Illinois licenses a dentist from another state by endorsement under 68 IAC 1220.410 if the dentist has lawfully practiced three of the last five years and the other state's requirements are at least equal to Illinois's. The file needs license certifications, National Board scores and employment verification. The application fee is $750, and specialty licenses and sedation permits are separate.
Illinois licenses dentists through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Since October 30, 2024, new dental applications go through CORE, IDFPR's online licensing system. For a dentist licensed in another state, the main route is licensure by endorsement under 68 Illinois Administrative Code section 1220.410.
Illinois has two features that out-of-state dentists sometimes miss. It licenses dental specialties as a separate credential, and it issues its own sedation permit and dentist controlled substance license. Each is a separate application from the dental license.
Who can be licensed by endorsement in Illinois?
Section 1220.410 says a dentist, dental specialist or dental hygienist "who is so licensed in another state or territory and has been lawfully practicing for at least 3 of the last 5 years prior to application in Illinois, may be granted licensure in Illinois upon proof that the requirements for licensure in the other jurisdiction are at least equal to the requirements in Illinois."
Two parts of that sentence matter. The first is the three-of-five-years window, which is measured back from your application date. The second is the equivalence test: IDFPR compares your original state's requirements with its own. If you have not actively practiced in three of the last five years, the rule says you "may be required to complete additional testing, training, or remedial education." Our post on years-of-practice rules for licensure by credentials covers how these windows are counted.
What goes into the endorsement file?
The rule lists the contents of a dentist's endorsement application:
- Certification of licensure from the jurisdiction that first licensed you and from any jurisdiction where you practiced within the last five years. Each must state how long you were licensed there, including the original issue date, and whether its files contain any record of disciplinary action taken or pending.
- National Board scores, forwarded to IDFPR by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations.
- Education: certification of 60 semester hours of pre-dental college education and graduation from a dental school that meets IDFPR's standards. Graduates of dental schools outside the US and Canada have added clinical-training requirements.
- Verification of employment, which is how you prove the three of five years.
- The fee under section 1220.415.
IDFPR's March 2026 qualifications sheet for the dentist license adds that "individuals applying for a license by endorsement must be actively licensed to practice dentistry in another state or jurisdiction of the United States." For how to get other boards' certifications moving, see license verifications for dentists and hygienists.
How much does Illinois charge?
Section 1220.415 sets the application fees:
- Dentist licensed under the laws of another jurisdiction: $750
- Initial dentist license (by exam): $250
- Dental specialist: $300
- Dental hygienist licensed in another jurisdiction: $300
- Dental sedation permit: $300
- Restricted faculty license: $250
- Temporary training license: $150
- Temporary visiting dentist: $100
Renewal is $300 for a dentist license ($100 a year), $300 for a specialist license, $150 for a hygienist license and $300 for a sedation permit.
How does the Illinois specialty license work?
Illinois is one of the states where a specialty is its own license, not just an advertising rule. IDFPR's qualifications sheet for the dental specialist license (effective March 2026) requires a current Illinois dentist license first, then:
- two years of specialty training for endodontics, pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial radiology, or orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics;
- four years of specialty training for oral and maxillofacial surgery, including 24 months of full-time hospital training with at least four months in anesthesiology;
- three years in a CODA-accredited dental anesthesiology program; and
- for periodontics, three consecutive academic years with at least 30 months of instruction.
Because the specialist license depends on the dental license, a specialist moving to Illinois files two applications in sequence. See specialty licenses and permits for dentists.
Which other Illinois credentials might you need?
IDFPR lists these dental credentials alongside the dentist license: licensed dental hygienist, registered specialty in dentistry, temporary restricted faculty license, temporary dental teacher license, dental sedation permit and "Dentist, Controlled Substance." A dentist who will prescribe controlled substances in Illinois should plan for that state license as its own application. See DEA and state controlled substance registrations for dentists, and dental sedation and anesthesia permits by state for the sedation permit.
What are the CE rules once licensed?
Under section 1220.440, dentists complete 48 hours of continuing education and hygienists 36 hours in each prerenewal period, which is the 36 months before September 30 of the renewal year. You do not need CE for the first renewal after your license is issued. A specialty license has no separate CE requirement, but the underlying dental license still needs its 48 hours. CE hours used for another state may also count toward Illinois. See dental CE requirements across states.
Is Illinois in the dental compact?
No. Illinois has not enacted the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, and the compact is not issuing privileges in any state. Endorsement is the route in. See the dental compact hub.
Can we prepare your Illinois file?
Our Dentist License by Credentials service is $799 for Illinois. We document your three of five years with employment verifications, order certifications from your first state and every state you practiced in within five years, arrange the JCNDE score transfer, and give you a question-by-question guide to the CORE application. You answer, sign, pay IDFPR and submit from your own CORE account. The specialty license is a $499 add-on, and a sedation permit is $699. IDFPR and verification fees are separate. See the Illinois requirements page, or start with the $149 Dental Licensure Readiness Review.
Common questions
- How many years of practice does Illinois require for endorsement?
- At least three of the last five years of lawful practice before you apply. If you have not practiced three of the last five years, IDFPR may require additional testing, training or remedial education.
- Do I need a separate specialty license in Illinois?
- If you practice a specialty Illinois licenses, yes. The dental specialist license requires a current Illinois dentist license first plus the specialty training IDFPR lists, such as two years for orthodontics or three years for dental anesthesiology. The application fee is $300.
- What does an Illinois dental license by endorsement cost?
- The application fee for a dentist licensed in another jurisdiction is $750 under 68 IAC 1220.415. Renewal is $300 every three years.
- How much CE does Illinois require?
- Dentists need 48 hours and hygienists 36 hours in each 36-month prerenewal period ending September 30. No CE is required for the first renewal after licensure.
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