Nevada Dental Licensing

Nevada licenses experienced out-of-state dentists by endorsement. The Board of Dental Examiners of Nevada once had a different route, a temporary license for dentists with five years of practice, and it closed that route to new applicants in 2006. The current route runs through Nevada's general endorsement law, NRS 622.530, and the Board's regulation in NAC 631.030(2). The exam route under NRS 631.240 remains open too, and NRS chapter 631 keeps a few narrow licenses for specialists and underserved settings.

What happened to Nevada's old temporary license?

NRS 631.272 still describes a "temporary license to practice dentistry" issued "without a clinical examination" to a dentist licensed in another state who "has practiced dentistry ... for a minimum of 5 years," and it once let holders apply for a permanent license after two years. But subsection 4 ends it: "The Board shall not, on or after July 1, 2006, issue any additional temporary licenses to practice dentistry pursuant to this section." Holders as of that date could keep practicing under it only until December 31, 2008, or until a permanent license was issued or denied.

The provision remains in the statute book, but nobody applying now can use it. Older summaries that stop at this point miss the endorsement route below.

How does licensure by endorsement work in Nevada?

NRS 622.530 is Nevada's general license-by-endorsement law, and NAC 631.030(2) sets out what the dental Board wants from an endorsement applicant. In the regulation's words, an applicant "for licensure by endorsement pursuant to NRS 622.530" must provide:

• the information and documents every Nevada applicant provides under subsection 1 of the same regulation;
• "A certificate granted by a nationally recognized, nationally accredited or nationally certified examination or other examination approved by the Board which proves that the applicant has achieved a passing score on such an examination"; and
• "Proof that the applicant has actively practiced dentistry or dental hygiene for the 5 years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application."

Two details matter for planning. The five years run back from the day you submit, so a recent gap in practice can push you onto the exam route. And the written exam on Nevada's dental law still applies: NRS 631.240(2) has the Board examine applicants in writing "on the contents and interpretation of this chapter and the regulations of the Board," and NRS 631.300(2) does the same for hygienists. Ask the Board in writing whether the exam on your certificate counts before you build a plan around it. See dental license by credentials and dental jurisprudence and law exams by state.

What does the exam route require?

A dentist who lacks five straight years of recent practice, or whose exam history does not fit the regulation, applies by examination. Under NRS 631.230, an applicant must be over 21, a graduate of an accredited dental school, and of good moral character. When judging character, the Board may consider whether your license in another state has been suspended or revoked or is the subject of current discipline. NRS 631.240 then requires:

• a JCNDE certificate showing you passed the National Board Dental Examination "with an average score of at least 75" (with an exception in NRS 622.090);
• a clinical examination "approved by the Board and the American Board of Dental Examiners," or a certificate showing you passed WREB's clinical examination; and
• a written examination "on the contents and interpretation of this chapter and the regulations of the Board."

On this route the practical question is whether your clinical exam fits either description. If it does not, plan for ADEX. See ADEX and which clinical exams each state accepts.

Which narrower licenses skip the clinical exam?

Chapter 631 also keeps a few licenses that skip the clinical exam, each with tight limits:

• Specialists license (NRS 631.255). The Board may issue one without the clinical exam to a dentist with an active license elsewhere who is a diplomate of a CODA-approved certifying board, or who has completed the board's educational requirements and is recognized as eligible. The second group must submit the diplomate certificate within six years and keep certification while licensed. You also pass the written Nevada law exam, and no revoked, suspended or refused license or pending discipline is allowed. See specialty licenses and permits for dentists.
• Restricted geographical license (NRS 631.274). Issued without the clinical exam when a county board of commissioners asks the Board to waive it for underserved rural areas, or when a federally qualified health center or nonprofit clinic serving underserved patients in Washoe or Clark County asks for a dentist it has contracted with. The holder may practice only in the requesting county or for that clinic, and may not engage in private practice. After three years at 30 hours a week in the county, or three years under contract with the clinic, the holder may petition for an unrestricted license without the clinical exam, if other conditions are met.
• Restricted license for low-income facilities (NRS 631.275). Issued without examination to a dentist licensed in another state who contracts with a facility approved by the state's Division of Public and Behavioral Health to provide publicly funded dental services exclusively to low-income patients. The holder works under a supervising Nevada dentist, may not practice privately, and renews yearly.
• Limited license for continuing education (NRS 631.2715). For supervising live-patient CE courses at a registered facility, renewable annually.

None of these is a general practice license. They suit dentists who plan to work in those settings; endorsement or the exam route is the path to an unrestricted license. See temporary and volunteer dental licenses.

Which CE rules apply in Nevada?

NRS 631.342 has the Board set the number of CE hours required annually by regulation. The statute itself requires every licensee to complete, within two years after initial licensure, a course of at least four hours on the medical consequences of an act of terrorism involving a weapon of mass destruction, unless an alternative in the statute applies. See dental CE requirements across states.

Is Nevada in the dental compact?

No. Nevada has not enacted the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, and no state is issuing compact privileges yet. See the dental compact hub.

How do we help with Nevada?

For an endorsement application, our Dentist License by Credentials service is $799. We map your practice history against the five-year rule in NAC 631.030(2), gather your exam certificate, license verifications and practice evidence, and give you a question-by-question guide. If the exam route fits better, the Full State Dental License Application service is $899, and we check whether your clinical exam fits NRS 631.240. Either way, Jurisprudence Exam Logistics ($249) covers the written Nevada law exam, and a specialists license is a $499 add-on. You sign, pay the Board and submit, and you take every exam yourself. Board and exam fees are separate. See the Nevada requirements page or start with the $149 Dental Licensure Readiness Review.