Colorado Dental Licensing and the Compact

Colorado's practice requirement for a dentist moving in is short. Under the Colorado Dental Board's rules (3 CCR 709-1, Rule 1.6), a dentist licensed elsewhere can qualify for licensure by endorsement through the state's Occupational Credential Portability Program, and the simplest way to show current competency is a single year of active clinical practice.

Colorado has also enacted the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. Like every member state, it is not issuing compact privileges, because no state is yet.

Who qualifies for endorsement in Colorado?

Rule 1.6(C) applies to an applicant who holds "an active license to practice dentistry in good standing in another state or United States territory or through the federal government, or holds a military occupational specialty." The endorsement applicant must meet the same baseline as any new dentist:

• graduation from a CODA-accredited dental school, shown by an official transcript;
• passing the examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations; and
• passing "an examination or other methodology, as determined by the Board, designed to test the applicant's clinical skills and knowledge, which may include residency and/or portfolio models."

That last clause matters: Colorado's rule names residency and portfolio models as possible ways to meet the clinical requirement, which helps dentists whose first license did not rest on a traditional clinical exam. See the PGY-1 residency route to a dental license.

How do you show current competency?

An endorsement applicant must demonstrate "current clinical competency and professional ability" through at least one of these:

1. At least one year of active clinical practice under a current, valid license in another jurisdiction with a substantially similar scope of practice, counted from the first full month before the Board receives your application. Postgraduate training, residency, internship or research experience is evaluated case by case.
2. Teaching dentistry in an accredited dental school, personally providing patient care for at least 300 hours a year, for five of the seven years before applying.
3. For military dentists, a senior officer's report recommending you and verifying comparable clinical experience.
4. Passing a Board-approved clinical exam within one year before applying.
5. Completing a Board-approved evaluation within one year before applying, by a CODA-accredited institution or another approved entity. You must submit the proposed evaluation for pre-approval first.

The Board may also accept practice under a probationary or restricted license, approved courses or another measure of competency. It may deny a license if an applicant lacks substantially equivalent education, experience or credentials, or has committed an act that would be grounds for discipline. See years-of-practice rules for licensure by credentials.

What else does every Colorado dentist attest to?

• Malpractice coverage. You verify that you have or will obtain, before practicing, professional liability insurance of at least $500,000 per incident and $1,500,000 annual aggregate from a company authorized in Colorado, or that you fall under a financial responsibility exemption.
• Full disclosure. You list any acts that could be grounds for discipline, any final or pending discipline in any jurisdiction, and any pending or final malpractice actions, with a written explanation and remediation steps for each. You must also request a ten-year coverage history from your current and all previous malpractice carriers.
• Jurisprudence education. A dentist applicant "must attest to completion of at least one (1) hour of jurisprudence education prior to applying for initial licensure," covering the Colorado Dental Practice Act and related rules. That hour can count toward CE in the first renewal period. Colorado uses this attestation rather than a jurisprudence exam. See dental jurisprudence and law exams by state.
• Age. A dentist applicant must be at least 21.

How often does a Colorado license renew?

Colorado licenses renew every two years. Every active licensee completes 30 hours of Board-approved continuing education in the two years before renewal. At least 16 of those hours must be clinical or science-based, and at least half must be live and interactive. See dental CE requirements across states.

Are sedation permits separate in Colorado?

Yes. The Board issues a Minimal Sedation Permit, a Moderate Sedation Permit and a Deep Sedation/General Anesthesia Permit, each through its own application. The compact would not change this: CSG says sedation and anesthesia permits still have to be obtained in each state. See moving your sedation permit to a new state.

What does Colorado's compact membership mean today?

Colorado is one of 13 states that have enacted the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. The Council of State Governments says "compact privileges are not yet being issued," and there is no application, fee or start date. Endorsement is the route that works today. See which states have joined the dental compact.

Can we prepare a Colorado file for you?

Our Dentist License by Credentials service is $799 for Colorado. We choose the competency option that fits your history, document your year of practice from the right start month, request ten-year coverage histories from every carrier, draft your disclosure explanations for your review, point you to the jurisprudence hour, and give you a question-by-question guide. You make each attestation, sign, pay the Board and submit from your own account. Sedation permits are $699 each. Board fees are separate. See the Colorado requirements page or begin with the $149 Dental Licensure Readiness Review.