: leg.colorado.gov, checked 2026-10-29. |
Rules and fees change. Confirm with Colorado Dental Board, within the Division of Professions and Occupations at the Department of Regulatory Agencies. before you rely on them.
Licensed hygienists in Colorado earn a median $52.68 an hour ($109,580 a year). See Colorado pay by metro.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries.
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