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West Virginia Dentist — License Examination Requirements

US-WV · License preparation

This page provides licensing requirements, not a question bank. Review the applicable pathway and official sources below.

Licenses, application pathways and examination requirements

Each license and applicant pathway has its own requirements and exemptions. Choosing practice questions does not determine your eligibility.

Dental Specialty License

License authorizing a West Virginia-licensed dentist to represent and practice as a specialist in a Board-recognized specialty under W. Va. Code §30-4-8a.

Licensing authority: West Virginia Board of Dentistry · Application information

Specialty licensure
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
General License
Holds, or applies simultaneously for, a West Virginia general dental license (§30-4-8a(b)(2); 5CSR9 §5-9-5.1).
Interview And Standing
Personal interview and verification of good standing of all health care licenses (5CSR9 §5-9-5.5-5.6).
Orthodontics Written Examination
An orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics applicant submits verification of successful completion of the American Board of Orthodontics written examination (§30-4-8a(c)(5)); this is prior evidence, not a Board examination.
Specialty Education
Completed a Board-recognized CODA-accredited specialty/advanced education program meeting the minimum length for the specialty in §30-4-8a(c).
Universal Licensing Alternative
A West Virginia resident or military spouse licensed as a specialist in another state may apply under §30-1-27 using the Board specialty application.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-08-21.

Special Volunteer Dental License

Fee-free license for retired or retiring dentists who provide uncompensated care to indigent and needy patients through a free clinic under W. Va. Code §30-4-15.

Licensing authority: West Virginia Board of Dentistry · Application information

Special volunteer license
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Clinic Agreement
Written agreement with an organized clinic that provides malpractice coverage (5CSR9 §5-9-11.4; §30-4-15(c)).
Continuing Education
Continuing education required for special volunteer licensees (5CSR9 §5-9-11.3; §30-4-15(a)(4)).
Disqualification
The Board is not required to issue the license to a dentist whose license has been disciplined, surrendered or allowed to lapse in lieu of action, or who has been denied a license (§30-4-15(f)).
Eligibility
Dentist retired or retiring from active practice who is licensed or otherwise eligible for licensure, meaning all §30-4-8 requirements except fees are satisfied, including examinations passed earlier (§30-4-15(a), (e)).
Practice Limits
Practice exclusively devoted to needy and indigent persons in West Virginia at a free clinic, without payment or compensation (§30-4-15(a)(1)-(2)).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-08-21.

Special Volunteer Event License for Out of State Licensees

Temporary authorization of up to ten days for a dentist licensed in another state to volunteer at a charitable event under W. Va. Code §30-1-21.

Licensing authority: West Virginia Board of Dentistry · Application information

Charitable event authorization
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Discipline
Not eligible with completed discipline in any of the three most recent years or pending disciplinary action (§30-1-21(a)).
Event
Volunteer without compensation at a charitable function for no more than ten days; notify the Board of the practice and dates and list all licenses held in the previous three years (§30-1-21(a)-(b)).
Fee
No fee (§30-1-21(d)).
Out Of State License
Holds an unrestricted dental license granted by another state or jurisdiction (§30-1-21(a)).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-21.