Teacher Certification Requirements

Federal & State Law Editorial TeamLast reviewed: April 2026

State-by-state comparison of teacher certification requirements including degree requirements, required testing, interstate reciprocity, and renewal standards.

50 States4 data columnsLast updated: Mar 2025

Click any column header to sort ascending or descending. Click again to reverse, and a third time to reset.

State	Degree	Testing	Reciprocity	Renewal
Alabama	Bachelor's required	Praxis or AECTE exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 50 CE hours
Alaska	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits
Arizona	Bachelor's required	Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments	NASDTEC + reciprocity with most states	Every 6 years; professional development
Arkansas	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 60 PD hours
California	Bachelor's required	CBEST + CSET subject exams	Limited (may require additional exams)	Every 5 years; 150 PD hours
Colorado	Bachelor's required	Praxis or PLACE exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; professional development
Connecticut	Bachelor's required	Praxis or CT-specific exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 90 PD hours
Delaware	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 90 PD hours
Florida	Bachelor's required	Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE)	NASDTEC + temporary certificate for OOS	Every 5 years; 6 college credits or 120 PD
Georgia	Bachelor's required	GACE subject exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 10 PLU credits
Hawaii	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits
Idaho	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits
Illinois	Bachelor's required	edTPA + Illinois Licensure Testing System	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; PD hours vary by level
Indiana	Bachelor's required	CASA + content area exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 90 PD hours
Iowa	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits or equiv.
Kansas	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; professional development
Kentucky	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; PD plan
Louisiana	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 150 PD hours
Maine	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits
Maryland	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits
Massachusetts	Bachelor's required	MTEL subject exams	NASDTEC (conditional)	Every 5 years; 150 PD points
Michigan	Bachelor's required	MTTC subject exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits or 150 PD hrs
Minnesota	Bachelor's required	MTLE exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 125 clock hours
Mississippi	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 10 CEU credits
Missouri	Bachelor's required	MoGEA + content exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 4 years; 15 PD points
Montana	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 60 renewal units
Nebraska	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits
Nevada	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits
New Hampshire	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 3 years; professional development
New Jersey	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 100 PD hours
New Mexico	Bachelor's required	NES or Praxis exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; PD dossier
New York	Master's required within 5 yrs	edTPA + CST exams	NASDTEC (conditional)	Every 5 years; 100 PD hours
North Carolina	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 8 credits or 80 PD hrs
North Dakota	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 4 credits
Ohio	Bachelor's required	OAE exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 semester hours or 180 PD
Oklahoma	Bachelor's required	OSAT + OGET exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 75 PD points
Oregon	Bachelor's required	edTPA or equivalent	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; PD units
Pennsylvania	Bachelor's required	Praxis + PECT exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits or 180 PD hrs
Rhode Island	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits
South Carolina	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 120 renewal credits
South Dakota	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits
Tennessee	Bachelor's required	Praxis or edTPA	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; PD points
Texas	Bachelor's required	TExES subject exams	NASDTEC (review required)	Every 5 years; 150 CPE hours
Utah	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; professional development
Vermont	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; professional development
Virginia	Bachelor's required	Praxis + Virginia-specific exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 180 PD points
Washington	Bachelor's required	edTPA + WEST-B exams	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 150 clock hours
West Virginia	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits or 100 PD hrs
Wisconsin	Bachelor's required	Praxis or WI-specific	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 6 credits
Wyoming	Bachelor's required	Praxis required	NASDTEC Interstate Agreement	Every 5 years; 5 credits

Teacher certification requirements vary by endorsement area and may change. Alternative certification pathways exist in most states. Verify with your state department of education.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.