Pennsylvania Dental Licensing

Pennsylvania offers out-of-state dentists two routes: licensure by criteria, which only works if your licensing board confirms it reciprocates with Pennsylvania, and Act 41 endorsement for dentists from substantially equivalent states who have practiced two of the last five years. Here is how to tell which one fits, plus fees, CE and the child abuse course.

Pennsylvania's State Board of Dentistry gives dentists licensed elsewhere two ways in, and they work differently. One depends on whether your current state reciprocates with Pennsylvania. The other, created by Act 41, depends on your recent practice and whether your state's licensing requirements are substantially equivalent. Choosing the wrong one costs time.

What are the two out-of-state routes?

The Board's dentist licensure snapshot covers both in one paragraph:

Licensure by credentials (criteria approval). Dentists, hygienists and expanded function dental assistants licensed or certified in another state, territory or Canada "may be granted licensure or certification if the credentials submitted meet Pennsylvania requirements." The catch is the next sentence: "Licensure and certification by criteria approval will be granted only to applicants whose licensing boards confirm that they reciprocate with the Commonwealth."
Act 41 endorsement. Act 41 gives Pennsylvania boards authority "to endorse licensees from other states, territories, or jurisdictions (with substantially equivalent licensing requirements) who are active, in good standing and without discipline against their license or criminal conviction and have practiced at least 2 of the last 5 years."

So the first question is whether your board will confirm reciprocity. If it will not, or will not say, Act 41 may still work, provided you have two of the last five years of practice and a clean record. A dentist with a disciplinary history or a criminal conviction should read the Act 41 wording closely, since it requires both to be absent. See disclosing discipline on a dental application.

Which route should you try first?

Start with a written question to your current board: will it confirm that it reciprocates with Pennsylvania? A yes points you to criteria approval. A no, or no answer, points you to Act 41, and then the questions become whether your state's requirements are substantially equivalent and whether you can document two of the last five years of practice. A dentist with an older license from a state with different exam history may find Act 41 the simpler file, as long as the record is clean.

Which exams does Pennsylvania recognize?

For a new license, the snapshot requires the National Board Dental Examination and a clinical exam administered by one of ADEX, CDCA, CRDTS, CITA, SRTA or WREB, after graduation from an ADA-accredited dental school with a DDS or DMD. That list matters for older licenses: a dentist examined years ago by one of the legacy regional agencies is likely to find that agency named. The snapshot does not list a Pennsylvania jurisprudence exam. For the national picture, see ADEX and which clinical exams each state accepts.

What does Pennsylvania charge, and what CE applies?

Initial licensure fee: $260, effective July 1, 2025.
Biennial renewal: $366 for the April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2027 period.
Child abuse training for initial licensure: 3 hours of Board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting.
Renewal CE: 30 hours every two years, including 2 hours of Board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting.

The snapshot also points dentists to the federal MATE Act of 2022, noting eight hours of training on treating opioid or substance use disorders or on safe dental pain management. See DEA and state controlled substance registrations for dentists.

Do hygienists and EFDAs follow the same rules?

Pennsylvania certifies expanded function dental assistants, and the same credentials paragraph covers them, so an EFDA moving to Pennsylvania faces the same reciprocity question as a dentist. The Board publishes separate snapshots for dental assistants, dental hygienists and public health dental hygiene practitioners. See EFDA and dental assistant registrations by state and hygienist license by credentials.

Is Pennsylvania in the dental compact?

Not yet. A Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact bill is pending in Pennsylvania, but it has not been enacted, and even in the 13 states that have enacted the compact, no privileges are being issued. For now, a Pennsylvania license comes through criteria approval or Act 41. The dental compact hub tracks the bill.

How do we help with Pennsylvania?

Our Dentist License by Credentials service is $799 for Pennsylvania. We find out whether your board will confirm reciprocity, check your two of five years for Act 41, confirm your clinical exam agency against the Board's list, and line up the child abuse course and license verifications. You get a question-by-question guide to the application; you complete it, sign, pay the Board and submit it yourself. EFDA certifications are $149 per person, and a hygienist license is $449. Board and verification fees are separate. See the Pennsylvania requirements page or begin with the $149 Dental Licensure Readiness Review.

Common questions

Does Pennsylvania have dental reciprocity?

Only conditionally. The Board says licensure by criteria approval is granted only to applicants whose licensing boards confirm they reciprocate with Pennsylvania. Dentists from other states may use Act 41 endorsement instead.

What does Act 41 require for a dentist?

A license from a state with substantially equivalent requirements, active and in good standing, with no discipline or criminal conviction, and at least two of the last five years of practice.

How much CE does Pennsylvania require?

Thirty hours every two years, including two hours of Board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting. New licensees also complete three hours of child abuse training for initial licensure.