1. (a) The State Board of Dental Examiners, pursuant to Occupations Code, Chapter 257, §257.001, Texas Civil Statutes has established a staggered license registration system comprised of initial dental hygiene license registration periods followed by annual registrations (i.e., renewals).

2. (b) The initial dental hygiene license registration periods will range from 6 months to 17 months. Each dental hygienist for whom an initial dental hygiene license registration is issued will be assigned a computer generated check digit. The length of the initial license registration period will be determined on the basis of the assigned check digit as follows:

   1. (1) A dental hygienist assigned to check digit 1 will be registered for 6 months;
   2. (2) A dental hygienist assigned to check digit 2 will be registered for 7 months;
   3. (3) A dental hygienist assigned to check digit 3 will be registered for 8 months;
   4. (4) A dental hygienist assigned to check digit 4 will be registered for 9 months;
   5. (5) A dental hygienist assigned to check digit 5 will be registered for 11 months;
   6. (6) A dental hygienist assigned to check digit 6 will be registered for 12 months;
   7. (7) A dental hygienist assigned to check digit 7 will be registered for 13 months;
   8. (8) A dental hygienist assigned to check digit 8 will be registered for 14 months;
   9. (9) A dental hygienist assigned to check digit 9 will be registered for 15 months; and
   10. (10) A dental hygienist assigned to check digit 10 will be registered for 17 months.
3. (c) Initial dental hygiene license registration fees will be prorated according to the number of months in the initial registration period.
4. (d) Subsequent to the initial registration period, a licensee's annual registration (renewal) will occur on the first day of the month that follows the last month of licensee's initial dental hygiene license registration period.
5. (e) Approximately 60 days prior to the expiration date of the initial dental hygiene license registration period, a license renewal notice will be mailed to all dental hygiene licensees who have that expiration date.
6. (f) A license registration expired for one year or more may not be renewed.
7. (g) An initial license issued under this chapter on or after September 1, 2009 expires on the 30th day after the date the license is issued if the holder of the license fails to pay the required license fee on or before the expiration date.

Source Note:The provisions of this §103.5 adopted to be effective September 21, 2004, 29 TexReg 9003; amended to be effective September 14, 2010, 35 TexReg 8342.