Congratulations!
If you are viewing this page, you are on-track to graduate and are looking to apply for your dental license. Below you will find important steps to aid you in the application process. This information is adopted from the Colorado Dental Board’s Dentist Application Checklist. For complete instructions or to apply online, please visit the Colorado Dental Board website
Step 1: Apply for Your Dental License
Pay the Required Application Fee (for 2017, this fee was $361): You may pay with a credit card or electronic check to complete the application process. All fees are non-refundable and are subject to change.
Provide your Social Security Number: Exceptions are made for non-immigrants in the United States on student visas who do not have a Social Security Number. These applicants must submit a signed Social Security Number Affidavit in lieu of a Social Security Number (available here).
Provide Name Change Documentation (if applicable)
Provide proof of Professional Liability Insurance
Provide your official transcript(s): You must provide an official transcript in a sealed envelope from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine as proof of earning your DDS degree.
Provide proof that you have passed the Part I and Part II of NBDE: If you did not select for the Colorado Dental Board to receive your results, you must arrange for your passing scores to be sent to the them. To request your results, visit the JCNDE website (you must be logged in).
Provide proof that you have passed a clinical/licensure examination: You must take and pass any of the regional clinical licensing exams (WREB, CRDTS, ADEX, or SRTA) or the Canadian OSCE in lieu of a clinical exam. WREB and CRDTS are the only exams available to be taken at the dental school. You must arrange for your official exam scores to be sent in a sealed envelope to the Colorado Dental Board.
Complete the Affidavit of Eligibility: You will be asked during the online application to attest to and provide information that you are lawfully present in the United States or otherwise eligible to work here. You may be required to upload documentation of your lawful presence.
Answer the Screening Questions: You will be asked a series of screening questions related to your criminal history or complaints filed against you in other jurisdictions (if applicable). This may require you to upload court documents or other material.
Healthcare Professions Profiling Program (HPPP): You will be asked a series of questions concerning your practice during your online application. This profile is required for healthcare professionals in Colorado.
Additional notes:
- Documents needing to be mailed should be sent to the address below:
Office of Licensing – Dental Licensure
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350,
Denver, CO 80202
- Receiving your license could take weeks to months. A general timeline from past applicants suggests a 6-8 week waiting period.
- A jurisprudence examination is not required in the state of Colorado
- If you have held a dental hygienist license in any state, including Colorado, you may be required to submit additional documentation
- Bringing required documentation to the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) office in-person may speed up the process by eliminating the mailing times for official transcripts, etc.