Dental Hygienist Initial Licence

General licensing requirements  

• a recognized dental hygiene diploma or degree from a recognized dental hygiene education program. 

If your program is not considered an accredited program by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) or the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA), and you are not currently licensed as a practising dental hygienist in another Canadian jurisdiction, you may satisfy this requirement by completing the Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada’s (FDHRC) Canadian Performance Exam in Dental Hygiene (CPEDH). To confirm if you need to complete the CPEDH, you can contact us.  

• successful completion of the National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination (NDHCE) administered by the FDHRC no more than three years before the date of your application for licence to BCCOHP
  • If your NDHCE was completed more than three years ago, and/or you are not currently licensed or registered in another Canadian jurisdiction, you may have to complete an equivalency determination process. You can continue to submit an application. BCCOHP staff will reach out to provide further information upon receipt and review of your application.    
• This online application process will require you to open a web account and submit the required information for your licensing process with BCCOHP. If you already have a web account from before, you can apply using the same account.   
• Your application must be completed in one attempt.   
• If you logout or close your web browser, your partially completed application will not be saved.   
• You will be able to upload documents after your application has been completed.   
• The online application process may take up to 20 minutes.   
• The general application processing time is eight weeks. Please note that incomplete applications or insufficient information may delay your application process.   
• A criminal record check (CRC) may take four weeks to process. To ensure timely submission, please submit your initial payment and notarized copy of two pieces of government issued photo IDas soon as you can.   

​Step 1: Create an online account  

If you have not been licensed with BCCOHP, you will need to create a new account. Once you complete reading the following instructions, click on “Apply now >>” at the bottom to create an online account to start the application process. You will be required to enter your contact information.  

Step 2: Log in to start application  

You will require the following information to complete the online application form:   

• Contact information – home and practice addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses (if applicable)   
• BC Driver’s Licence number or other form of government issued photo identification   
• Dental education – institution, graduation/conferral date, degree/diploma received   
• National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination (NDHCE) certification information   
• Canadian Performance Exam in Dental Hygiene (CPEDH) information (if applicable)  
• Names of other jurisdiction(s) you have been registered with, along with dates   
• Professional liability insurance information   

Step 3: Submit payment of application and criminal record check (CRC) fees  

Once the application is completed, you will be prompted to pay the application and criminal record check fees (non-refundable).   

NOTE: A separate payment of the licence fee will be required once BCCOHP staff have confirmed application completion. This takes place closer to the end of the application process.   

Payment options are as follows:   

• Credit card (Visa, Mastercard)   
• Cheque/money order (mail)   

Step 4: Submit/upload required documents  

Once you have completed the application, you will be able to upload the required documents. For documents that require notarization, please only upload these documents after they are notarized.   

For all documents that require notarization, the original must be received by the BCCOHP office. Please submit your documents via mail.​ For our main mailing address, please visit our contact page​.​   

• Notarized Statutory declaration (available for download during the application process)   
• Notarized Photo Identification Notarization form, along with notarized photocopy of two pieces of photo ID (one primary and one secondary, or two primary)  
• Notarized or certified copy of education degree/diploma*†   
• Notarized or certified copy of NDHCE certificate​*†   
• Certificates or Letters of Standing from jurisdictions currently and/or previously  licensed or registered with   
• Name change documents (if required)   

*If the applicant is currently licensed or registered to practise dental hygiene in another Canadian jurisdiction, and the applicant is applying for the same or equivalent licence class in BC while they hold active licence in the other Canadian jurisdiction, submission of these documents is not required.   

†If confirmation of successful completion is provided to BCCOHP by your educational institution or the FDHRC directly, notarization of these documents is not required during submission.   

IMPORTANT: If you have ever been or are currently licensed or registered in another province or country, please contact that provincial or national regulatory body to request a Certificate of Standing or Letter of Standing for your BCCOHP application. The certificate must be delivered directly to BCCOHP from the licensing/regulating body in a sealed envelope.   

The certificate is valid for up to 60 days from the date that it was signed. If your licensing process is not completed within 60 days of the dated Certificate of Standing or Letter of Standing, a new certificate will be required.   

Step 5: Submit payment of licence fee  

Once all the required documents are received and your application is ready to be finalized, you will receive an email notification to make your final payment. You will need to log in to your account and pay the registration fee. View the list of dental hygiene licence fees ​on Schedule A.   

Step 6: Licence confirmation  

Once your licence fee has been processed, you will be sent an email from BCCOHP within three to five business days confirming that your status has been changed to active.   

You cannot practise until you receive a licence confirmation email.   

Apply now >>   

Licence description  

This licence category is available to dental hygienists for the purpose of conducting or participating in education or training relating to dental hygiene, , or delivering an examination or assessment that is sponsored by an agency approved by the licence committee.  

General licensing requirements  

• Holds current  licence or registration in another jurisdiction as the equivalent of a licensed dental hygienist in BC and is not subject to any practice restrictions, limits or conditions relevant to the practice of a licensed dental hygienist in BC. 

Licence conditions  

• may be granted for a period not exceeding 30 days and may be granted again to a previous temporary licensee  
• may only practise dental hygiene for the purpose described above and must not practise dental hygiene on a fee-for-service basis.  

Application package  

Temporary registration   

IMPORTANT: If you have ever been or are currently licensed or registered in another province or country, please contact that provincial or national regulatory body to request a Certificate of Standing or Letter of Standing for your BCCOHP application. The certificate must be delivered directly to BCCOHP from the licensing/regulating body in a sealed envelope.  

The certificate is valid for up to 60 days from the date that it was signed. If the applicant does not have their licensing process completed within the 60 days, a new certificate will be required.