Verify a Maryland Dental License Without Using the Wrong Search
Use this guide to check a Maryland dentist or dental hygienist through the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners, understand the status shown, review public disciplinary orders and choose the correct renewal or reinstatement route.
The Board uses one search for individual licenses and a separate search for facilities, certificates and permits. Starting with the correct record type prevents many false “not found” results.
Quick Answer: How to Verify a Maryland Dental License
For Maryland dental license verification, use the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners License Verification Site. Select the profession, then search by license number or last name when possible because the Board identifies those as the most efficient search fields.
The public person search can display records with statuses including Active, Deceased, Inactive, Non-Renewed, Probation, Expired and Voluntarily Non-Renewed. If you are checking a facility, certificate or permit instead of an individual practitioner, switch to the Board’s separate facility/certificate/permit search.
Use the person-license search
Choose this route when you need to confirm an individual Maryland dentist or dental hygienist license and its current public status.
Start with the license number
A license number reduces same-name confusion. If you do not have it, use the last name and carefully match the resulting record.
Permits use another search
Facilities, certificates and permits have a separate Board search. Do not assume a failed person search means the permit or certificate does not exist.
Clinic biographies, insurance directories, appointment platforms and search-engine results can help identify a practitioner, but current Maryland licensure should be checked through the Board’s official record.
Which Maryland Dental Lookup Do You Actually Need?
“Dental license verification” can refer to four different tasks. Choosing the right one first saves time and prevents a valid record from looking missing.
Maryland Dental License Lookup: Step-by-Step
Use this workflow for a dentist, dental hygienist, employer, credentialing team, insurer or member of the public who needs a clean Maryland Board verification record.
Open the Board’s official verification site
Start with the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners search rather than an unofficial directory, paid background site or old screenshot.
Confirm that you need a person license
If you are checking a dentist or dental hygienist, stay in the individual-license search. If the record is a facility, certificate or permit, use the separate search instead.
Select the correct profession and license type
Use the profession and license type that match the credential you are verifying. A dental hygiene record should not be treated as a dentist license, and a permit should not be searched as a person license.
Search by license number or last name
The Board says those fields generally produce the most efficient results. Avoid adding unnecessary details until you know they match the Board record.
Try the Board’s wildcard search when spelling is uncertain
The verification page allows an asterisk before, after or within a name fragment. This can help with spelling variations, hyphenated names or incomplete name information.
Open and compare the correct record
Do not rely on a similar name alone. Match the practitioner, profession, license number, status and other public details displayed by the Board.
Check Public Orders when the decision requires discipline review
Use the disciplinary page as a separate source. The Board specifically warns that Public Orders do not necessarily reflect current licensure status, so always pair that review with the Verification Site.
How to Read Maryland Dental License Status
The Board’s search can return several status labels. Treat the displayed status as a starting point and use the complete Board record when the result will affect employment, credentialing, treatment decisions or practice.
| Status shown | How to handle it | Recommended next check |
|---|---|---|
| Active | The record is displayed by the Board as active at the time of the search. | Match the correct person and license number, then review Public Orders if discipline matters to your decision. |
| Inactive | Do not treat an inactive record as equivalent to an active practice license. | The licensee should review reactivation or Board instructions before returning to active practice. |
| Non-Renewed | The public record is not showing a current completed renewal. | Check whether reinstatement is required and verify the updated record before practice or hiring. |
| Voluntarily Non-Renewed | The license has not been maintained as an active renewed credential. | Use Board instructions for the appropriate return-to-practice route. |
| Expired | Do not rely on the old license as current authority to practice. | Review the Board’s reinstatement process and confirm active status after approval. |
| Probation | The status requires closer review rather than a simple name match. | Review the official record and relevant Public Orders or Board documents for conditions and context. |
| Deceased | The Board record is retained for verification purposes but should not be treated as a current practice credential. | Confirm you did not select a same-name historical record. |
Verify the exact profession, license number and status. For public-safety or credentialing decisions, also review the Board’s disciplinary information instead of assuming that “record found” means unrestricted current practice.
Maryland Dental License Renewal: 2026 Deadline, Fees and Reinstatement
The 2026 Maryland dentist and dental hygienist renewal cycle ran from May 1 through June 30, 2026. Applications submitted July 1 through July 31 were late, and the Board’s 2026 materials state that applications received on or after August 1 are not accepted as ordinary renewals.
The 2026 normal and late-renewal windows have already passed. If a 2026 dentist or dental hygienist license was not successfully renewed, use the Board’s current reinstatement instructions rather than attempting to treat it as an ordinary timely renewal.
| 2026 item | Dentist | Dental hygienist |
|---|---|---|
| Normal renewal period | May 1–June 30, 2026 | May 1–June 30, 2026 |
| Published active renewal amount | $586 | $182 |
| Published inactive amount | $176 | $75 |
| Late period | July 1–July 31, 2026 | July 1–July 31, 2026 |
| Late fee | Additional $300 | Additional $150 |
| From August 1, 2026 | Ordinary renewal no longer accepted; reinstatement route applies | Ordinary renewal no longer accepted; reinstatement route applies |
| Reinstatement fee stated in 2026 application | $886 | $332 |
These amounts are tied to the Board’s published 2026 materials. Do not assume the same fee schedule will apply to a future renewal cycle. Confirm the current Board form or portal before paying because fees and assessments can change.
Keep the license number ready
The Board’s renewal portal asks users to register or log in and lists the license number and Social Security number among the information needed for online services.
Check accepted cards before starting
The current portal lists Visa, MasterCard and Discover as accepted payment cards and states that American Express is not accepted.
Personal and work addresses matter
The portal collects separate personal and business/work addresses and allows address changes through the licensing-renewal account.
The Board’s online renewal portal states that Maryland verifies applicable undisputed tax and unemployment-insurance obligations through the Comptroller before renewed licenses or permits are issued. Resolve an official compliance issue through the responsible Maryland agency rather than an unofficial payment site.
Maryland Dentist and Dental Hygienist Continuing Education
Maryland changed its dental continuing-education regulations effective March 3, 2025. The total remains 30 Board-approved hours, while the standard infection-control requirement increased from 2 hours to a single 3-hour Board-approved course.
Total CE remains 30 hours
Dentists and dental hygienists subject to the regular renewal requirement continue to complete 30 hours of Board-approved continuing education.
The regular rule is now 3 hours
The updated regulation calls for a single 3-hour Board-approved infection-control course as a condition of renewal.
Maintain current CPR certification
The Board’s 2026 renewal applications require qualifying CPR certification. CPR does not count toward the 30 CE hours.
| Renewal year | Transition CE period | Infection-control transition |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 renewal | January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026 | A single 2-hour Board-approved course, two Board-approved 1-hour courses or a single 3-hour Board-approved course may satisfy the transition rule. |
| 2027 renewal | January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027 | The same transitional alternatives are recognized in the Board’s published 2027 guidance. |
| Regular framework | The revised cycle generally runs July 1 through June 30 of the second year. | Standard rule: single 3-hour Board-approved infection-control course. |
Check dentist-specific course requirements
The 2026 dentist renewal materials also reference the Board-approved abuse-and-neglect course and, when required, a 2-hour course on proper prescribing and disposal of prescription drugs.
Keep CE records
The Board states that it audits a percentage of dentists and dental hygienists each renewal cycle. Keep course information and completion records even when certificates are not initially submitted with a renewal.
The infection-control rule changed in 2025 and temporary transition rules apply to 2026 and 2027. Check the Board’s current CE page and renewal materials for the cycle you are actually renewing.
What to Have Ready Before Searching or Renewing
A few correct identifiers are more useful than entering many uncertain fields. Prepare the information that matches your task before opening the Board system.
For a public license search
- Exact profession: dentist or dental hygienist.
- Maryland license number when available.
- Current or former last name.
- First name if needed to separate similar records.
- Record type: person versus facility/certificate/permit.
- Date you performed the verification.
Prepare before logging in
- License number.
- Required account credentials and identifying information.
- Current personal and business/work addresses.
- Completed continuing-education information.
- Current qualifying CPR certification.
- Accepted payment method.
- Any Board-requested supporting documents.
Do not enter a Social Security number, card information, renewal password or identity document into a private license-directory site. Sensitive renewal information should be entered only through the official Board service.
Public Lookup vs Formal Maryland Dental License Verification Letter
A free public web lookup and an official verification letter solve different problems. Another state licensing board may require formal verification sent through the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners rather than a screenshot of the online record.
Use for routine status checking
Use the online Verification Site for public confirmation of an individual license and the status currently displayed by the Maryland Dental Board.
- Employer or recruiter screening.
- Patient or public license check.
- License-number confirmation.
- Current status review.
Use when the receiving organization requires Board verification
The Board’s current Verification of License, Certification or Registration form lists a non-refundable fee of $20 for each verification letter.
- Mail the completed form and fee to the Board.
- Make the check or money order payable to the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners.
- The form states that faxed or emailed requests will not be processed.
- Specify where the verification letter should be mailed.
If another state, employer or credentialing organization asks for “license verification,” confirm whether the public online record is acceptable or whether a Board-issued verification letter is required.
Maryland Dental Public Orders: Discipline Is a Separate Check
The Maryland Dental Board publishes disciplinary orders and other public Board-action documents. That page is useful for discipline research, but the Board explicitly warns that a Public Order does not necessarily show the licensee’s current licensure status.
An old disciplinary order may remain public after a later status change, and a verification status alone may not explain the history behind a Board action. Employers and credentialing teams should use the sources for their separate purposes.
Maryland Dental Verification Checklist for Employers and Credentialing Teams
Document the exact official record used for the decision. This creates a cleaner credentialing trail than keeping only a certificate copy or a screenshot from a third-party directory.
Record these details
- Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners as the source.
- Date the lookup was performed.
- Practitioner’s full name.
- Profession and license type.
- License number.
- Status displayed by the Board.
- Public Orders review when required by your process.
- Any follow-up completed with the Board.
Do not rely on these alone
- A résumé or job application.
- An old wall certificate.
- A clinic biography.
- An insurer or appointment-directory profile.
- An undated screenshot.
- A license number that was not matched to the correct Board record.
Maryland Dental License Lookup Not Working? Troubleshooting
A blank or unexpected result is not enough to conclude that someone was never licensed. Work through the search route and identifiers first.
| Problem | Likely issue | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| No result by full name | Spelling, former name, punctuation or an overly narrow search. | Search the last name or use the Board’s wildcard asterisk around a name fragment. |
| No result by license number | Number entered incorrectly or wrong record type selected. | Recheck the number and confirm whether it belongs to a person, facility, certificate or permit. |
| Dentist is missing but a permit is expected | You are using the person-license search for a permit-related record. | Open the separate facility/certificate/permit search. |
| Similar names appear | Multiple practitioners share a surname or first/last-name combination. | Use the license number and profession to identify the correct record. |
| Record says expired or non-renewed | A historical license exists but is not displayed as active. | Do not treat it as current. The licensee should review reinstatement or Board instructions. |
| Need proof for another state | The receiving board wants formal verification, not public lookup. | Use the Board’s $20 Verification of License, Certification or Registration form. |
| Public Order and status seem different | The order reflects a Board action at a particular time and is not the current-status database. | Use Public Orders for the document and License Verification for the current public status. |
Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners Contact Information
Contact the Board after checking the online record when the problem cannot be resolved through the verification, renewal, CE or forms pages.
Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners
Spring Grove Hospital Center
Benjamin Rush Building
55 Wade Ave
Catonsville, MD 21228
Phone: 410-402-8500
Fax: 410-402-8505
Email: mdh.mddentalboard@maryland.gov
Check before visiting
The Board lists office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Its site states that unscheduled in-person visits are for drop-offs only.
Call the Board to arrange in-person assistance rather than assuming walk-in licensing help is available.
The Board’s telephone directory routes dentist licensure questions, hygienist licensure questions, dental-assistant questions, licensure verification and complaints separately. Start with 410-402-8500 and use the appropriate option.
Official Maryland Dental Verification and Renewal Resources
Use the resource that matches the task instead of treating every Dental Board page as the same service.
Maryland Dental License Verification FAQs
How do I verify a Maryland dentist license?
Use the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners License Verification Site. Select the correct profession and search by license number or last name when possible, then open and review the matching Board record.
How do I verify a Maryland dental hygienist license?
Use the same Maryland Dental Board individual-license verification system, select the appropriate dental hygiene profession or license type and match the license number, name and current status.
What is the official Maryland dental license lookup?
The official public lookup is the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners License Verification Site at the Board’s MyLicense system. Use it for an individual dentist or dental hygienist record.
Can I search a Maryland dental license by last name?
Yes. The Board states that searching by license number or last name produces efficient results. If the spelling is uncertain, the search also supports an asterisk as a wildcard around a name or name fragment.
Is a dental facility or permit searched in the same place as a dentist?
No. The Maryland Dental Board provides a separate search for facilities, certificates and permits. Use the individual-license search for a dentist or dental hygienist and the separate route for the non-person record.
When was the 2026 Maryland dentist and hygienist renewal deadline?
The regular 2026 renewal period ran from May 1 through June 30, 2026. Applications submitted from July 1 through July 31 were subject to a late fee. The 2026 applications state that ordinary renewal applications received on or after August 1 are not accepted.
What if a Maryland dental license was not renewed by July 31, 2026?
The Board’s 2026 renewal materials direct expired dentists and dental hygienists to the reinstatement process after the renewal period. Verify the exact current requirements and fee on the Board’s forms page before submitting a reinstatement application.
How many continuing-education hours do Maryland dentists and hygienists need?
The Board’s updated CE guidance keeps the regular requirement at 30 Board-approved hours. The standard infection-control requirement increased to a single 3-hour Board-approved course, with transition rules published for the 2026 and 2027 renewal groups.
What is the 2027 Maryland dental CE transition period?
The Board states that those scheduled to renew in 2027 may receive credit for Board-approved courses completed from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027. Its transition guidance also permits specified 2-hour or two 1-hour infection-control alternatives in place of the new single 3-hour course for that transition cycle.
How much does formal Maryland dental license verification cost?
The Board’s Verification of License, Certification or Registration form lists a $20 non-refundable fee for each verification letter. The form instructs applicants to mail the request and states that faxed or emailed requests will not be processed.
Do Maryland Dental Board Public Orders show current license status?
Not necessarily. The Board specifically warns that Public Orders do not always reflect the current licensure status. Use the Public Orders page for disciplinary documents and the License Verification Site for current public status information.
Is verificationlicense.org the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners?
No. This is an independent informational guide. It does not issue, renew, reinstate, discipline, approve or change a Maryland dental license. Use the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners for official records and licensing actions.
Bottom Line for Maryland Dental License Verification
For an individual dentist or dental hygienist, start with the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners License Verification Site and search by license number or last name. Use the separate facility/certificate/permit search when the record is not an individual license.
If the license missed the 2026 renewal and late periods, review the current reinstatement process rather than treating the expired credential as an ordinary renewal. For discipline, use Public Orders as a separate source, and for another state’s formal verification requirement, use the Board’s official verification-letter process.
This page is an independent information guide, not the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners. License status, fees, renewal periods, continuing-education rules and administrative procedures can change. Verify the live Board record and current official instructions before practicing, hiring, credentialing, renewing or paying a fee.