Delaware Dental Hygienist CE

How many CE hours do Delaware dental hygienists need?

Delaware dental hygienist CE totals 24 hours every 2 years, and your license is due May 31 of every even-numbered year. Your next renewal is May 31, 2028 ( 24 Del. Admin. Code 1100-6.0 ; Delaware Division of Professional Regulation ). Two of the 24 hours must cover infection control and the other 22 are general dental hygiene CE. Practice management and personal self-improvement courses are limited to 5 hours per 2-year period. Start with the Delaware dental hygienist CE package . Looking for a different license? See Delaware dentist CE .

Which CE topics are required for Delaware dental hygienists?

Every renewal you need 2 hours of infection control and current, hands-on CPR certification. The CPR course must include hands-on clinical participation, and online-only CPR is not accepted ( 24 Del. Admin. Code 1100-6.0 ). A hygienist who holds the Delaware dental hygiene local anesthesia permit completes 2 hours of local anesthesia CE every renewal period, in addition to the 24 hours. That permit pathway comes from Senate Bill 131 and the Board's final order effective March 1, 2026 ( Board final order ; SB 131 ). Our Pharmacology of Local Anesthetics and Sedation for the Dental Office course is a related 4-hour course. Delaware hygienists have no independent prescriptive authority, so controlled substance CE and DEA MATE training do not apply.

Does Delaware accept AGD PACE credit?

Delaware accepts scientific CE sponsored or approved by the American Dental Hygienists Association, the American Dental Association, recognized national, regional, state and local dental and dental hygiene societies, accredited schools, approved hospital programs and other organizations the Board approves ( 24 Del. Admin. Code 1100-6.9 ). The rule does not name AGD PACE. AchieveCE is an AGD PACE approved provider (ID# 386503). Confirm with the Board that a specific course qualifies.

Does Delaware audit dental hygienist CE?

Yes. After each renewal the Division of Professional Regulation randomly selects a percentage of licensees for audit, and it can also audit after a complaint. A selected hygienist uploads a certificate of attendance for each CE course entered in the DELPROS CE tracker, plus a copy of their current CPR card. Documentation shows your name, course name, provider, dates and hours ( 24 Del. Admin. Code 1100-6.12 ; Delaware DPR ). Continuing education that is rejected must be replaced, and unjustified noncompliance can lead to discipline up to suspension or revocation. Your AchieveCE certificate is available the moment you finish a course, and AchieveCE reports your completions to AGD PACE within 24 business hours. Our support team is on live chat, email, and phone, 7 days a week.

Do Delaware dental hygienists need live CE?

Yes. Self-study is capped at 15 of the 24 hours: up to 5 hours without a test, such as reading journals or viewing audio-visual materials, and up to 10 hours with a test and certificate of completion. Live webinars count as live. Internet courses that are not live count as self-study with a test, so at least 9 hours must be live or otherwise not self-study ( 24 Del. Admin. Code 1100-6.9 ). AchieveCE online courses end in a post-test, so they fall in the 10-hour tested bucket. Unless you also complete 5 hours of untested self-study, plan on 14 live hours. Use our online package for the tested self-study hours, then add live CE through our live webinars and the Dentistry Advanced membership .

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

The requirement is prorated. As of May 31 of the renewal year, a hygienist licensed for less than 1 year owes no CE, a hygienist licensed for at least 1 but less than 2 years owes half of the requirement, and a hygienist licensed for 2 years or more owes the full 24 hours ( Delaware DPR ; 24 Del. Admin. Code 1100-6.9 ).

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

Last verified: October 25, 2026

Sources

• 24 Del. Admin. Code 1100, Board of Dentistry and Dental Hygiene Regulations, Section 6.0 Continuing Professional Education

• Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Continuing Education and Audit Information

• Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Dental License Renewal

• Board final order, Dental Hygiene Local Anesthesia Permit (29 DE Reg 793)

• Delaware General Assembly, Senate Bill 131 (2025)