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Healthcare license portability
Dental Hygienist license reciprocity by state
Dental Hygienist licenses are broadly portable across the US — 43 of 51 states accept transfers with either direct recognition or licensure by endorsement. Tier classifications below come from each state's licensing board; click into any row for the source language and current fees.
assignment_turned_in
43 via endorsement
edit_note
2 require exam
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1 not recognized
Reciprocity tier legend
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Recognized
Existing license or national cert accepted directly.
assignment_turned_in
Endorsement
Apply for a new license — paperwork, fees, no re-exam.
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Exam required
Must retake the state exam or complete state-specific training.
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Not recognized
No reciprocity pathway. Satisfy state requirements from scratch.
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No license required
State does not license this profession.
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Unclear
State policy ambiguous or silent. Contact licensing board.
All 50 states + DC
Each row links to the full dental hygienist profile for that state — exam costs, application fees, licensing board contact, and the source language behind the tier classification.
| State | Reciprocity tier | Summary | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Alabama offers licensure by credentials for hygienists with active practice and equivalent licensure standards. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Alaska | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Alaska offers licensure by credentials for those licensed in another state, with specific requirements. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Arizona | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Arizona offers licensure by credential or universal recognition; the compact is not yet active. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Arkansas | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Arkansas offers licensure by credentials for hygienists with five years of practice and specific requirements. | Full page arrow_outward |
| California | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | California offers licensure by credential for hygienists licensed in another state for five or more years. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Colorado | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Colorado offers licensure by endorsement; the dental compact is not yet active for practice. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Connecticut | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Connecticut offers licensure by endorsement for applicants with equivalent or higher licensing standards. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Delaware | help_outline Unclear | Reciprocity is unclear, but requires active practice in another state for 3 of 5 years. | Full page arrow_outward |
| District of Columbia | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | DC offers licensure by endorsement, requiring prior completion of national and regional exams. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Florida | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Florida offers a "MOBILE Endorsement pathway" for out-of-state licensees meeting specific criteria. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Georgia | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Georgia offers provisional licensure by credentials for hygienists with active practice in another state. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Hawaii | block Not recognized | Hawaii does not offer reciprocity; all applicants must meet Hawaii's specific licensure requirements. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Idaho | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Idaho offers licensure by credentials for hygienists meeting practice hours and prior exam requirements. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Illinois | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Illinois offers licensure by endorsement for hygienists with practice history and equivalent prior licensure. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Indiana | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Indiana offers licensure by reciprocity for those with equivalent licenses, practice, and jurisprudence exam. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Iowa | help_outline Unclear | Iowa adopted the dental compact, but it is not yet active for practice. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Kansas | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Kansas offers licensure by credential for hygienists licensed and practicing for over three years. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Kentucky | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Kentucky offers licensure by credentials for experienced hygienists; the compact is not yet active. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Louisiana | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Louisiana offers an expedited compact pathway or licensure by credentials for out-of-state hygienists. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Maine | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Maine accepts out-of-state dental hygienist licenses through endorsement; a compact is also in progress. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Maryland | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Maryland offers licensure by endorsement for out-of-state hygienists, despite no formal reciprocity agreements. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Massachusetts | help_outline Unclear | Massachusetts offers reciprocal licensure for foreign-trained dentists and allows dental students to practice as hygienists. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Michigan | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Michigan offers licensure by endorsement for out-of-state hygienists, with varying requirements based on experience. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Minnesota | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Minnesota offers licensure by credentials for experienced hygienists, requiring a jurisprudence exam. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Mississippi | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Mississippi offers licensure by credentials for experienced hygienists from reciprocating states, requiring a jurisprudence exam. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Missouri | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Missouri offers licensure by reciprocity for experienced hygienists, potentially requiring a jurisprudence exam. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Montana | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Montana accepts licensure by credentials, requiring a jurisprudence exam and verification of prior exams. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Nebraska | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Nebraska offers licensure by endorsement for experienced hygienists; a compact pathway will be available later. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Nevada | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Nevada offers licensure by endorsement for hygienists with an active license and passing National Board scores. | Full page arrow_outward |
| New Hampshire | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | New Hampshire offers licensure by endorsement for experienced hygienists, with recent legislation streamlining the process. | Full page arrow_outward |
| New Jersey | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | New Jersey evaluates reciprocity on a case-by-case basis for hygienists with comparable clinical exams. | Full page arrow_outward |
| New Mexico | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | New Mexico offers licensure by credentials for experienced hygienists, requiring a jurisprudence exam and background check. | Full page arrow_outward |
| New York | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | New York offers licensure by endorsement for experienced hygienists; a compact pathway is also developing. | Full page arrow_outward |
| North Carolina | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | North Carolina does not have reciprocity, but offers licensure by credentials for experienced hygienists. | Full page arrow_outward |
| North Dakota | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | North Dakota offers licensure by credential for experienced hygienists from states with equivalent requirements. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Ohio | edit_note Exam required | Ohio requires an examination for some out-of-state hygienists, though an endorsement pathway exists for experienced practitioners. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Oklahoma | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Oklahoma licenses experienced hygienists without examination, requiring a jurisprudence exam and proof of prior exams. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Oregon | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Oregon grants licenses without further examination for experienced hygienists meeting specific practice and education requirements. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Pennsylvania | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Pennsylvania offers licensure by credentials for hygienists from states with equivalent and reciprocating requirements. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Rhode Island | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Rhode Island licenses experienced hygienists from states that required a clinical exam outside training. | Full page arrow_outward |
| South Carolina | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | South Carolina offers licensure by credential for experienced hygienists and those from regional testing services. | Full page arrow_outward |
| South Dakota | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | South Dakota offers licensure by credential for experienced hygienists, accepting various clinical competency exams. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Tennessee | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Tennessee offers licensure by criteria approval (reciprocity) for hygienists actively practicing for three or more years. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Texas | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Texas offers licensure by credentials for hygienists meeting specific practice or educator experience requirements. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Utah | help_outline Unclear | Utah participates in a dental compact, but privileges are not yet issued, making current reciprocity unclear. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Vermont | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Vermont offers endorsement for hygienists from jurisdictions with equivalent standards or experienced licensees. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Virginia | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Virginia offers licensure by credentials for experienced hygienists who passed a comparable clinical competency exam. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Washington | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Washington offers licensure by endorsement for hygienists from equivalent states, requiring a state law exam. | Full page arrow_outward |
| West Virginia | edit_note Exam required | West Virginia does not have direct reciprocity; applicants must pass a regional/state clinical exam and a state law exam. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Wisconsin | help_outline Unclear | Wisconsin is part of a dental compact, but the current status of license portability is not specified. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Wyoming | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Wyoming offers licensure by endorsement for hygienists from equivalent jurisdictions, requiring verification of prior exams. | Full page arrow_outward |
Other profession reciprocity guides
Each profession has its own state-by-state reciprocity matrix.
Certified Nursing Assistant
Dental Assistant
EMT
Licensed Practical Nurse
Medical Assistant
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Phlebotomist
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Respiratory Therapist
Surgical Technologist
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Notary Public
Paralegal
Personal Trainer
CDL Truck Driver
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Plumber
Welder
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Barber
Cosmetologist
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