Licensure, Renewal, and Continuing Education Requirements
What the exam tests
This domain covers how a dental hygiene license is obtained, maintained, renewed, and restored in Illinois. Expect questions on the renewal cycle, continuing education (CE) documentation, lapsed licenses, and the consequences of practicing without a current license.
Core rules
- Licensure is through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Applicants must meet education, examination, and character requirements set by the Act and Department rules.
- Licenses renew on the Department’s fixed cycle. The renewal notice and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1220 control the deadline and the CE hours required for that cycle.
- CE must be earned during the renewal period from approved providers and documented with certificates. The Act and rules specify mandated subject areas, commonly including infection control.
- A licensee must not practice on an expired, inactive, or nonrenewed license. Restoration may require a fee, evidence of CE, and possibly additional examination or review.
Worked example
A hygienist’s renewal date passes while she is working. She continues seeing patients for two weeks before realizing the lapse. This is practicing without a valid license, regardless of her intent. The correct response is to stop practicing, apply for restoration under the Department’s rules, and document the CE and fees required. Continuing to treat patients creates a disciplinary exposure separate from the late fee.
Traps
- Assuming CE is automatically reported by the provider; the licensee must retain proof.
- Counting CE earned outside the renewal period.
- Confusing “inactive” status with permission to keep practicing.
- Relying on another state’s renewal date or CE rules.