FL Dental Laws & Rules

Florida licensure by examination requires three examinations: the National Board Dental Examination (Parts I and II), the ADEX Dental Licensing Examination, and the Florida Laws and Rules Examination. National Board scores must be sent to the Board office directly from the American Dental Association. Passing the Laws and Rules examination alone does not license you.

The Florida Department of Health has contracted with the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA) to provide the Laws and Rules examination. Registration with CDCA began April 1, 2015, and associated fees are the same. Candidates register at adextesting.org, where candidate manuals are also posted.

Expect questions drawn from Chapter 466, Florida Statutes (dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental laboratories); Chapter 456, Florida Statutes (health professions general provisions, including licensure disqualification criteria); Chapter 64B5, Florida Administrative Code (Board of Dentistry rules); and professional practice, ethics, and patient-care obligations.

The Board of Dentistry licensing page does not publish a duration, item count, or passing score for the Laws and Rules examination. Those logistics are set by the CDCA, so check the current candidate manual at adextesting.org or contact the CDCA directly rather than relying on secondhand figures.

The Board's licensing page does not state a retake limit specific to the Laws and Rules examination. The only three-attempt reference on the page concerns the Florida dental licensure examination in the teaching permit criteria. Confirm retake rules and any waiting period with the CDCA before scheduling.

Read Chapter 466, Florida Statutes first, since it defines the practice of dentistry, licensure pathways, and scope. Then read Chapter 456 for general licensing, disqualification, and disciplinary provisions. Then work through Chapter 64B5 rules, and finish with the ethics and patient-care material, which is easier to reason about once the statutory framework is familiar.

Precise numbers. The disqualification lookbacks are 15 years for first- or second-degree felonies, 10 years for third-degree felonies, five years for third-degree felonies under section 893.13(6)(a), and 15 years for the specified federal felonies. Also know full-time practice (1,200 hours per year) and the biennium dates.

Yes. The teaching permit criteria listed by the Board include passing the Dental Laws and Rules Examination, along with being a full-time dental instructor, holding a dentistry degree, meeting one of the listed eligibility or training conditions, and maintaining CPR certification at the basic life support level, obtainable within 60 days of permit issuance.

The total fee is $405.00, made up of a $100.00 application fee and a $305.00 licensure fee. Payment is by online payment, certified check, or money order payable to the Florida Department of Health. The licensure fee collected may be one half of the biennial fee depending on when in the biennium you apply.

No. You must still submit the licensure application with National Board scores, final official transcripts sent by the registrar, CPR training proof, and certification of licensure from other states if applicable, plus electronic fingerprinting through a Livescan provider using the correct ORI number. Allow up to 10 business days for initial review.