South Carolina Dental Hygiene License Requirements: Exams, Renewal, Scope

To get a dental hygiene license in South Carolina, you need to graduate from a dental hygiene program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, pass three exams, clear a fingerprint-based background check, and apply through the state Board of Dentistry with a $150 fee. The license then renews every two years for $80, with 14 hours of continuing education required each cycle. The South Carolina dental hygiene license requirements below walk through each piece in the order you’ll handle it.

Graduate From a CODA-Accredited Program

State law requires “satisfactory evidence of graduation from a school of dental hygiene accredited by the Commission.”¹ CODA-accredited programs are offered at community colleges and universities and cover oral anatomy, periodontology, radiography, patient care, and supervised clinical training. Most take two to three years and result in an associate or bachelor’s degree. If your program isn’t CODA-accredited, the board will not accept it.

Pass Three Examinations

Three separate exams stand between graduation and licensure.

National Board Dental Hygiene Examination

The NBDHE is a written exam administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, covering biomedical sciences, dental hygiene procedures, and patient management. Have your score sent directly to the South Carolina Board of Dentistry.

Regional Clinical Exam

You also need to pass a clinical exam from a regional testing agency the board recognizes, such as the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA) or the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS).² These hands-on exams evaluate scaling, periodontal assessment, and infection control on live patients. Confirm with the board that your specific exam is accepted before you sit for it.

South Carolina Jurisprudence Examination

Every applicant takes the state’s jurisprudence exam, which tests your knowledge of South Carolina’s Dental Practice Act and board regulations. It’s an online exam taken after your application is approved, and you need a 70 or higher to pass.³ Login credentials come by email once the board processes your application.

Clear a Criminal Background Check

You must submit fingerprints for review through the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the FBI. SLED handles the state check; the FBI covers federal and out-of-state records.⁴

A record doesn’t automatically disqualify you. The board weighs the nature of the offense, how much time has passed, and evidence of rehabilitation, and may ask for court documents, a personal statement, or reference letters. Felony convictions and crimes involving dishonesty or controlled substances are specifically listed as grounds for potential denial, and offenses involving fraud, substance abuse, or violence get the closest scrutiny.⁵

Submit Your Application

Applications go through the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) website. The application fee is $150.⁶ Include proof of graduation from a CODA-accredited program, official transcripts, and exam scores sent directly from each testing agency. The board must receive your application at least 45 days before the examination date.¹

If you’ve ever held a dental hygiene license in another state, you must provide verification from every jurisdiction, including any past disciplinary actions. Payment is by credit card or e-check.⁷

Already Licensed in Another State

If you hold an active license elsewhere, you may qualify for licensure by reciprocity or credentials without retaking a full clinical exam. The board can grant reciprocal licenses to practitioners from states that belong to regional testing services South Carolina also recognizes.² You’ll need verification of your current license in good standing, education credentials, and clinical exam results. If your original clinical exam isn’t recognized here, you’ll likely have to retake an approved regional exam. All reciprocity applicants still have to pass the South Carolina jurisprudence exam with a 70 or higher.³ Any prior discipline will trigger extra board review.

Renew Every Two Years

Your license renews biennially, with the deadline on December 31 of each renewal cycle. The renewal fee is $80.⁶ Miss December 31 and the fee doubles. After January 31, the board sends a registered letter warning that your license will expire on March 1 if you still haven’t renewed, and a $5 daily penalty accrues until payment.⁸

Continuing Education

You need 14 hours of continuing education every two years, including at least two hours on sterilization and infection control.⁹ Half of your total hours must come from live, in-person attendance or interactive webinars; the other half may be fully online. Approved providers include the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, accredited dental colleges, and other providers approved by the board. The two-hour opioid and controlled substances CE requirement applies to prescribing dentists, not to hygienists.

CPR Certification

You must maintain a current Healthcare Provider-level BLS/CPR certification that includes a practical skills component; a fully online course doesn’t count. Complete an approved course within three years of initial licensure or renewal, and recertify at least once every three years after that.

If Your License Lapses

If you miss the March 1 cutoff and your license expires, reinstatement requires either retaking the licensure exam or appearing before the board in person with a satisfactory explanation.⁸ The reinstatement application fee is $75, plus a $300 reinstatement fee for hygienists.⁶

If you neither reside nor practice in South Carolina for six consecutive years, your license is considered inactive. Relicensing after that period is at the board’s discretion and requires proof of professional fitness and moral character.⁸

What the License Lets You Do

State law defines dental hygiene as preventive clinical services that do not constitute the practice of dentistry: removing deposits and stains, root planing, charting oral conditions for a dentist to diagnose, and other procedures the board authorizes.¹⁰ You can also provide oral hygiene instruction, nutrition counseling, and oral screenings without prior authorization from a dentist.

You cannot perform diagnoses, treatment planning, surgical procedures on hard or soft tissues, restorative work, or prosthetic or orthodontic procedures.¹¹ Crossing those lines is one of the fastest paths to disciplinary action.

Supervision

Most procedures require either direct supervision (the dentist is physically present) or general supervision (the dentist is not on-site but has an established treatment relationship with the patient). Hygienists working under general supervision must carry professional liability insurance.¹⁰ In public health settings such as schools, hospitals, nursing homes, government health facilities, and charitable institutions, hygienists may apply fluoride, place sealants, and perform cleanings under general supervision; school practice requires written parental permission, and the facility must have medical emergency care on-site.

Local Anesthesia Certification

Hygienists may administer local infiltration anesthesia only after receiving board certification and only under the direct supervision of a dentist. Block anesthesia is not authorized. Certification requires a board-approved education course and an exam, and adds $10 to your biennial renewal.⁶

Grounds for Discipline

The Board of Dentistry investigates complaints from patients, employers, and other professionals. Statutory grounds for discipline include fraud in connection with licensure, felony convictions or crimes involving dishonesty, inability to practice safely due to illness or substance abuse, employing unlicensed individuals, false advertising, failing to maintain sanitary conditions, inadequate radiation safeguards, and failing to meet the standard of care.⁵ Penalties range from reprimands and fines to mandatory education, probation, suspension, and revocation. In substance-abuse cases, the board may require participation in the South Carolina Recovering Professional Program, a confidential monitoring program for healthcare professionals.¹²

1
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 40 Chapter 15 – Section 40-15-140
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South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 40 Chapter 15 – Section 40-15-270
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South Carolina Board of Dentistry. South Carolina Board of Dentistry Examinations
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South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Citizens Access to Criminal Histories
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South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 40-15-190 – Grounds for Disciplinary Action
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South Carolina Board of Dentistry. Board of Dentistry Fee Schedule
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South Carolina Board of Dentistry. South Carolina Board of Dentistry Applications and Forms
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South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 40-15-170 – Reregistration and Effect of Foreign Revocations
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Legal Information Institute. South Carolina Code 39-5 – Registration of Licenses or Certificates
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South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 40 Chapter 15 – Section 40-15-80
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South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 40 Chapter 15 – Section 40-15-82
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South Carolina Recovering Professional Program. South Carolina Recovering Professional Program