State overviews
What each state's own rules say about accepting a licence from somewhere else — quoted, cited, and dated. 12 states so far.
We publish a state page when we have read that state's rules from primary sources — the statute or administrative code where one governs, the agency's own pages otherwise. There are 50 states and we have 12. That gap is deliberate: a page summarising somebody else's summary of a state's rules is worth less than no page.
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CaliforniaCalifornia publishes both numbers on the same page: fingerprint clearance takes 3–7 days if you live here and 10–12 weeks if you do not — and says it may be significantly longer.
California Commission on Teacher CredentialingFees and Fingerprinting
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ColoradoColorado eliminated its seven-year experience recency window in April 2026. Its own out-of-state pages had not been updated to say so five weeks after the law took effect.
Colorado General AssemblySB26-126 — Licensure for Experienced Out-of-State Teachers
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FloridaOne document can satisfy all three of Florida’s mastery requirements at once — but the statute says “professional standard” certificate, and that wording decides whether you sit no examinations or three.
The Florida Senates. 1012.56, F.S. — Educator certification requirements (2026 edition)
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GeorgiaGeorgia charges $20 — or nothing, if a Georgia employer vouches for you — and accepts an expired out-of-state certificate. But since 1 July 2026 every out-of-state teaching applicant must also pass a literacy assessment, and most guides were written before that date.
Georgia Professional Standards CommissionOut-of-State Educators
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North CarolinaNorth Carolina gives an experienced out-of-state teacher its Continuing Professional License only with “effectiveness data” from the state they left — without it, they may only qualify for the Initial Professional License.
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), Educator LicensureFurther Educator License Information (Convert an IPL to a CPL; CPL; alternate routes; CTE)
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New JerseyNew Jersey asks a different first question from every other state here: not whether you meet its requirements, but whether the licence you already hold IS the New Jersey licence in type, subject and grade band.
New Jersey Department of EducationReciprocity — Out-of-State Teachers, Administrators, and Educational Services Staff
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NevadaNevada reciprocates only a non-provisional licence, and only to “the closest available” Nevada licence, for a $210 fee you will not get back — and because NDE and your employer do not share background checks, you will probably be fingerprinted twice.
Nevada Department of Education, Office of Educator LicensureNew Teachers — First time or Reapplying in State Applicants (includes reciprocity)
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New YorkNew York endorses you at the INITIAL certificate level “regardless of the level of certificate held outside of New York State”. Twenty years of service elsewhere buys the entry tier.
New York State Education Department, Office of Teaching InitiativesApplicants from Other States — Endorsement of Certificate
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PennsylvaniaPennsylvania cut its certification fee to $50 in November 2025 and left a separate $100 discipline fee standing beside it. An out-of-state applicant pays $150 — unless they are a veteran or a veteran’s spouse, who pay nothing.
Pennsylvania Department of EducationCertification Fees and Forms
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TexasTexas states outright that it has no reciprocity with any state. Every out-of-state teacher pays for a Review of Credentials first.
Texas Education AgencyOut-of-State Certified Educators
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VirginiaA Virginia Provisional License is nonrenewable and issued with “allowable deficiencies for full licensure” — the exact point a destination state’s reciprocity rule is most likely to turn on.
Virginia Board of Education (Virginia Administrative Code, published by the Virginia General Assembly)8VAC20-23-50 Types of licenses; dating licenses
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WashingtonWashington accepts an out-of-state certificate that is valid or expired, with three years of out-of-state teaching — but its out-of-state checklist still lists a basic skills test and a content test for every endorsement you seek.
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Professional CertificationTeacher (first-time certification: Out-of-State Applicant and Professional Teacher)
See these states as corridors — the pairing is what actually decides your path →