California Registered Dental Assistant CE

How many CE units do California registered dental assistants need?

California RDA CE totals 25 units of continuing education every 2 years for Registered Dental Assistants (RDA) and RDA in Extended Functions (RDAEF), and your license renews on the last day of your birth month ( Dental Board of California ). California's base unlicensed dental assistant tier has no renewing CE cycle, only one-time entry training. Start with the California registered dental assistant CE package .

Which CE topics are required for California registered dental assistants?

Every RDA and RDAEF needs 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 with live skills practice, all counted within the 25 ( Dental Board of California ). An RDA licensed on or after January 1, 2010 must also complete a one-time 16-hour Board-approved Pit and Fissure Sealant course (4 hours didactic, 4 hours laboratory, 8 hours clinical) before the second renewal, in addition to the 25 units ( Renewal Information ). An unlicensed dental assistant completes a one-time 8-hour infection control course before exposure to blood or saliva and a 2-hour Dental Practice Act course within one year of employment, which are entry requirements and not recurring CE ( Continuing Education ). If you hold DANB CDA certification, DANB separately requires 12 CDE credits every year ( DANB ).

Does California accept AGD PACE credit?

Yes for general CE. The Dental Board accepts courses from AGD PACE approved providers ( Dental Board of California ). 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 RDA CE?

Yes. The Dental Board audits RDAs and RDAEFs the same way it audits dentists. You self-certify CE at renewal and keep your certificates for 3 renewal periods ( Continuing Education ). 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 registered dental assistants need live CE?

Yes. No more than 50% of your units can come from correspondence or other non-live formats, so you need at least 12.5 of the 25 units live ( Dental Board of California ). On-demand online courses count as correspondence. 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 registered dental assistants need CE for their first renewal?

No CE units are due at the first renewal, and the 25-unit requirement starts with your second renewal. The one-time 16-hour sealant course is the exception: an RDA licensed on or after January 1, 2010 still completes it before that second renewal ( Renewal Information ).

Other California dental licenses: California dentist CE and California dental hygienist 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 Board of California, Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of a License or Permit, Dental Assistants

• Dental Board of California, Continuing Education

• Dental Board of California, Renewal Information, RDA/RDAEF/Orthodontic Assistant/Dental Sedation Assistant

• DANB, Recertification and Renewal Requirements