Washington Board of Dentistry

The Washington Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) is the state body that establishes credentialing standards, investigates complaints, and disciplines dental credential holders practicing in Washington. Unlike most states, Washington calls this body a "commission" rather than a "board," and it operates within the Washington State Department of Health's Health Systems Quality Assurance (HSQA) division, which processes applications and administers the licensing portal on the Commission's behalf.

Under chapter 18.32 RCW and chapter 246-817 WAC, the Commission's duties include:

• Establishing qualifications for minimal competency and granting or denying credentials to dentists, expanded function dental auxiliaries (EFDAs), dental assistants, and dental anesthesia assistants
• Monitoring and enforcing continuing education requirements
• Assessing, investigating, and acting on complaints against dentists and related credential holders, ranging from a notice of correction to license revocation
• Serving on disciplinary hearing panels and standing committees
• Developing rules, policies, and procedures for the delivery of quality dental care in Washington

Commission composition

The Dental Commission is made up of 21 members: 12 dentists, four dental therapists, two expanded function dental auxiliaries (EFDAs), and three public members. All members must be U.S. citizens and Washington residents. Dentist members must have been in the active practice of dentistry for five years before appointment, and at least four of the 12 dentist seats must be held by commissioners residing east of the summit of the Cascade Mountains. Public members may not sit on any other healthcare licensing board or have a financial interest in regulated health services. Commission business meetings are held roughly every six to seven weeks, and the average commissioner time commitment is about 20 hours per month.

Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact (DDH)

On May 4, 2023, Governor Inslee signed ESHB 1576, making Washington one of the earliest states to enact the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact (DDH), an interstate agreement intended to let dentists and dental hygienists obtain authorization to practice in other participating states. The compact's activation threshold — enactment by seven states — was met in April 2024, and as of May 2026 thirteen states have enacted DDH legislation. The Compact Commission has since held its organizational meetings and is developing the shared data system required before member states can begin issuing compact privileges; as of this writing, dentists and dental hygienists cannot yet apply for or use a compact privilege to practice in Washington under the DDH Compact.

The Washington Dental Quality Assurance Commission and DOH-HSQA issue the following credential types tied to dental practice in Washington:

• Dentist — full-practice license for graduates of a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)-accredited dental school who meet Washington's examination, application, and jurisprudence requirements.
• Sedation / anesthesia permit — a separate permit required to administer moderate sedation with enteral or parenteral agents, or general anesthesia/deep sedation, governed by WAC 246-817-755, -760, and -770.
• Dental Resident — Limited — limited license for postdoctoral students or residents in an approved dental residency program; permits practice only within the scope of the postdoctoral program.
• Dental Faculty — Limited — limited license for dentists licensed in another state or country who are employed by a Washington dental school; permits practice only in connection with school duties.

Washington separately licenses related credential types through the same DOH-HSQA system, each with its own scope and requirements: dental hygienists, dental assistants, denturists, expanded function dental auxiliaries (EFDAs), dental anesthesia assistants, and dental therapists.

Renewal

Dentist licenses must be renewed every year. Credentials expire on the credential holder's birthday and may be renewed within 90 days of the expiration date. Any renewal postmarked or presented to the department after midnight on the expiration date is late. At renewal, dentists attest to completing 63 hours of continuing education every three years as a condition of renewal.

Washington dental license applications are submitted online through the DOH credentialing portal, or by paper application. The online application is the preferred method and lets applicants track their pending credential number via the Provider Credential Search tool.

Education and examination requirements

• Education — graduation from a CODA-accredited dental school with a DDS or DMD degree. An official transcript with degree posted, or a verified list of graduating students submitted directly from the dean, is required. Graduates of non-accredited schools must meet additional requirements under WAC 246-817-160.
• Written examination — applicants must pass the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) or the National Board Dental Examination Parts I and II (NBDE).
• Clinical examination — a complete practical/clinical examination from an approved testing organization (WREB, CDCA, SRTA, or the NDEB of Canada for approved-school graduates), with results from within the preceding five years of the application date. The Commission has determined the California State Dental Board portfolio examination is not acceptable for Washington licensure.
• Jurisprudence examination — a free, open-book, multiple-choice exam covering Washington dental laws, rules, interpretive statements, and guidelines, with links to the underlying authority for each question. A score of 100 percent is required to pass. It is taken online through the Washington HELMS survey platform and is required again as continuing education once every three years after initial licensure.

Other required items

• DEA verification (submitted by the DEA directly)
• Out-of-state license verification, if holding credentials in other states
• 2 × 2 photo, signed and dated
• Background check (fingerprint-based for some applicants)
• Application fees paid at time of submission

How applications are approved or denied

A credentialing specialist verifies the application is complete and complies with chapter 18.32 RCW and chapter 246-817 WAC, completes a background check, and confirms fees were paid. Credentialing supervisors and lead workers may approve routine applications; the Commission's disciplining authority conducts further review if a supervisor cannot verify an applicant meets all requirements. Applicants are formally notified of any denial and may request a hearing to appeal the decision.

Endorsement (out-of-state licensees)

Dentists licensed in other U.S. states or territories must meet the requirements of RCW 18.32.215 and WAC 246-817-135, including holding a valid out-of-state license, graduating from a CODA-accredited school, and demonstrating active practice (at least 20 hours per week for four consecutive preceding years, or an equivalent qualifying activity). Graduates of non-CODA-accredited schools must separately meet the requirements of RCW 18.32.215(1)(b).

Washington dentists must complete and attest to 63 hours of continuing education every three years as a condition of license renewal, per WAC 246-817-440. Physical documentation is not submitted with renewal unless the licensee is selected for an audit, and CE hours cannot be carried over into the next reporting period (WAC 246-12-230). A credit hour is a minimum of 50 minutes of instruction.

CE requirements by credential and topic

The suicide-prevention and opioid-prescribing hours count toward, not in addition to, the total 63-hour requirement. Sedation- and anesthesia-permit hours also count toward the 63-hour total rather than adding to it.

Other CE rules

• Online/self-study coursework counts at half credit — 30 minutes of CE for every 60 minutes of course content — with no stated overall cap on self-study hours.
• Live and recorded interactive webinars receive full credit under WAC 246-817-440(5)(a)-(b).
• Up to 21 hours every three years may be earned through volunteer dental services to targeted populations (for example, Special Olympics or Smilemobile/ABCD programs); routine pro bono work does not qualify.
• The jurisprudence examination is a separate requirement and does not count as self-study or online CE.
• Requests for a CE waiver or extension due to illness or other extenuating circumstances must be made in writing to the Commission's program manager, ideally several weeks before the renewal date.

The practice of dentistry in Washington is defined in RCW 18.32.020, and the full scope of practice for dentists and related credential holders is set out in chapter 18.32 RCW and chapter 246-817 WAC. A licensed dentist has legal authority to practice in all areas of dentistry, and may also choose to confine practice to areas within their education, training, and experience, including representing themselves as a specialist if they meet the standards in WAC 246-817-420.

Anesthesia and sedation

A separate permit is required to administer any of the following in a dental setting:

• Moderate sedation with enteral agents (WAC 246-817-755)
• Moderate sedation with parenteral agents (WAC 246-817-760)
• General anesthesia and deep sedation (WAC 246-817-770)

Dental therapists

Washington licenses dental therapists as a credential type distinct from dentists. Dental therapists practice under a Collaborative Practice Agreement. See the DOH dental therapist credential page for current scope and supervision requirements.

Opioid prescribing

Dentists with DEA prescribing authority must comply with Washington's opioid prescribing rules (WAC 246-817-901 through -907), including notifying patients of their right to refuse an opioid prescription and documenting any refusal (WAC 246-817-907). A rule amendment effective March 6, 2025 expanded the list of patients and facility types exempt from these opioid prescribing rules (WAC 246-817-905). Prescribers should also be enrolled in Washington's Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP).

Complaints about Washington dental licensees are filed with the Department of Health's Health Systems Quality Assurance (HSQA) division, which investigates on behalf of the Dental Quality Assurance Commission and the 14 other boards and commissions the Secretary of Health works with to discipline healthcare providers.

How to file a complaint

• Online — submit through the Washington HELMS complaint intake system at wahelms.my.site.com/s
• Email — send directly (not via file-sharing links) to hsqacomplaintintake@doh.wa.gov, as a PDF, Word document, or typed email message
• By mail — Washington State Department of Health, Health Systems Quality Assurance, P.O. Box 47857, Olympia, WA 98504-7857
• Complaint forms in other languages — call 360-236-2620 to request a form in a language not already posted online. Deaf or hard of hearing callers may use 711 (Washington Relay).

What to include

• The full name and business address of the provider
• The dates your client-patient relationship began and ended
• The date(s) of the incident(s), with as much detail as you can recall
• A description of your complaint, including any witnesses and their contact information if possible
• Your own contact information, if you want follow-up

What happens after you file

HSQA reviews each complaint to decide whether the conduct described may violate the law and whether the department has legal authority to act. If not, the file is closed "below threshold." If the allegation may be a violation within the department's authority, HSQA investigates, working with staff attorneys and the Office of the Attorney General. Cases with supporting evidence are presented to a panel of Commission and department members for a decision on formal action. Disciplinary actions — which can include fines, retraining, practice limitations, or suspension — are governed by the Uniform Disciplinary Act (RCW 18.130.160), and disciplinary files are public records except for information such as patient names and medical records.

Washington dental license status and disciplinary records are accessible through the Provider Credential Search tool, now hosted on the state's HELMS (Healthcare Enforcement and Licensing Management System) platform at wahelms.my.site.com/s/license-search.

How to search

• Search by credential number, individual name, or business name (plus optional filters for credential status/type, business address, city, or zip code). A CAPTCHA is required to prevent automated data mining.
• Results show current credential status and any formal disciplinary actions on record. An "Enforcement Action: No" result means no disciplinary action is on file.
• The site is a primary source for license verification and provides true and correct copies of legal disciplinary documents filed since July 1998. For actions before July 1998, contact the DOH Public Records Office.
• High-volume or bulk credential data is available through Washington's Open Data Portal rather than by scraping the search tool directly.

The Department of Health notes that the absence of information in the system does not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a provider, and the presence of information does not by itself mean a provider is unqualified — site visitors are encouraged to evaluate any information carefully. For questions about a specific credential or disciplinary history, contact DOH-HSQA customer service at 360-236-4700.