License Verifications for Dentists and Hygienists

A license verification is one board telling another what your license record shows: the license number, when it was issued, its status, when it expires, and whether there has ever been discipline. New boards want to hear it from the board that issued the license, not from you. When you are licensed in several states, or held an assistant or hygiene credential before dental school, the list gets long.

Which licenses need to be verified?

Usually all of them, current and expired. Connecticut asks for "Verification of all licenses held by the applicant (current or expired) from each state or territory in which the applicant is or has ever been licensed." Virginia wants certification of good standing from "each jurisdiction in which a license is currently held or has been held." Florida asks for "Verification of all licenses you hold or previously held."

Texas goes furthest: for "each license you have ever held," including a dental assistant registration, nursing license or pharmacy technician registration from any state, you must obtain a verification. That catches many hygienists who became dentists and many dentists who worked as assistants first.

What must a verification show, and how must it arrive?

Boards differ on delivery, and the details matter:

• Texas: "The verification must include the license number, the date issued, the current status, its expiration date, and whether any disciplinary action, sanction, or restriction was issued. A copy of the license alone is not acceptable. Verification must be received in its own sealed unopened envelope from the issuing entity."
• California: the Out of State/Country Licensure Certification form, which the Dental Board "will accept an electronic copy only if emailed directly from the licensing agency."
• Connecticut: documents "shall be forwarded directly to this office directly from the source."
• Florida (MOBILE pathway): request that each state board send a license verification, but "If the state has an online verification including disciplinary actions, we will accept the online verification."

So the same old license may need a sealed paper letter for Texas, an emailed form for California and nothing more than an online lookup for Florida's MOBILE route.

How do you request one?

Through the board that issued the license. Most boards charge for it; Connecticut notes that "Most states charge a fee for this service." Many handle requests online. Texas, for example, lets licensees request a verification of licensure, a "letter of good standing from TSBDE to be sent to another state or organization," through their online account, for a fee.

Practical tips:

1. Request every verification in the first week, for every state, at the same time.
2. Use the receiving board's own form when it has one, and send it to the issuing board with the request.
3. Ask how it will be sent: mail, email or an online system. Match it to what the receiving board accepts.
4. Keep a log of request dates, fees and confirmation numbers. New York's advice applies everywhere: "It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material."

Do hygienists and assistants face the same rules?

Yes. Verification requirements apply to hygiene licenses and to assistant registrations where a state issues them. A hygienist moving states should verify every hygiene license held, and anyone who held an assistant registration before becoming a hygienist or dentist should expect Texas-style questions about it. See hygienist license by credentials and EFDA and dental assistant registrations.

Will the dental compact remove the need for verifications?

Someday it may reduce them. The compact's model law envisions a shared data system through which member states see licensure and privilege information. But that system is not built and no privileges are being issued. For now, every new state license means a fresh round of verifications. See why the dental compact is not issuing privileges yet.

Can we manage verifications for you?

Yes, as part of every license file. Under our Dentist License by Credentials ($799 per state) and Dental Hygienist License ($449 per state) services, we build your full license history, prepare each issuing board's request on the right form, tell you which ones need your signature or payment, and track delivery until the receiving board confirms receipt. You complete, sign and submit the application itself. Verification fees charged by other boards are separate. More on timing in why dental license applications take as long as they do.