Once a license application has been received by the Board, the applicant may then begin submitting other required documents such as transcripts, copies of diploma etc. All application fees are nonrefundable, even if the application is subsequently denied or the applicant fails to complete the application within 12 months. The Board will not discuss or give information regarding the application with anyone other than the applicant. Applicants may view the NDBDE website to review documents that have been received by the Board.
Applications must be complete within 12 months of filing.
The Board cannot grant a license unless all requirements have been met.
All applicants must be a graduate of a program accredited by the ADA's Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Applicants are required to submit fingerprints and complete the Criminal History Record Check process. You may send the completed forms with the application or after the application is received. Processing this information may take up to 14 business days. Contact the Board office if you need the fingerprint cards and forms mailed to you.
The Board will seek information from recognized data sources including the National Practitioners Data Bank, liability insurers, health care institutions, and law enforcement agencies.
ID: In lieu of applications being notarized, the Board accepts current identification documents issued within the last five years. Acceptable ID means a valid driver's license, U.S. passport, or identification card issued by any branch of the armed forces of the United States. Attach a copy of the identification to your application.
The laws setting forth the criteria an applicant must meet in order to be licensed by examination are set forth in NDCC 43-20-01.2. The Board strongly encourages applicants to thoroughly review that law. In summary, however, an applicant must have passed the examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) or the Dental Hygiene Certification Board of Canada.
Completion of Criminal History Record Check process. You may send the completed forms with the application or after the application is received. Processing this information may take up to 14 business days. Contact the Board office if you need the fingerprint cards and forms mailed to you.
Application Packet - License by Examination
Manikin-based or Live-patient Clinical Competency Exams Accepted
The laws setting forth the criteria an applicant must meet in order to be licensed by credential are set forth in NDCC 43-20-01.3. The Board strongly encourages applicants to thoroughly review that law. In summary, however, an applicant who is licensed and has been actively practicing dentistry for three years immediately preceding application in another jurisdiction where the requirements are at least substantially equivalent to those of this state may apply for a License by Credential. Application criteria includes:
Completion of Criminal History Record Check process. You may send the completed forms with the application or after the application is received. Law enforcement agencies conduct the background check so the length of time it takes is dependent on their workload. Contact the Board office if you need the fingerprint cards and forms mailed to you.
License by Credential applicants may or may not be scheduled to appear before the Board for an informal interview. Applicants required to appear at a meeting of the Board will be notified by the Executive Director in advance of a meeting.
Application Packet - License by Credential
Dental hygienists educated outside the United States and Canada who successfully complete a program accredited by the ADA’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and receive a dental hygiene degree, and meet all other requirements of licensure may be issued a license to practice dental hygiene in North Dakota. International applicants are encouraged to contact CODA-accredited programs to discuss advanced placement options to understand the extent to which their international education will be accepted by the CODA-accredited program.
Dental hygienists educated outside the United States and Canada who do not meet the above-criteria may be considered for licensure if they earned a degree equivalent to a CODA-accredicated dental hygiene degree. Determinations of equivalency are made by the Board, based on its review of the application and on an independent assessment carried out by a Board-approved assessment or accreditation institution. The applicant must bear all costs associated with their equivalency assessment.
After reviewing the application and the results of the independent assessment, the Board may require the applicant to complete additional steps, including completion of additional education, passage of a national written examination, and passage of a clinical competency examination approved by the Board.
An applicant must report to the Board in writing any illegal, unethical, or errant behavior or conduct of the dentist, including malpractice judgements or settlements or final judgment for or against the licensee, a final disposition by a licensing agency in another state, territory, or country; all proceedings, of formal or informal actions by a governmental agency; a law enforcement agency; or a court for an act or conduct that would constitute grounds for discipline.
If you have a conviction, or any other incident to report as required by application, send with the application supporting documentation and/or certified copies of all court documents related to the matter discussed in the petition. Documentation includes, as applicable, a copy of any assessment or evaluation and recommendations for treatment, criminal charges, reported offenses, police reports, judgments, dispositions of criminal complaint, dispositions of offenses, final dispositions, court orders, actions pending, and deferred judgments. Not doing so may delay the licensing process.
The NDBDE accepts the following regional clinical competency examinations:
