Nevada is one of the few states that sets its dental CE requirement annually rather than per renewal cycle, and one of the few whose radiation program publishes how often it inspects. It also has a non-compete statute with a provision that reaches straight into a dental office: a covenant not to compete may not apply to an employee paid solely on an hourly wage basis. In most practices that describes the assistants and the front desk.
Key takeaways
- Dentists complete at least 20 hours of approved CE annually, or 40 biennially, with at least 15 clinical hours annually and at least 2 hours annually in infection control.
- Dental hygienists complete at least 15 hours annually, or 30 biennially, with at least 12 clinical hours annually and the same 2-hour infection control minimum.
- Home study, online and self-study formats may count for no more than 50 percent of the required hours.
- Under NRS 613.195, a noncompetition covenant may not apply to an employee who is paid solely on an hourly wage basis, exclusive of tips or gratuities, and a court must revise an overbroad covenant rather than simply enforcing it as written.
Rules change, so verify before you act. Everything below was checked against an official Nevada or federal source in September 2026. CE rules and registration requirements change. Confirm with the Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners and the Radiation Control Program, and take employment and tax questions to a Nevada attorney or CPA.
Who regulates what
| Topic | Agency | Official link |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist and hygienist licensure and renewal | Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners | Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners |
| Continuing education requirements | Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners | Continuing education and program support |
| Dentistry regulations | Nevada Administrative Code chapter 631 | NAC chapter 631, dentistry and dental hygiene |
| X-ray machine registration | Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, Radiation Control Program, Radiation Producing Machines | Radiation Producing Machines FAQs |
| Radiation program overview | Nevada DPBH | Radiation control programs |
| Radiologic imaging statutes | Nevada Revised Statutes chapter 653 | NRS chapter 653 |
| Amalgam separators and dental wastewater | US EPA rule, enforced by your local pretreatment control authority | EPA dental effluent guidelines |
| Noncompetition covenants | Nevada Revised Statutes 613.195 | NRS chapter 613 |
| Bloodborne pathogens, hazard communication, PPE | Nevada OSHA, plus federal OSHA standards | OSHA |
License renewal and continuing education
Nevada states its CE in annual terms, with a biennial equivalent. The board and NAC chapter 631 give the same structure:
| Requirement | Dentist | Dental hygienist |
|---|---|---|
| Total CE | 20 hours annually, 40 biennially | 15 hours annually, 30 biennially |
| Clinical subjects, minimum | 15 annually, 30 biennially | 12 annually, 24 biennially |
| Infection control, minimum | 2 annually, 4 biennially | 2 annually, 4 biennially |
Several requirements sit alongside those totals:
- CPR. All practitioners must maintain current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or another medically acceptable means of maintaining basic bodily functions that support life.
- Controlled substances. A dentist registered to dispense controlled substances must complete 2 additional hours on controlled substance misuse.
- Bioterrorism. New licensees must complete a separate 4-hour bioterrorism course within two years of initial licensure.
- SBIRT. All licensees must provide proof of completion of screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment training at renewal.
- Format cap. Courses completed through home study, online study or self-study may count for no more than 50 percent of the total required hours.
The 50 percent format cap and the clinical minimum together mean that a dentist cannot satisfy Nevada by buying an online bundle. At least 15 of the 20 annual hours have to be clinical, and at least 10 of the 20 have to be something other than self-study.
The two items most likely to be missed are the ones that are not annual: the 4-hour bioterrorism course for new licensees within two years of initial licensure, and the SBIRT proof at renewal. If you have just moved to Nevada, calendar the bioterrorism course in your first year rather than your second.
X-ray equipment: registration and inspection
Nevada's Radiation Producing Machines program publishes more operational detail than most states, and one rule stands out: the person or company who operates the machine is responsible for the registration and the fees, regardless of who owns it. If you lease a CBCT or take one on a rental arrangement, the registration obligation is yours, not the lessor's.
The mechanics the program states:
- New machines must be registered before use, and it usually takes about 30 days to get the certificate if the application is complete.
- Moving a machine requires written notice to the Radiation Control Program on company letterhead 30 days before the move, with the new physical address. A post office box is not accepted.
- When you transfer or dispose of a machine, you must inform the program and terminate the registration.
- A new owner has 30 days after receipt to register an operable machine.
- Inspections run at one to five year intervals, depending on the type of machine and the scope of the operation.
That 30-day advance notice on relocation is the item most likely to bite. A practice relocation planned around a lease end date needs the notice filed a month before the movers arrive, not the week of.
The FAQ we read does not state registration fee amounts or the renewal frequency, so ask the program. For general mechanics see dental x-ray registration and inspections, plus intraoral x-ray units, panoramic units and CBCT units.
Buying and selling used equipment in Nevada
The operator registers, and the buyer has 30 days
Two rules define a used equipment transaction in Nevada. The seller informs the program and terminates the registration. The buyer registers the operable machine within 30 days of receipt. Neither step happens automatically, and a seller who skips the termination stays on the books for a machine sitting in someone else's operatory.
When you are buying a practice, ask for the current certificate of registration and the machine list, then check whether the registrant name matches the operating entity. Because Nevada ties registration to the operator rather than the owner, a practice that changed its entity structure at some point may have a registration in a name that no longer exists.
Relocation is a filing with a lead time
If the deal involves moving equipment to a new address, put the 30-day written notice on the project plan alongside the movers and the IT cutover. Our guide to moving a dental office covers the sequence, and disconnecting dental equipment safely covers the physical side.
Amalgam separators and wastewater
The federal EPA rule at 40 CFR Part 441 applies to dental offices that place or remove amalgam and discharge to a publicly owned treatment works. Operate and maintain a separator, do not discharge scrap amalgam or use certain line cleaners, and file a one-time compliance report with your pretreatment control authority, which in Nevada is typically the county or municipal water reclamation authority. Ask what it expects from a new owner at closing. See amalgam separators and dental waste disposal.
Before you commit to a used imaging purchase, run the pre-purchase equipment checklist and read the hidden costs of buying used equipment.
Non-competes and employment
Nevada governs noncompetition covenants by statute at NRS 613.195, and the statute is written as a set of validity conditions. A covenant must be supported by valuable consideration, must be reasonably limited in scope, must not impose an undue hardship on the employee, and its restrictions must be appropriate in relation to the consideration given.
Three provisions matter especially in a dental office:
- Hourly employees are out. A noncompetition covenant may not apply to an employee who is paid solely on an hourly wage basis, exclusive of any tips or gratuities. In a typical practice that covers assistants and front office staff, and sometimes hygienists depending on how they are paid.
- Patients who follow you on their own. An employer may not restrict a former employee from providing service to a former customer or client if the employee did not solicit them, the customer voluntarily chose to leave and seek services from the employee, and the employee is otherwise complying with the limitations of the covenant as to time, geography and scope.
- Courts must revise, not just strike. If a covenant imposes restraints greater than necessary, the court shall revise it to the extent necessary and enforce it as revised. An overbroad covenant is not automatically void in Nevada.
The statute also requires a court to award reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the employee when a covenant is improperly applied to an hourly wage worker or when the unsolicited customer provision is violated. That fee-shifting is what gives the hourly employee rule teeth.
If your practice hands every new hire the same restrictive covenant, including hourly assistants and front desk staff, Nevada's statute says that covenant does not apply to them and exposes you to a fee award if you try to enforce it. Have counsel build two different documents rather than one.
At the federal level, the FTC's non-compete rule is not in effect. On September 5, 2025 the Commission voted to dismiss its appeals and accede to the vacatur of the rule after a district court held the agency lacked authority to issue it. Nevada law controls. See non-compete agreements for dentists, the associate contract review checklist, and associate contract red flags.
What we could not confirm
- Nevada dentist and hygienist renewal dates and fee amounts. The board's CE page states hours but not the renewal calendar.
- Nevada radiation machine registration fees and renewal frequency. The program's FAQ does not state them.
- What credential or training a dental assistant must hold before exposing radiographs in Nevada. NAC 631.260 addresses radiographic procedures and references qualifications for persons assisting, but we could not confirm the specific pathway from the text we read.
- Whether Nevada's radiologic imaging statutes at NRS chapter 653 reach dental radiography performed in a dental office.
- Nevada limits on non-dentist ownership of a dental practice.
- Sales and use tax treatment of dental equipment, including private-party purchases. Confirm with the Nevada Department of Taxation and your CPA.
Where to verify
- Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners: board home and continuing education requirements
- Nevada Legislature: NAC chapter 631, dentistry and dental hygiene, NRS chapter 613 including 613.195, and NRS chapter 653
- Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health: Radiation Producing Machines FAQs and radiation control programs
- US Environmental Protection Agency: dental effluent guidelines, 40 CFR Part 441
- Federal Trade Commission: September 2025 statement acceding to vacatur of the non-compete rule
Putting it to work
Nevada's CE structure rewards planning in annual chunks rather than a cram year: 20 hours for a dentist, 15 of them clinical, 2 in infection control, and no more than half from self-study. Book one live clinical course a year and the rest fills in around it.
On the equipment side, remember that the operator registers, that a relocation needs 30 days of written notice on letterhead, and that a buyer has 30 days from receipt. On employment, the hourly employee provision in NRS 613.195 should change your paperwork today if you are still handing the same covenant to every hire.
Related reading: non-compete agreements for dentists, x-ray registration and inspections, the compliance chapter of the operations guide, and the rest of the state resources directory.
This guide is educational content and does not constitute legal, financial, tax, or clinical advice. Laws and regulations vary by state and change over time. Consult your own dental-specific attorney, CPA, and state dental board before acting.