Renewal FAQs

Registrants must meet the requirements set out in the Registration and Practice Permit Renewal Policy in order to renew their practice permit annually. This includes: 

• A current CPR certification that meets the minimum requirements of the policy 
• Professional Liability Insurance that meets the minimum requirements of the policy
• A Vulnerable Sector Check obtained in the final year of the registrant's reporting period
• A minimum of 600 practice hours obtained over the registrant's 3 year reporting period 

A complete renewal application also includes complete payment of the required fees. College staff will not review or approve a renewal form until the required payment of fees.

The Continuing Competence Program Manual also outlines practice hour and CCP credit requirements.

Details of each of these requirements are outlined below in subsequent FAQs. 

Note: Registrants with a 2022 - 2025 reporting period are required to obtain and submit a Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) document to the College by the Renewal deadline of October 31, 2025. The College encourages you to submit your Renewal form during the Renewal period, even if you have not submitted your VSC yet. Your Renewal form will still be processed by staff as usual, regardless of your VSC status. 

The renewal form will be available in the Renewal tab in the Registrant Portal beginning in early September. The College will email all registrants when the tab and form are available. 

Step 1: Go to the Renewal tab in the Registrant Portal. Read through each step carefully.  You will be required to upload some documents (e.g. CPR certificate, Professional Liability Insurance certificate) in other tabs within the Registrant Portal prior to opening the renewal form. Go to the Renewal and Maintaining Your Registration webpage for more detailed information.

Step 2: Once you have completed all of the pre-renewal steps, click the “Start My Renewal Application” button at the bottom of the tab. 

Step 3: Fill out all required fields in the form with complete and accurate information. The form cannot be saved and must be completed in one sitting. This means that your information in the Registrant Portal must be complete and correct prior to opening the renewal form.  

When you are sure that your form is complete, submit the form. Do not close the form or window until the form has been successfully submitted. 

Step 4: Submit payment. The payment screen will pop-up in a separate window once you have submitted the form. You can confirm your payment in the Payment Summary tab in the Registrant Portal. You can also submit your payment through the Payment Summary tab if you do not see the pop-up window. 

College staff will email you with detailed instructions if your form requires changes or updates before being approved. Add info@acdh.ca to your Safe Senders list to ensure you receive emails about your renewal form.

No. As of November 1, 2024, the College no longer has a Non-Practicing Register. Registrants who are currently on the General Register can either choose to renew their registration on the General Register or cancel their registration. There is no maternity leave, hold, or inactive status. 

More information about your options: 

Option 1: Renew before October 31 and stay on the General Register. 

• You will be required to pay the $599 permit fee and any other required fees. 

• You will be able to return to work at any time without having to apply for reinstatement. 

• You will still have to meet the requirements in order to renew on the General Register (CPR, PLI, CE credits, etc) for the 2025-2026 permit year and any subsequent years. Ensure that you know your reporting period and understand the requirements. Read more about the requirements in the Registration and Practice Permit Renewal Policy. 

Option 2: Cancel your registration. 

• There is no fee to cancel. You can fill out the "Cancel My Registration" form. 

• You will be required have a complete and approved application for reinstatement before you return to work. 

• The costs to apply for reinstatement are: 

• • $350 application fee 

• • $599 permit fee 

• If you are reinstated prior to October 31, 2026, you will be required to complete your annual permit renewal by October 31, 2026 and pay the full permit fee and any other required fees for the 2025 - 2026 permit year. 

Ensure you understand the requirements and fees for reinstatement. Read more on the Reinstatement webpage. 

After a registrant submits a renewal form and pays the permit fee, college staff manually review the form for accuracy before approving it. Approximately one quarter of renewal forms will be automatically approved after being submitted with payment in order to improve the efficiency of the overall renewal process. Registrants have been selected for automation based on the accuracy and completeness of their previous renewal forms. 

If your renewal application is selected for automation, you will receive a confirmation email informing you of your automatic renewal application approval. Automated renewal applications will be manually reviewed by staff at a later date, and any applications found to be inaccurate or incomplete will require corrections or updates from the registrant. 

The annual practice permit fee for the 2025/26 permit year remains at $599.  

An administrative fee of $150 will be applied if:  

• Your form is submitted after October 14 at 11:59 PM (MT);   

• Your form is submitted before October 14 at 11:59 PM (MT), but your practice permit fee has not been paid by October 14 at 11:59 PM (MT); or  

• Your form is submitted before October 14 at 11:59 PM (MT), but contains knowingly inaccurate or misleading information or documents.  

A late fee of $119.80 will apply to renewal forms that are not complete and cannot be approved by the College by 11:59pm MT on October 31. 

Visit the ACDH Fee Schedule page to learn more about fees. 

Ensure that you have turned off any pop-up blockers in your browser before you begin your renewal form. 

When you have finished filling out all required information in the form, you will be required to submit your form, which will open up a payment page in a new window. If pop-up blockers are turned on in your browser, your renewal form will be submitted without payment. Renewal forms submitted without payment will NOT be reviewed or approved until payment has been received. 

If you submit a renewal form without payment: 

• Go to your Registrant Portal and click on the “Payment Summary” tab at the top. 

• You will see a red button that says “Click to Pay”. Click on that button and a payment window will open. 

• Complete the steps in the payment window. 

• Refresh the Payment Summary tab to ensure that your Renewal Fee is now showing as "Paid." 

Registrants are required to complete and maintain current CPR certification intended for health care providers (e.g. Basic Life Support BLS or Health Care Provider HCP level).  Read the detailed CPR requirements in the Registration and Practice Permit Renewal Policy. CPR-C does NOT meet the requirements of the policy. 

Per the policy, a lapse in CPR certification of no more than 30 days is permitted. However, your CPR certification must be current (i.e. issued within the past 12 months) at the time you submit your application for Renewal. 

Example Scenarios: 

CPR lapse prior to the Annual Renewal period: A registrant completed BLS CPR on July 5, 2024. Their CPR certification is no longer considered to be current as of July 5, 2025, per College policies. The registrant is permitted a lapse of no more than 30 days and must complete their new CPR certification by August 4, 2025 at the latest. 

CPR lapse during the Annual Renewal period: A registrant completed BLS CPR on September 3, 2024. Their CPR certification is no longer considered to be current as of September 3, 2025, per College policies. The registrant is allowed a lapse of no more than 30 days until October 3, 2025; however, the system will not permit them to submit a renewal form with a CPR certification that is not considered to be current (completed within the last 12 months). They will be required to complete and upload a current CPR certification in the Continuing Competence tab of the Registrant Portal before opening the renewal form. 

Go to the PLI tab in the Registrant Portal. Once you have clicked on the tab, you will see a button to "Upload New Professional Liability Insurance Certificate." Underneath that will be a table of your existing PLI entries. 

Click the blue "Upload New Professional Liability Insurance Certificate" button above the table to upload a new Professional Liability Insurance policy in the form. Your PLI for the entirety of the upcoming permit year (November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026) must be uploaded using this form prior to opening your renewal form. 

In the PLI form, your name, registration number, and email address will auto-populate. After you view the examples of acceptable proof of insurance, you can enter the information for your upcoming policy. Type the name of the insurance provider and policy number. Ensure that when you enter the Effective Date and Expiry Date, you enter the dates listed on the policy, not the date that you are filling out the form or the date you purchased the coverage. 

 Upload a clear, legible insurance policy document that shows your full name, the policy start and end dates, the policy number, and the coverage amount. Read the Registration and Practice Permit Renewal Policy to ensure that your PLI entry and documents meet the requirements. Membership cards and receipts are not proof of professional liability insurance and will not be accepted. 

Once you have completed the form, click "Submit." Refresh the PLI tab in the Registrant Portal and you will see your new entry listed at the top of the table with a status of "Submitted." 

You can also read more detailed step-by-step instructions for entering your PLI in the Registrant Portal How-To Guide. 

The status of your upcoming PLI entry will remain "Submitted" until your renewal form has been submitted and approved. A status of “Submitted” will not stop you from starting or submitting your renewal form. 

Please submit your renewal form as soon as possible after completing all pre-renewal steps in the Registrant Portal. College staff will review your PLI certificate when they review your renewal form.

Per the Continuing Competence Standard of Practice and Continuing Competence Program Manual: 

A registrant must obtain a minimum of 45 program credits in each 3-year reporting period.  

• Registrants can report only actual hours of attendance or participation, regardless of the number of credits that are listed on the course certificate. 

• Credits must be reported in 15-minute increments.  

• Some activities have specific credit limits or documentation requirements. Refer to the program manual for full details. 

If you are in the final year of reporting period, your 45 credits must be entered in your Continuing Competence tab prior to opening your renewal form. 

If you are NOT in the final year of your reporting period, you will be able to proceed with your renewal form regardless of the number of credits reported; however, your CPR certification must be current (i.e. completed within the last 12 months) and entered into the Continuing Competence tab in the Registrant Portal. For more information about CPR requirements, see above.  

If you are a new registrant, who initially registered with the College after November 1, 2024, your reporting period will not begin until November 1, 2025.

Once you have submitted a learning activity for program credits, the credits are calculated and immediately reflected in the Credits Eligible column. As per the Continuing Competence Program Manual, registrants can claim hour-for-hour program credits in 15-minute increments. For example, a course that took two hours to complete can be claimed for two credits. A module that took 15 minutes to complete can be claimed for 0.25 credits. 

There is no approval of credits at the time of submission, however, the College maintains the ability to seek additional verification of the registrant’s attendance, participation, and/or completion of activities. This includes verification of time reported for hour-per-hour program credits. Registrants must be able to justify that reported learning activities have significant intellectual or practical content related to their practice of dental hygiene, oral health, or the professional responsibility and ethical obligations of the registrant. 

The Competence Committee has the authority to adjust the number and category of credits accepted for any reported activity. 

Read more FAQs about the Continuing Competence program. 

Per the Registration and Practice Permit Renewal Policy: “Registrants on the General register must obtain 600 practice hours in their 3-year Continuing Competence Program reporting period.” 

If you are in the final year of reporting period, the total number of practice hours you have entered since the beginning of your reporting period must total more than 600. If you have not obtained 600 total hours by the final year of your reporting period, you will be unable to submit your renewal form. 

Example: 

A registrant with a November 1, 2022 to October 31, 2025 reporting period is renewing their permit for the 2025-2026 permit year. 

Their self-reported practice hours for previous permit years within their reporting period are: 

This registrant has reported 450 total practice hours in their reporting period so far. The registrant must report at least 150 practice hours for the November 1, 2024 to October 31, 2025 permit year, for a total of 600 in their three year reporting period, in order to submit their renewal form. 

If you are NOT in the final year of your reporting period, you will be able to proceed with your renewal form regardless of the number of practice hours you enter. However, be aware of your reporting period dates and the requirements you must meet by the end of your reporting period. 

Additional information about entering practice hours is below. 

You will be required to enter your practice hours for the current permit year from November 1 to October 31 in the renewal form. 

Estimate the total number of hours you expect to work between November 1 and October 31. This number will be the sum of the number of hours you have already worked in the current permit year and an estimation of the number of hours you expect to work between the date of submitting your renewal form and October 31. 

If you are a new registrant who registered with the College after November 1, 2024, enter your practice hours from your date of registration until October 31, 2025. 

How to Calculate Your Practice Hours 

Estimate the total number of hours you expect to work between November 1, 2024 and October 31, 2025. This number will be the sum of the number of hours you have already worked in the current permit year and an estimation of the number of hours you expect to work between the date of submitting your Renewal application and October 31. 

Example: A registrant submits their renewal form via the form in the Registrant Portal on September 12. They start by calculating their practice hours between November 1, 2024 and September 12, 2025. They calculate that number to be 1425 hours. 

Then, the registrant estimates the number of hours they will work between September 13, 2025 and October 31, 2025. If this registrant works an average of 25 hours per week, that means they can estimate that they will work 175 more hours by October 31, 2025. 

The calculation for this is: [Total number of hours worked between November 1, 2024 and application submission] + [Estimated number of hours that you expect to work between application submission and October 31, 2025] = Total number of practice hours entered in the form 

In this example, [1425 hours] + [175 hours] = 1600 practice hours 

If you need to edit your previously submitted practice hours, fill out the “Request for Practice Hours Correction” form in the Practice Hours tab of the Registrant Portal. Please note that your Practice Hours will not be automatically updated once you submit the form. Once the requested change is approved by College staff, you will see the new number reflected in the Portal. 

Dental hygienists can report practice hours according to the Registration and Practice Permit Renewal Policy. This policy requires dental hygienists to report practice hours obtained in Canada that meet the dental hygiene practice statement (Health Professions Act, Schedule 5).   

The practice of dental hygiene includes the roles of clinician, educator, researcher, administrator, health promoter, and consultant. You can claim practice hours in any of those roles if the activity you are doing assesses, diagnoses, or treats oral health conditions by providing therapeutic, educational, and preventive dental hygiene procedures and strategies to promote wellness. If you can justify that the activity does this, then it falls within the practice of dental hygiene and you may claim it for practice hours. 

Your VSC must be obtained from the police service or RCMP detachment in the jurisdiction in which you reside. A VSC can only be obtained from a police service or RCMP detachment and cannot be obtained by a third party provider of criminal record checks.

Some law enforcement agencies may provide online forms to request a VSC, but others may require you to attend in person. Check with your local detachment in advance to determine how to apply for a VSC, the cost, and any additional requirements (e.g., identification, letter).

If your local police service or RCMP detachment requires a letter in order to complete a VSC, please provide them with this document: ACDH Vulnerable Sector Check Letter. This letter has been updated as of June 2024.

Registrants residing outside of Alberta but within Canada can request a VSC from their local police service or RCMP detachment.

The College will not accept any form of criminal record check from international police services or other international record providers. If you are currently outside of Canada, contact the police service or RCMP detachment that serves the Canadian jurisdiction you were most recently residing in.

Go to the Registrant Portal and click on the VSC tab. Here, you can confirm your reporting period and VSC requirement. If you are required to submit a VSC to the College this year, click the "Vulnerable Sector Check" link in the Links table on the right hand side of the Portal. 

In the form, enter the required information and upload a clear scan or photo of your VSC document. Enter your full name in the signature box and click "Submit."

Do not email, fax, or mail your VSC to the College.

A vulnerable sector check is a type of criminal record check. According to the Edmonton Police Service, “A Vulnerable Sector Check involves a search of the automated criminal records (pardoned sex offender) retrieval system maintained by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to identify the existence of sex offences for which a record suspension or pardon exists.”

Section 28(1)(h) of the Health Professions Act allows Colleges to require criminal record checks for registration and practice permit renewal. Because dental hygienists in Alberta routinely provide services to seniors, children, or other vulnerable persons, and that the College's primary responsibility is public safety in all practice settings, the type of criminal record check required is a vulnerable sector check.

Criminal record checks that do not include a vulnerable sector check will not be accepted.

The processing time for a vulnerable check may take anywhere from seven days to several months. The College encourages you to obtain and submit your VSC as early as possible in the final year of your reporting period.

Fees for a vulnerable sector check are determined and collected by the police service or RCMP detachment providing them. Check with the police service or RCMP detachment in your region to confirm the applicable fees.

Registrants are responsible for the cost of obtaining their VSC.

The policy states that registrants must obtain and submit a VSC that is issued within the final year of their 3-year Continuing Competence Program reporting period. Registrants with a 2022 - 2025 reporting period must provide a VSC that was issued between November 1, 2024 and October 31, 2025.

College staff will review each submitted VSC to verify the document. If your VSC contains positive records or findings (e.g., criminal charges), the College will assess those findings on a case-by-case basis and may request additional information.