Learn more about the Canadian Dental Care Plan

Annual Licence Renewal

Dentists must renew their certificate of registration with the College each year to continue practising dentistry in Ontario. If you do not renew or resign, your certificate of registration will be suspended for non-payment of fees.


How do I renew?

  • Log into RCDSO Portal
  • Complete the renewal questionnaire.
  • Complete the Health Professions Database (HPDB) questionnaire.
  • Pay your annual fee.
  • If you require a password or have forgotten it, click "Forgot Password" on the login page. 

Membership and renewal questions? Email registration@rcdso.org

Technical issues accessing the portal? Email paperless@rcdso.org

What is the deadline for completing my online renewal?

December 15, annually. Late fees apply if payment is received after that date.

What is the annual fee?

  • $3,075 – on or before December 15
  • $3,575 – Fee + $500 late penalty for payments processed after December 15
  • Last day to renew with the late fee is January 31

The annual fee includes both PLP malpractice coverage and your regulatory certificate of registration,

The annual membership fee is $3,075 for 2024: $1,000 is related to PLP liability malpractice protection (which includes $2M of coverage) and $2,075 relates to your regulatory certificate of registration. 

Click here for a summary of all member fees charged by the College . 

What if I am not renewing?

If you are not renewing your certificate of registration, submit a completed resignation form before December 15 to avoid suspension for non-payment of fees. Your resignation will be made effective December 31. The resignation form is available in the member portal. 

If you have a current certificate(s) of authorization for a Health Profession Corporation, the revocation of the certificate(s) will be automatic upon the effective date of your resignation.

If you do not renew your license, you will not be entitled to practice in the new year.

What happens if I do not renew or resign?

If you do not pay the fees and complete the renewal process or resign by January 31:

Practising without being registered

  • Practising while your certificate of registration is suspended or revoked is illegal and a serious offence.
  • If your certificate of registration is suspended or revoked you are prohibited from practising dentistry in Ontario.

Completing the renewal questionnaire 

Every year as part of your annual renewal, you are required by law to provide the College with specific information using the renewal questionnaire. Dentists are required to complete the renewal themselves given the nature of the information being asked and attested to. 

We collect additional information through the annual renewal questionnaire to inform policy decisions and improve College programs and initiatives, including access to care.  

Our goals are to:  

  • Meet our statutory requirements as regulator
  • Provide a reliable and consistent source of data to inform College decision-making
  • Contribute to oral health care system changes
  • Analyze and respond to emerging trends in dentistry

The renewal questions focus on the following areas: 

  • Statutory Questions  
  • Quality and Safety
  • Clinical Practice Activity  
  • Ownership and Operations 
  • Declaration  

The renewal questionnaire and the HPDB questionnaire will take about 30-45 minutes to complete. You must answer all questions before you can renew your certificate of registration. 

Mandatory reporting obligations 

Mandatory reporting obligations in the legislation require you to answer questions about: 

  • Charges related to any offence 
  • Conditions of release (bail conditions or restrictions) following a charge for any offence or subsequent to a finding of guilt and pending appeal 
  • Other professional licences/registration 

 You are also legally required to answer: 

  • Whether you have findings of guilt related to any offence in any jurisdiction 
  • Whether a Court/Judge made a finding of professional negligence or malpractice against you 
  • Whether you have been the subject of an investigation or the subject of a proceeding for professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity relating to another profession in Ontario or any profession in any other jurisdiction. 
  • Whether you have a finding of professional misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity relating to another profession in Ontario or any profession in any other jurisdiction. 

What is an “Offence”? 

The legislation does not specify.  All offences should be reported to the College. 

Do I need to report again if I previously reported some of this information to the College? 

If you have already reported this information to the College and there are no changes to it, you are not required to report it again. However, if any of the above circumstances arise in the future, or there are changes to information you previously reported, you are legally obliged to report this information to the College in writing as soon as is reasonably possible. 

What if I fail to report? 

Failure to report information to the College in a timely manner may result in regulatory consequences. 

What will be made public? 

We are required by law to make information available to the public on our Register about: 

  • Findings of guilt under the Criminal Code (Canada) or the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act(Canada). 
  • Findings of guilt for offences other than those under the Criminal Code(Canada) or the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) if the Registrar believes this would be in the public interest. 
  • Outstanding charges under the Criminal Code(Canada) or the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada). 
  • Currently existing conditions of release following a charge under the Criminal Code (Canada) or the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act(Canada) and conditions of release subsequent to a finding of guilt. The College must also make information available about any variations to those conditions, if applicable. 
  • A licence or registration to practise another profession in Ontario or any profession in any other jurisdiction. 
  • Disciplinary findings and findings of professional misconduct or incompetence made by a regulatory or licensing authority in any jurisdiction. 

The Government has made exceptions where a member has received a record suspension from the Parole Board of Canada, a pardon, or the conviction has been overturned on appeal. This information should be noted when a report is submitted to the College. 

The Registrar also has discretion not to post information that he believes is obsolete and/or no longer relevant to a member’s ability to practice.  If information about you is posted on the register that you believe is obsolete or no longer relevant, you may submit an application for the Registrar to consider removing the information. The application form is available on the RCDSO Portal with applicable fee. 

Amalgam waste disposal 

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Environment requires that we report compliance with the Amalgam Waste Regulation every year. You must confirm that your amalgam waste separator meets or exceeds ISO standards. 

Compliance with the QA program 

You must self-declare whether you are in compliance with the Quality Assurance Program requirements.

Health Professions Database questionnaire  

All dentists are required to complete the Health Professions Database questionnaire as part of the College's renewal process. This mandatory questionnaire from the Ministry of Health provides the government with a snapshot of Ontario's regulated healthcare workforce to inform health human resources planning. 
 
Learn more about this mandatory questionnaire. 

Questions?