How to Get a California Dentist License: Exams, Pathways, and Fees

To get a California dentist license, you need a DDS or DMD from an accredited dental school, passing scores on a national written board exam and a clinical competency exam (or an approved residency in its place), a passing score on the California Dentistry Law and Ethics exam, a cleared fingerprint-based background check, and an approved application to the Dental Board of California. Minimum out-of-pocket cost from application through initial license runs about $1,175, and the Board typically takes six to eight weeks to issue the license once your file is complete.

Education You Need

You must hold a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from a dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) or otherwise approved by the Dental Board of California.¹ You also have to be at least 18.²

Graduates of foreign dental schools that were not CODA-accredited at the time of graduation generally cannot apply directly. In most cases, you must first complete at least two additional academic years at a Board-approved U.S. dental school and earn a DDS or DMD before you are eligible.²

Exams You Have to Pass

California requires three separate exams. All three apply no matter which licensure pathway you choose.

National Board Dental Examination

You must pass the National Board Dental Examination given by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. Current graduates generally take the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE), which replaced the earlier two-part NBDE. The Board accepts either.³

Clinical Competency

The standard way to prove clinical skill is the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) examination, with all required sections completed within the five years before you apply. ADEX covers five areas:³

Diagnostic Skills (DSE/OSCE), which is computer-based and also satisfies the periodontal portion
Prosthodontics (manikin)
Endodontics (manikin)
Restorative (live patient or manikin)
Periodontal Scaling (live patient or manikin, now covered through the DSE/OSCE)

You can skip ADEX by completing a qualifying residency instead. More on that in the pathways section below.

California Law and Ethics Examination

Every applicant has to pass the California Dentistry Law and Ethics exam, which covers the Business and Professions Code and the related regulations that govern practice in the state. PSI Services administers it under contract to the Board. The exam application fee is $125, paid separately from your license application.⁴³

Choose Your Licensure Pathway

California offers three routes. Education, the national board exam, and the law and ethics exam are the same across all of them. What changes is how you demonstrate clinical competency, and the application fee.

Licensure by ADEX Examination

The most common route for recent graduates. You pass the ADEX clinical exam, submit proof of your results, and pay a non-refundable $400 application fee.³ Every ADEX section must have been completed within five years of your application date.

Licensure by Residency

In place of ADEX, you can qualify by completing at least 12 months of a CODA-accredited general practice residency (GPR) or advanced education in general dentistry (AEGD) program.¹ The application fee is also $400.⁵

Licensure by Credential

If you already hold an active, unrestricted dental license in another U.S. state or territory, you may qualify for licensure by credential. The application fee is higher at $525, and eligibility is stricter:⁶

At least five years of active clinical practice, full-time nonclinical practice in a public health program that requires an active dental license, or full-time faculty work in an accredited dental education program with at least 5,000 clinical hours in the preceding five years
No current or pending disciplinary action on your out-of-state license
No failure of any state, regional, or national dental licensing exam in the five years before applying
50 units of patient-centered continuing education completed within two years of the application date

Residency can count toward the practice history requirement, up to 2,000 clinical hours (1,000 per year of residency). If you don’t yet have five years of qualifying practice, you can still apply if you have a signed two-year full-time contract to practice or teach dentistry in California.⁶

Submit the Application

Once you’ve met the requirements for your pathway, you file your application online through the BreEZe licensing portal or by mailing a paper form to the Board. Paper applications need to include a check or money order payable to the Dental Board of California.¹

Fingerprints and Background Check

The Board will not issue a license until it has clearance from both the California Department of Justice and the FBI, based on two classifiable sets of fingerprints.⁷ How you submit prints depends on where you are:

In California: after the Board reviews your application, you receive a Live Scan form to take to any Live Scan service location. You pay the Live Scan vendor’s fee directly and owe no separate fingerprint fee to the Board.
Outside California: submit two ink-on-card fingerprint sets on forms the Board provides, plus a $49 non-refundable processing fee.⁷

Fees

Application fees are non-refundable: $400 for the ADEX or residency route, $525 for licensure by credential. The law and ethics exam adds $125. When your application is approved, you pay a $650 initial license fee, prorated against your birthday and the biennial renewal cycle.⁵

For most applicants on the ADEX or residency pathway, the baseline cost from application through issuance comes to about $1,175, before Live Scan, out-of-state fingerprint processing, or testing vendor fees.

Timeline and Common Delays

After the Board has everything it needs, expect roughly six to eight weeks to license issuance. The usual delay is a deficient application: missing transcripts, missing exam score reports, or fingerprints that haven’t come back. The Board flags the file and contacts you for the missing items, which can add weeks. Double-check every attachment before you submit.

What a Dental License Does Not Cover

Your California dental license lets you practice general dentistry. It does not, on its own, authorize two things you may need:

Sedation and anesthesia. Administering moderate sedation or general anesthesia requires a separate permit from the Board, with its own application, clinical case documentation, continuing education, and on-site facility inspection. If you plan to sedate patients, budget for a separate credentialing process after you’re licensed.⁸⁹

Prescribing controlled substances. Writing prescriptions for opioid pain medications or scheduled sedatives requires a separate registration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, held for each physical location where you prescribe or dispense. DEA registration requires that your state license be active first, is applied for through the DEA’s online portal, and renews every three years.¹⁰

1
Dental Board of California. How to Become a Licensed Dentist
2
California Legislative Information. California Business and Professions Code 1628
3
Dental Board of California. Application for Licensure Based on Passing the ADEX Examination
4
Dental Board of California. Application to Obtain Eligibility to Take the Law and Ethics Examination
5
Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 16 Section 1021 – Examination, Permit and License Fees
6
Dental Board of California. Application for Licensure by Credential
7
Dental Board of California. Fingerprinting Information
8
Dental Board of California. Moderate Sedation Permits – Licensed Dentists
9
Dental Board of California. General Anesthesia Permit (Dentist)
10
DEA Diversion Control Division. Registration Q&A