Practice Pending License
Thanks to the advocacy efforts of the Illinois State Dental Society, the Illinois Dental Practice Act allows dentist and dental hygienists that are new graduates to practice under the delegation of a licensed “supervising” dentist while awaiting licensure.
This law was passed so that new graduates could start practicing sooner while they wait for their license. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) refers to this as practice of license-pending status.
New graduates who choose to practice under the license-pending status must meet and provide proof of the following criteria to the supervising dentist:
- Completion and passage of licensure examination
- Provides the employer with an official written notification indicating successful passage of the licensure examination
- Completed and submitted to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) an application for licensure. The applicant should keep the receipt of application they receive from IDFPR.
- Submitted the required licensure fee to IDFPR
The option to practice under the license-pending status automatically terminates under the following conditions:
- Licensure from IDFPR is received
- Notification from IDFPR that the license application was denied
- IDFPR requests the applicant to stop practicing under the license-pending status
- Six (6) months have passed since the applicant passed their licensure examination
Individuals wishing to practice and dentists wishing to employ individuals under these provisions, should contact their individual malpractice carrier for more information regarding malpractice coverage.
