How to Become a Dental Assistant: Requirements by State
Checked against official state sources ·
Dental assistants work chairside with dentists, prepare patients and instruments, and in many states take x-rays and perform expanded duties. Each state's Board of Dentistry sets the rules, and they vary widely: some states have no credential for basic assistants, while others require registration, a radiography (x-ray) permit, or extra certificates for expanded functions such as coronal polishing, sealants or nitrous oxide monitoring. National DANB exams, such as the RHS (radiation health and safety) and CDA, are often part of the path.
Of the 49 states covered here, 21 require an exam for at least one dental assistant credential and 21 require set training. Only states whose rules we have checked against official sources are listed so far.
The steps most states share
- Learn on the job or complete a dental assisting program — CODA-accredited programs open the most doors.
- Check what your state lets a basic assistant do and which tasks need a credential.
- Get the x-ray (radiography) qualification your state requires before taking x-rays — often DANB's RHS exam or a board-approved course.
- Apply for any state registration or expanded-function permit you need, with CPR/BLS and the board's fee.
- Renew on schedule and complete any continuing education your state requires.
Requirements by state
| State | Exam | Training | Term | State fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No | No | — | — |
| Alaska | No | No | 2 yrs | Coronal polishing certificate: $60 nonrefundable application fee plus $60 certification fee. Restorative function certificate: $60 nonrefundable application fee plus $60 certification fee. |
| Arizona | Yes | No | — | No Board fee for basic assisting. DANB charges a $50 nonrefundable fee for the Arizona Coronal Polishing certificate (2026 packet), on top of its exam fees. |
| Arkansas | Yes | No | 2 yrs | $4 nonrefundable application fee for the dental assistant permit application. |
| California | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $120 nonrefundable RDA application fee. No separate initial license fee. |
| Colorado | No | No | — | — |
| Connecticut | Yes | No | — | — |
| Delaware | Yes | No | 3 yrs | Dental Radiation Technician or CDA certificate: $50 initial application fee, $50 on-time renewal, $100 late renewal (1-180 days after expiration). The initial fee is waived for students in a Delaware vocational-technical high school dental assisting program. |
| Florida | No | No | — | Dental Radiographer certification: $35 nonrefundable application fee (certified check or money order payable to the Florida Department of Health if paid by mail). |
| Georgia | No | No | — | — |
| Hawaii | No | Yes | — | — |
| Illinois | No | No | — | — |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $60 application fee for the limited dental radiography license (check or money order). |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | Radiography qualification (XDA) $40; registration only (RDA) $40; combined registration and radiography qualification (QDA) $60. Fees can be waived for a first application if household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. |
| Kansas | No | No | — | — |
| Kentucky | No | No | — | — |
| Louisiana | No | Yes | 2 yrs | No fee for basic assistants. EDDA initial certificate confirmation: $100; reconfirmation: $25 every two years. |
| Maine | No | No | 2 yrs | Dental radiographer: $50 application fee plus $200 license fee (2-year license). EFDA: $50 application fee plus $200 license fee. |
| Maryland | No | No | 2 yrs | DRT initial certification by examination: $20. DRT renewal: $68. EFDA initial application: $35; EFDA renewal: $68. |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $60 dental assistant application/original license fee; $45 biennial renewal (801 CMR 4.02). |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes | 3 yrs | $135.20 for RDA licensure by exam or endorsement (application fee plus 3-year license fee); renewal $46.80. |
| Minnesota | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $115 licensed dental assistant application fee; $27 for a Limited Radiology Registration (Minn. Stat. 150A.091). |
| Mississippi | No | No | 2 yrs | $60 Radiology Permit application fee, plus the permit renewal (activation) fee: $60 per two-year renewal (the Board fee schedule lists $30 a year). |
| Missouri | No | No | 5 yrs | $10 per expanded functions permit category; $10 for the nitrous oxide monitoring permit (20 CSR 2110-2.170). |
| Montana | No | No | — | — |
| Nebraska | Yes | No | 2 yrs | $95 initial Licensed Dental Assistant license fee, or $25 if issued in January-February of odd years or September-December of even years. |
| Nevada | No | No | — | — |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | RDA: $35 application fee plus $90 initial registration fee ($45 if paid in the second year of the biennial period); $90 biennial renewal. DEP limited license in dental radiologic technology: $60. |
| New Mexico | Yes | Yes | The first certificate expires July 1 after the second year (25 to 36 months). After that, certificates renew every three years. | $50 application fee per the board's fee page; the rule also allows an exam fee of up to $100 per exam. |
| New York | Yes | Yes | 3 yrs | $103 for licensure and first registration (NYSED fee page); the statute lists $45 for initial certification and $50 per three-year registration. Limited permit: $40. |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| North Dakota | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | Nonrefundable application fee: $160 for RDA, $160 for QDA, $100 for QDA-LRR (board application forms dated 07-01-2026). |
| Ohio | No | Yes | 2 yrs | Dental x-ray machine operator certificate: $32 (Ohio Rev. Code 4715.53). |
| Oklahoma | No | Yes | 1 yrs | $50 dental assistant permit, nonrefundable ($100 when applying by credentials from another state). |
| Oregon | Yes | Yes | — | The Board's fee rule (OAR 818-001-0087) lists Radiology $75, Expanded Function Dental Assistant $50, Expanded Function Orthodontic Assistant $50, Restorative Functions Dental Assistant $50 and Anesthesia Dental Assistant $50. Applications are handled through DANB. |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | EFDA certification application fee: $120 (effective July 1, 2025; rises to $132 on July 1, 2027). |
| Rhode Island | No | Yes | — | — |
| South Carolina | No | Yes | — | — |
| South Dakota | No | No | 1 yrs | $45 application fee for Registered Dental Assistant; $45 application fee for Dental Radiographer. Each renews for $35 a year. |
| Tennessee | Yes | No | 2 yrs | $32.50 at application ($22.50 registration application fee plus $10 state regulatory fee). Renewal every two years: $37.50 plus the $10 state regulatory fee. |
| Texas | Yes | No | Your first registration lasts 18 to 30 months, based on your birth month. After that it renews every two years. | — |
| Utah | No | No | — | — |
| Vermont | No | Yes | 2 yrs | $80 application fee; $105 renewal every two years. OPR's fee chart also lists a $100 specialty fee next to the certified dental assistant with radiology privileges registration. |
| Virginia | No | No | 1 yrs | Dental Assistant II: $100 initial registration; $50 annual active renewal ($25 inactive). Dental Assistant I has no state fee. |
| Washington | No | No | 1 yrs | $40 application; $25 annual renewal. |
| West Virginia | No | No | — | $23 application fee for the restorative and/or orthodontic expanded duties certificate; $23 for the nitrous oxide monitoring certificate. No fee for basic dental assistants. |
| Wisconsin | No | No | — | $30 for EFDA certification. No fee for basic dental assistants. |
| Wyoming | No | No | 2 yrs | $30 per permit application (radiograph or pit and fissure). Renewal is $20 per permit every two years ($35 if late). |
More states are added only once their rules are checked against the state's own commissioning office.
General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with your state's commissioning office before you apply.