Getting a Florida Dental License

A dentist moving to Florida may expect an out-of-state license to "transfer." It will not. The Florida Board of Dentistry puts it plainly on its dentist licensing page: "The State of Florida does not have reciprocity with any state and does not issue licenses by endorsement or credentials."

That does not mean an experienced dentist has to start over. Florida's statute has a provision for older ADEX scores, and the Board lists two narrower paths. But you need to know which one you fit before you spend money on an application.

What does a full Florida dental license require?

The Board lists three examinations for a standard license:

• The National Board Dental Examination (Parts I and II), with scores sent to the Board by the ADA.
• The ADEX dental licensing examination. Section 466.006, Florida Statutes, says the practical or clinical exam "must be the American Dental Licensing Examination produced by the American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc."
• The Florida Laws and Rules Examination, a written exam on the laws and rules regulating dentistry in Florida.

The total fee listed on the Board's page is $405: a $100 application fee and a $305 licensure fee. Florida also passed House Bill 975 in 2024, which requires dental applicants to complete electronic fingerprinting. Our post on fingerprints and background checks for dental licenses explains how state fingerprinting systems differ.

Because Florida requires ADEX by name, a dentist whose original license rests on a different exam, or on a residency instead of an exam, needs to look closely at what that means for them. See states without a dental credentials route for how Florida compares with Delaware, and why Nevada, which licenses by endorsement under NRS 622.530, is not on that list.

Can ADEX scores from years ago still count?

Sometimes. Section 466.006 lets the Board accept passing ADEX scores from an exam taken in another jurisdiction even when they are more than 365 days old, if every one of these conditions is met:

• You completed the American Dental Licensing Examination after October 1, 2011.
• You graduated from a CODA-accredited dental school, or completed the approved supplemental program the statute describes.
• You currently hold "a valid and active dental license in good standing, with no restriction, which has never been revoked, suspended, restricted, or otherwise disciplined."
• You disclose whether you have been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank or the American Association of Dental Boards Clearinghouse.
• You prove you were "consecutively engaged in the full-time practice of dentistry in another state" for the five years immediately before applying. Full-time practice means at least 1,200 hours a year, and the statute says it is documented by your annual federal income tax return for each of those years.

You still pass the Florida Laws and Rules Examination. The tax return requirement surprises people: associates, owners and dentists who switched employers mid-year all need their returns to tell a consistent five-year story.

Is MOBILE endorsement a way in?

The Board's site has a separate tab for "License by MOBILE Endorsement" under section 456.0145, Florida Statutes, a general health-professions law. The Board lists these requirements for dentists and hygienists:

• An active, unencumbered license from another state, the District of Columbia or a US territory in a profession with a similar scope of practice.
• Passing a national licensure exam or holding national certification.
• Having "actively practiced the profession for at least two years during the four-year period immediately preceding the date of submission."
• No report to the National Practitioner Data Bank, unless successfully appealed.
• No disciplinary proceeding pending or taken in the preceding five years.

The MOBILE fee listed for a dentist is $305. The same Board page also says Florida does not issue licenses by endorsement or credentials, so how the Board applies MOBILE to a particular dentist, especially one without ADEX scores, is a question to put to the Board in writing before you choose this path.

What is a health access dental license?

Section 466.0067 creates a health access dental license, which allows practice only "in health access settings as defined in s. 466.003." To qualify, you must:

• hold a valid, active dental license from another state that "has not been revoked, suspended, restricted, or otherwise disciplined,"
• show five years of active clinical practice providing direct patient care immediately before applying,
• have passed Parts I and II of the National Boards and a state or regional clinical licensing exam, and
• pass the Florida laws and rules exam.

It is a real option for dentists who plan to work in those settings, but it is not a general practice license. The Board's site also lists limited licenses for compensated or volunteer work, teaching permits and residency permits. See temporary and volunteer dental licenses.

Which limited licenses and permits does Florida offer?

The Board's dentist pages list several narrower credentials beside the full license:

• Limited license (compensated or volunteer). You submit the application with your dental school transcript or diploma, certification of licensure from other states including any discipline, a current BLS-level CPR card and a letter of intent to employ from the employing agency. The listed fee is $305, or a fee waiver if you are volunteering.
• Dental temporary certificate. The state or county government facility employing the dentist submits the application, with the name and license number of the Florida dentist providing general supervision, a CODA dental school diploma or transcript, and a current CPR card. No fee is listed.
• Residency or intern permit and teaching permit. Both are listed with no fee.

For hygienists, the MOBILE endorsement fee listed is $80. See hygienist license by credentials and faculty and restricted dental licenses.

Does Florida belong to the dental compact?

No. Florida has not enacted the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, and the compact is not issuing privileges in any state. The dental compact hub has the current list of member states.

Which Florida path fits you?

1. You passed ADEX after October 1, 2011 and have five full-time years documented by tax returns, with a never-disciplined license. The older-score provision in section 466.006 is likely your route. You still sit for Laws and Rules.
2. You passed a different clinical exam, or none. Plan on ADEX, or ask the Board in writing whether MOBILE applies to you.
3. You will work only in health access settings. Compare the health access license with a full license.
4. You are a recent graduate. The standard route: National Boards, ADEX and Laws and Rules. See your first dental license as a new graduate.

Sedation permits are separate from the license in Florida, as everywhere. If you hold one elsewhere, read moving your sedation permit to a new state.

How do we help with Florida?

Because Florida does not license by credentials, a Florida file is our Full State Dental License Application service at $899. We confirm which Florida path fits, assemble five years of practice proof against the 1,200-hour test, line up your ADEX and National Board score reports and license certifications, and give you a question-by-question guide to the application. You complete the application, verify it, pay the Department of Health and submit it from your own account, and you take the Laws and Rules exam and any ADEX sections yourself. Jurisprudence Exam Logistics is $249. Board, exam and fingerprint fees are separate. The $149 Dental Licensure Readiness Review is the right first step if you are unsure which path applies. See the Florida requirements page.