Is a consent decree between the Board and an unlicensed hygienist publicly accessible?

• A. Yes.
• B. Only with a court order.
• C. Depends on the case.
• D. No.

Answer: (D)

Consent decrees in this context are administrative settlements, not court judgments. When the Board resolves a matter with an unlicensed hygienist through a consent decree, the document typically stays within the agency’s records rather than becoming a filed court record. Unless the decree is actually filed in court or expressly opened to public inspection, it isn’t automatically made available to the general public. In short, the default is that such a consent decree is not publicly accessible, though a court filing or a different court-ordered disposition could be public.