Colorado Dental License Requirements and How to Apply

To get licensed as a dentist in Colorado, you need a doctorate from a CODA-accredited dental program, a passing score on the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE), a qualifying clinical competency exam, current Basic Life Support certification, and a clean state and federal background check. The Colorado dental license requirements are administered by the State Dental Board, which sits inside the Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO) at the Department of Regulatory Agencies. You apply online through the DPO portal by one of two routes: examination if you’re a new graduate, or endorsement if you already hold a license in another state.¹

One item to note up front: Colorado does not require a separate jurisprudence exam. If you’re coming from a state that does, you can skip that step here.

The Four Baseline Qualifications

Every applicant must satisfy the same four credentials before the Board will consider the file:

Accredited dental degree. A Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Foreign-trained dentists must complete a CODA-accredited clinical program and earn one of these degrees before applying.
INBDE. The pass/fail national written exam that replaced NBDE Part I and Part II. Nearly every U.S. jurisdiction recognizes the result.²
Clinical competency exam. Colorado accepts any U.S. clinical exam that demonstrates adequate competency, including the WREB, SRTA, CDCA, CRDTS, and CITA. Endorsement applicants who can show active clinical practice may not need to retake one.¹
BLS certification. Current Basic Life Support for healthcare providers, covering CPR, AED use, and airway obstruction management.³

Choosing Between Examination and Endorsement

New graduates apply by examination. After finishing your CODA-accredited program, passing the INBDE, and completing a clinical exam, the Board reviews your credentials against Colorado’s standards and issues the initial license. The usual delay isn’t the requirements themselves but missing documentation, so keep your transcripts and score reports organized.

If you already hold a dental license in good standing in another U.S. state or territory, endorsement is faster. The Board evaluates your existing credentials and practice history instead of requiring you to repeat clinical testing.¹ You’ll generally need to demonstrate current clinical competency through active practice, a qualifying residency, or other equivalent evidence the Board accepts. The Board will also verify you have no active investigations, disciplinary actions, or malpractice judgments that would disqualify you. Restrictions or conditions on your existing license will draw closer scrutiny before endorsement is granted.

Military Spouse Temporary License

Spouses and dependents of active-duty service members stationed in Colorado can get an expedited temporary license with no application fee.⁴ You need a dental license in good standing from another state, your spouse’s Colorado orders, and military identification. The temporary license runs for six years and is renewable for another six as long as your spouse remains on orders in the state, with no practice restrictions. Federal military programs may reimburse up to $500 in relocation-related licensing costs.

Documents to Gather Before You Apply

The Board will not begin reviewing an incomplete application, and follow-up requests add weeks. Have everything below in hand before you open the portal:

Official transcripts. Your CODA-accredited dental school must send them directly to the DPO. Copies from you don’t count.
Exam score reports. INBDE and clinical exam results must come from the testing agencies.
NPDB self-query. Run a self-query through the National Practitioner Data Bank, which checks for malpractice payments, adverse licensure actions, and professional conduct reports. A digital response costs $3.00.⁵
Healthcare Professions Profile. Every active Colorado licensee must create and maintain a public profile listing specialty training, hospital affiliations, and disciplinary history.⁶
Legal disclosure answers. The application asks about criminal history, chemical dependency, and prior disciplinary proceedings. Have dates and details ready.

Also assemble your employment history — dates, locations, employer names — before you start. The application asks for a detailed professional timeline, and reconstructing it mid-application produces errors that come back as follow-up requests.

Fingerprinting and Background Check

Colorado requires a state and federal criminal background check for every applicant, run through the Colorado Applicant Background Services (CABS) program. Electronic fingerprints go through one of two approved vendors: IdentoGO Fingerprint Services or American Bioidentity.⁷

Timing matters. Don’t schedule fingerprints until you’re ready to submit the full application. The DPO needs results from both the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI before issuing a license, and prints submitted too early can expire before the application clears. For IdentoGO, use the workflow link designated specifically for dentists. Out-of-state applicants can follow IdentoGO’s non-resident instructions to submit from their current location.

Submitting the Application and Paying the Fee

Every application runs through the DPO online portal, where you create an account, enter your information, upload documents, and pay. The same portal handles initial licensure by examination, endorsement, renewals, and reinstatements.⁸

Fees vary by application type, and the exact amount and payment instructions appear on the specific form for your license category. Check that form rather than relying on a general figure. Payment must clear before the Board starts review.

Sedation and Anesthesia Permits

A standard Colorado dental license authorizes local anesthesia only. Sedation dentistry requires a separate permit from the Board, and there are three levels with escalating training requirements:⁹

Minimal sedation. At least 16 hours of Board-approved coursework completed within the past five years, covering sedation techniques and emergency management. A qualifying CODA-accredited residency can substitute. Valid five years, renewable on reapplication.
Moderate sedation. 60 hours of approved coursework plus sedation cases performed on at least 20 unique patients, or a qualifying residency meeting ADA guidelines. Also valid five years.
Deep sedation and general anesthesia. The highest level, requiring the most extensive residency training and clinical experience. Typically held by oral surgeons and dentist anesthesiologists.

All permit holders are subject to Board office inspections. If sedation is central to your practice, plan the permit process separately from the base license timeline.

Renewals and Continuing Education

Colorado dental licenses renew every two years. The renewal window opens about four to five weeks before your expiration date, and you must complete 30 hours of continuing education each biennial period.³ Dentists licensed less than 12 months before their first renewal owe no CE for that first cycle, and those in the 12-to-24-month range have reduced requirements.

The 30 hours come with composition rules:

At least 16 hours must cover clinical or science-based topics.
At least 50% of total hours must come from live, interactive courses. Web-based courses count if they include real-time interaction with an instructor.
At least one hour per license period must cover opioid prescribing best practices, benzodiazepine prescribing, recognizing substance use disorders, and referring patients for treatment.³
Current BLS certification earns up to two CE hours, but those hours cannot count toward an anesthesia permit renewal.

Keep CE documentation after each renewal. The Board runs random audits and will ask for proof of attendance and course content. Courses from ADA-recognized providers are generally accepted without issue.

Inactive Status Instead of Expiration

If you’re stepping away from practice, placing your license on inactive status through the DPO portal is cleaner than letting it expire.⁸ Inactive means you cannot practice in Colorado, but reactivating later is simpler than reinstating an expired license. If your license has already expired, the Board provides a separate reinstatement checklist through the online system with the requirements and fees specific to your license type.

Fines and Discipline

The Dental Board can fine any licensee who violates the Dental Practice Act or Board rules, including failure to meet CE requirements. Fines for dentists reach up to $5,000 per violation, dental therapists up to $4,000, and dental hygienists up to $3,000.¹⁰ The Board uses a tiered system that scales fines by severity, whether the offense is a first or repeat, and the type of rule broken. Suspension or revocation is available for serious or repeated violations.

1
Legal Information Institute. 3 CCR 709-1.6 – Licensure of Dentists, Dental Therapists, and Dental Hygienists
2
Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. INBDE Facts for Students
3
Divisions of Professions and Occupations. Colorado Dental CE
4
Divisions of Professions and Occupations. Colorado Military and Veterans Programs Military Spouse
5
National Practitioner Data Bank. Self-Query Basics
6
Divisions of Professions and Occupations. Colorado Healthcare Professions Profile Create or Update a Profile
7
Colorado DPO. Colorado DPO Fingerprinting and Background Check
8
Divisions of Professions and Occupations. Colorado Dental Applications and Forms
9
Legal Information Institute. 3 CCR 709-1.14 – Anesthesia
10
Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 12-220-202