Licensure Resources
- In-State Requirements
- Out-of-State Requirements
- Permit to Teach
- Renewal for Retirees
- Teaching and Non-Teaching Work Experience Credit
- Testing Requirements
- Forms
- Beginning Teacher License
- Residency License
- Emergency License
In-State Requirements
Graduates of an accredited North Carolina college/university will work through their school to obtain a N.C. license. The school will notify the student of the college and state requirements for a license. Steps to obtaining a N.C. license.
Graduates will need to register for an online licensure account in order to finalize details and make payment for the application for a license created by the college/university. The licensure processing fee for this application must be paid by MasterCard or VISA credit card and is non-refundable.
If the graduate has previous teaching or non-teaching work experience, they should notify the college so they can include the experience forms when making the initial request to save the graduate money.
Forms You May Need:
Out-of-State Requirements
Educators that are licensed or have met requirements for licensure in another state should be eligible for a license in North Carolina. This is due to reciprocity agreements. North Carolina has reciprocity agreements with most states in the U.S.
North Carolina will issue a license to out-of-state applicants based on their degree program completed and/or license that is held from another state. The license will be issued in area(s) as close to the other state's as possible, but it may not be exact. For example, a license from New York for grades Kindergarten - 2 will be issued in N.C. as a Kindergarten - 6 because that is the closest area North Carolina issues. Also, some other areas may require additional course work or testing for licensure in North Carolina than another state may require, thus requiring that the applicant meet a few more requirements to get fully licensed in a certain area.
Applications for a N.C. license are made through the online licensure system. The educator must register for an account and then applications can be created. Documents such as transcripts, test scores, experience forms, etc. will have to be scanned and uploaded with the application.
Applying for this license requires a licensure processing fee. This fee must be paid by MasterCard or VISA credit card and is non-refundable.
Forms You May Need:
Permit to Teach
Effective July 1, 2016, at the request of the employing LEA, NCDPI may issue a permit to teach for a teaching assignment at the A-00 pay level to persons who hold at least a baccalaureate degree but who do not qualify for a license under any other approach. The permit to teach shall be valid for one year and may not be renewed. When an LEA requests a permit to teach, the LEA must document that no appropriately licensed professionals or persons who are eligible for a residency or lateral entry license are available to accept the position.
NOTE: Once an individual holds a Residency License, the individual may not hold a Permit to Teach or an Emergency License.
Renewal for Retirees
Retiree Renewal Clarification
Due to NC General Statue 115C-296(b), NCDPI's Licensure Section has established a 5-year window, immediately following the retirement date, during which a teacher is not required to obtain CEUs, regardless of when the teacher's license actually expires. The 5-year window begins at retirement. If a teacher otherwise licensed at retirement applies for a renewal of a license during the 5-year window, the Licensure Section will issue a 'new' or renewed license notwithstanding the absence of CEUs during the 5-year period. If seeking renewal based on this option, documentation from the Retirement System of the educator's retirement date is required and will need to be scanned and uploaded when making this request.
Teachers with 30 or more years of teaching experience in North Carolina may qualify for a retirement license. These licenses have specific renewal requirements as listed below. Individuals with fewer than 30 years of teaching experience in North Carolina do not qualify for a retirement license. Retired teachers with fewer than 30 years of teaching experience in North Carolina, Administrators, and Student Services Personnel, must follow the standard renewal cycle requirements listed in Section III of this policy to maintain a current license.
- For each license renewal cycle, teachers holding a retirement license must provide evidence of
- at least 640 hours of documented employment in a local school administrative unit, and;
- 4.0 credits of professional development (a minimum of 8 hours annually) approved by a local school administrative unit.
- A local board of education may select a retired principal or retired assistant principal to serve an interim principal for the remainder of any school year, regardless of licensure status.
A retired educator is responsible for applying for this renewal through the online licensure system. First the educator must register for an on-line licensure account and then create the application. If renewal is based on meeting the CEU requirements in place at the time of renewal, then proof of credits must be uploaded. The application will also require a non-refundable licensure processing fee which must be paid by credit card (MasterCard or VISA).
Teaching and Non-Teaching Work Experience Credit
Educators must first register for an on-line licensure account and then create the appropriate request to add experience credit. Use the links below to find out more information on eligibility requirements for professional educator (teaching) experience and non-teaching experience (work-related) credit.
Professional Educator experience is normally completed in a K-12 school setting. Non-Teaching experience credit is completed in the private sector and must be related to the educator's teaching assignment. Non-Teaching experience must also be recommended and submitted by the local school system before DPI will grant the credit.
All experience requests must be approved by DPI. Our school district normally begins paying on professional educator experience as soon as verification from the previous employer(s) is received by HR. Non-Teaching experience is not paid until DPI approves and grants the credit toward an educator's license. There is a non-refundable licensure processing fee for this request and requires payment by a VISA or MasterCard.
Testing Requirements
Educators must first register for an on-line licensure account and then create the appropriate request to add experience credit. Use the links below to find out more information on eligibility requirements for professional educator (teaching) experience and non-teaching experience (work-related) credit.
Professional Educator experience is normally completed in a K-12 school setting. Non-Teaching experience credit is completed in the private sector and must be related to the educator's teaching assignment. Non-Teaching experience must also be recommended and submitted by the local school system before DPI will grant the credit.
All experience requests must be approved by DPI. Our school district normally begins paying on professional educator experience as soon as verification from the previous employer(s) is received by HR. Non-Teaching experience is not paid until DPI approves and grants the credit toward an educator's license. There is a non-refundable licensure processing fee for this request and requires payment by a VISA or MasterCard.
Forms
- Form CE - Verification of Postsecondary Educator Experience
- Form E - Verification of K-12 Educator Experience
- Form ME - Verification of Military Service Experience
- Form NE - Verification of Non-teaching Experience
- Form U - North Carolina Professional Educator's License Update Form
- Form V - Verification by Institution: Completion of Approved Education Program
- Form RL- Residency License Form
- Credit Card Payment Authorization
- Licensure Fees
Beginning Teacher License
Beginning Teachers (with no previous teaching experience) will be issued an Initial teaching license. This license is issued for three years which will allow time for the new educator to complete the State required Initial Licensure Teacher (ILT) Program.
To be eligible for an Initial teaching license, an individual must have done the following:
- Completed a state teacher education program from a regionally accredited college or university, or
- Completed another state's approved alternative route to licensure, met the federal requirements to be designated as "Highly Qualified", and earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college.
All ILTs are required to participate in the Initial Teacher Program. Failure to participate could result in not being eligible to convert the Initial license to the Continuing license which is the five-year license.
Also, if an ILT did not complete the State required testing prior to the issuance of their license, they must ATTEMPT all the required tests during their first year of teaching and PASS all the required tests by the end of their third year of teaching to be eligible to convert their license to continuing. If all tests are not attempted and passed according to State policy, the license will expire and can't be reissued until all testing requirements are met. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the Initial license being expired by the State and ineligible for reissue until all State required testing is completed. (Lateral Entry licensed teachers do not have to attempt/pass during 1st or 2nd year of license. They have the full 3 years to meet testing requirements).
The deadline for passing required exams is August 15th unless it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then it will be the preceding Friday. If a teacher works for at least 120 workdays of an academic year, they are required to meet testing requirements of that year.
If a teacher taught in a private or charter school and believes they participated in a similar ILT program, they can have their previous school complete the Beginning Teacher Verification Form verifying the areas of participation and submit to HR for review. If it is confirmed that the years can count toward the ILT Program, the ILT's status will advance from a 1st year to a 2nd year ILT or a 2nd year to a 3rd year ILT. All ILTs will have to complete their 3rd and final year with VCS in order for the district to recommend conversion from an Initial to a Continuing license.
Residency License
An individual, including those who hold the Permit to Teach or Emergency License, may qualify for a one-year Residency License in a teaching area, with the option to renew twice, within no longer than a three-year period. All requirements to convert a Residency License to either an Initial or Continuing license must be completed before the expiration of the second renewal of the Residency License. Individuals must meet all of the following requirements:
- holds, at a minimum, a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a GPA of 2.7 or higher (an EPP may accept a slightly lower GPA);
- has either completed 24 hours of coursework in the requested licensure area or passed the NCSBE required content area examination(s) for the requested licensure area (some EPPs may require the courses being counted toward meeting the 24 hours have a minimum grade of a 'C';
- is enrolled in a recognized Educator Preparation Program (EPP), and;
- meets all other requirements established by the NCSBE, including completing preservice requirements prior to teaching.
Teachers in the first year of their Residency License must receive 10 days of professional development from the LEA designed to support a successful classroom experience.
You can go to DPI's website https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/educators-licensure/residency-licensure for more information.
A Residency License must be requested by a North Carolina public school system and accompanied by a certification of supervision from the recognized Educator Prep Program (EPP) in which the individual is enrolled. The local school system shall be responsible for verifying the candidate’s enrollment in an approved EPP. A Residency License is issued for one year and renewable twice at the recommendation of an employing North Carolina school system.
In order to renew a Residency License for the second or the third year, the LEA must verify
- the license holder taught at least six calendar months, as defined in Section 1.20 of this policy, during the prior school year, and;
- continued enrollment with an EPP, and;
- employment of the teacher in an LEA, and;
- the license holder completed 10 days of required professional development.
Individuals must complete all requirements, pass NCSBE-required licensure testing requirements, and receive the recommendation of an EPP to convert the Residency License to the Initial or Continuing Professional License within three years of the effective date of the Residency License.
If an individual fails to renew the Residency License for either the second or third year, the current Residency License will expire. Within three years of the effective date of the original Residency License, a Residency License may be reinstated at the request of an LEA if the following conditions are met:
- The individual taught at least six calendar months during the year when they last held an active Residency License, and;
- The individual is enrolled with an EPP, and;
- The individual is employed as a teacher in an LEA.
Military personnel and military personnel spouses whose residency licensure program is interrupted by a call to active duty or relocation to an out-of-state duty station shall be eligible to resume the program of study at the point of separation upon documented return to a duty station and employment in North Carolina public schools.
For Career and Technical Education areas, the State Board may establish alternate criteria related to that area to establish competency in lieu of a baccalaureate degree, as specified in the CTE Licensure Policies and Procedures Manual.
Teachers assigned to multiple subject areas shall be issued a Residency License for one licensure area and may add the additional Residency License area at the request of the employing school system. The additional Residency License areas may be cleared in accordance with Section 1.23 of this policy. Note: The primary Residency licensure area must be cleared through an EPP before any additional areas can be cleared.
Residency Licenses are only issued at the A-level and may be awarded experience credit and graduate pay in compliance with LICN-006.
Current lateral entry license holders may convert to a Residency License provided Residency License qualifications are met; the employing school system submits the request for the conversion; and the lateral entry license is not expired. Individuals who do not fulfill the requirements of the lateral entry license and the lateral license has expired may convert to a Residency License provided that the following conditions are met:
- pass the required NCSBE-required exam(s), and;
- meet eligibility requirements for a Residency License.
Residency Licensure for Currently Licensed Educators
At the request of an employing school system, an individual who holds a clear (non-restricted) license in a teaching, administrative, supervisory, or student services area may be issued a Residency License in a teaching area provided the individual meets the State requirements to hold a Residency License in the teaching area. Licensed educators who are issued a Residency License shall be subject to the requirements detailed in Section 1.80 of this policy.
For Career and Technical Education areas, the NCSBE may establish alternate criteria related to that area to establish competency in lieu of a baccalaureate degree, as specified in the CTE Licensure Policies and Procedures Manual.
A Residency License must be requested by the LEA or charter school and accompanied by a certification of supervision from the recognized EPP in which the individual is enrolled.
Helpful Links:
- NCDPI Approved List of EPPs
- Residency License Verification Form (Must have competed by College EPP before seeking employment under Residency License pathway)
Emergency License
Beginning with the 2017-2018 academic year, NCDPI may issue Emergency Licenses for a teaching assignment at the request of the LEA or charter school. The Emergency License is a one-year nonrenewable license issued to an individual who:
-
holds a baccalaureate degree with 18 hours of coursework relevant to the requested licensure area but has not completed a recognized educator preparation program, and;
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does not qualify for a Residency License.
Applicants for an Emergency License shall meet all other requirements established by the NCSBE, including preservice training, prior to teaching.
NOTE: Once an individual holds a Residency License, the individual may not hold a Permit to Teach or an Emergency License.