1. (a) Any person desiring to practice dentistry in the State of Texas must possess a license issued by the State Board of Dental Examiners (Board) as required by the Dental Practice Act and Board rules.
2. (b) Any applicant for licensure under this chapter must meet the requirements of this section.

3. (c) To be eligible for licensure, an applicant must present on or accompanying a licensure application form approved by the Board proof satisfactory to the Board that the applicant:

   1. (1) Is at least 21 years of age;

   2. (2) Has submitted documentation of proof of United States citizenship, legal permanent residency in the United States, or federal work authorization. This requirement applies for initial and renewal applications. The applicant must submit one of the following:

      1. (A) a valid, unexpired driver's license or state identification certificate issued by a state or territory of the United States that complies with the minimum document requirements and issuance standards for federal recognition under the REAL ID Act of 2005, Public Law 109-13, unless the driver's license is marked "Limited Term" or "Temporary";
      2. (B) a valid, unexpired driver's license or state identification certificate that does not comply with REAL ID issued by one of the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, or Wyoming;

      3. (C) a valid passport. Valid passport is defined as:

         1. (i) an unexpired passport or passport card issued by the United States government; or
         2. (ii) an unexpired passport issued by the government of another country accompanied by a current permanent resident card or unexpired immigrant visa issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security;
      4. (D) a valid, unexpired license to carry a handgun issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety under Government Code, Chapter 411, Subchapter H;
      5. (E) a United States Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570); or
      6. (F) a United States Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561);
   3. (3) Is professionally fit, which is demonstrated by patterns of personal, academic and occupational behaviors, including final or pending disciplinary action on an occupational license in any jurisdiction, which, in the judgment of the Board, indicate honesty, accountability, trustworthiness, reliability, integrity, and ability;
   4. (4) Has successfully completed a current course in basic life support;
   5. (5) Has taken and passed the jurisprudence assessment administered by the Board or an entity designated by the Board within one year immediately prior to application;
   6. (6) Has paid all application fees required by the Dental Practice Act and Board rules;
   7. (7) Has submitted fingerprints for the retrieval of criminal history record information;
   8. (8) Has completed a course in human trafficking prevention approved by the executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission; and
   9. (9) Has submitted a National Practitioner Data Bank self-query report upon initial licensure. The report results must remain in the original sealed envelope.
4. (d) In conjunction with the application, the applicant must provide any information requested by the Board pursuant to §254.019(b) of the Dental Practice Act. If an applicant fails to comply with this subsection, then the applicant is subject to disciplinary action, which includes administrative fines and public disciplinary sanctions.
5. (e) Applications for licensure must be delivered to the office of the Board.
6. (f) An application for licensure is filed with the Board when it is actually received, date-stamped, and logged-in by the Board along with all required documentation and fees. An incomplete application for licensure and fee will be returned to the applicant with an explanation of additional documentation or information needed.
7. (g) Each applicant must submit to the Board the documents and information required by this chapter and other documents or information requested by the Board to evaluate an application and take appropriate actions.
8. (h) An applicant for licensure is ineligible if they are in violation of a board order at the time of application.

Source Note:The provisions of this §101.1 adopted to be effective January 1, 1976; amended to be effective February 6, 1977, 2 TexReg 248; amended to be effective March 9, 1984, 9 TexReg 1216; amended to be effective September 6, 1991, 16 TexReg 4619; amended to be effective February 20, 1992, 17 TexReg 1089; amended to be effective December 24, 1992, 17 TexReg 8729; amended to be effective April 21, 1993, 18 TexReg 2300; amended to be effective June 2, 1993, 18 TexReg 3277; amended to be effective December 14, 1993, 18 TexReg 8901; amended to be effective December 3, 1997, 22 TexReg 11672; amended to be effective May 10, 2004, 29 TexReg 4473; amended to be effective October 7,2009, 34 TexReg 6849; amended to be effective December 22, 2010, 35 TexReg 11253; amended to be effective May 29, 2013, 38 TexReg 3344; amended to be effective August 25, 2013, 38 TexReg 5261; amended to be effective April 2, 2014, 39 TexReg 2288; amended to be effective December 28, 2014, 39 TexReg 10013; amended to be effective May 10, 2018, 43 TexReg 2772; amended to be effective September 30, 2021, 46 TexReg 6404; amended to be effective August 28, 2025, 50 TexReg 5468; amended to be effective March 15, 2026, 51 TexReg 1652.