California Dental Hygienist CE

How many CE units do California dental hygienists need?

California dental hygienist CE totals 25 units of continuing education every 2 years for Registered Dental Hygienists (RDH) and RDH in Extended Functions (RDHEF), and 35 units for an RDH in Alternative Practice (RDHAP) ( Dental Hygiene Board of California ). Your license renews on the last day of your birth month. If you hold both an RDH and an RDHAP license, completing the higher 35-unit total renews both. Start with the California dental hygienist CE package .

Which CE topics are required for California dental hygienists?

Every renewal you need 2 units of California infection control , 2 units of the California Dental Practice Act , which now includes professional ethics, and up to 4 units of Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, all counted within the 25 ( CE Course Requirements ). BLS needs a live in-person skills session and written exam, so online-only BLS courses are not accepted. A hygienist who performs local anesthesia, nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia or periodontal soft-tissue curettage completes a one-time 44-hour Board-approved course covering all three: 30 hours of local anesthesia, 8 hours of nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia and 6 hours of soft-tissue curettage ( Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, section 1107 ).

Does California accept AGD PACE credit?

Yes for general CE. The Dental Hygiene Board accepts courses from AGD PACE approved providers ( CE Course Requirements ). The required infection control and Dental Practice Act courses must come from a provider registered with the Dental Board, and AchieveCE is a registered provider (RP 5822). AchieveCE is an AGD PACE approved provider (ID# 386503).

Does California audit dental hygienist CE?

Yes. The Board randomly audits at least 5% of licensees each year. You self-attest to CE at renewal and upload proof only if you are selected for audit or reactivating an inactive license, and you keep your certificates for 3 renewal cycles (6 years) ( CE Audits ). AchieveCE reports your completions to AGD PACE within 24 business hours, and your certificate is available the moment you finish a course. Our support team is on live chat, email, and phone, 7 days a week.

Do California dental hygienists need live CE?

Yes. No more than 50% of your units can come from correspondence or other non-live formats, so an RDH or RDHEF needs at least 12.5 of the 25 units live, and an RDHAP at least 17.5 of 35 ( CE Units Required ). On-demand online courses count as correspondence, and you can earn a maximum of 8 units per day. Use our online package for the non-live portion, then add live CE through our live webinars and the Dentistry Advanced membership .

Do newly licensed California dental hygienists need CE for their first renewal?

No. Your first renewal after initial licensure is exempt from CE for all three license types, and the requirement starts with your second renewal ( Renewals and License Maintenance ).

Other California dental licenses: California dentist CE and California registered dental assistant CE . Try Free dental CE before you buy, and browse every state and license in our CE course finder .

Last verified: October 20, 2026

Sources

• Dental Hygiene Board of California, CE Units Required

• Dental Hygiene Board of California, CE Course Requirements

• Dental Hygiene Board of California, Renewals and License Maintenance

• Dental Hygiene Board of California, CE Audits

• Dental Hygiene Board of California, Laws and Regulations