Frequently Asked Questions

Professional educator's licenses are issued in administrative, supervisory, student service and teaching areas. These areas encompass birth through kindergarten, elementary (K-6), middle grades (6-9), secondary grades (9-12), special subjects (K-12), exceptional children (K-12) and career and technical education. (NCDPI, 2014)

All professional employees of public schools must hold a professional educator's license for the subject or grade level they teach or for the professional education assignment that they hold. (NCDPI, 2014)

The standard basis for professional educator's licensure is the completion of a state approved education program at a regionally accredited college or university or the completion of another state's approved alternative route to professional educator's licensure, met the federal requirements to be designated as "Highly Qualified" and earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college.

• Standard Professional 1 (SP1) Professional Educator's Licenses are intended for teachers with 0-2 years of teaching experience, and are valid for three years. To be issued a SP1 Professional Educator's License, an individual must have:
  • completed a state approved 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.
• Standard Professional 2 (SP2) Professional Educator's Licenses are intended for teachers with 3 or more years of teaching experience, and are valid for five years. Teachers who are fully licensed and "Highly Qualified" in another state who have three or more years of teaching experience in another state AND who meet NC State Board of Education approved licensure exam requirements OR have National Board Certification are issued the SP2 Professional Educator's license.
  • Praxis II Testing
  • Pearson Test for North Carolina: Foundations of Reading and General Curriculum (effective October 1, 2014)
• Lateral Entry Teachers in North Carolina
  (pdf, 28kb)   UPDATED 8/25/14 (NCDPI,2014)

There is a fee of $55.00 for in-state applicants and $85.00 for out-of-state applicants. You may pay by personal check, money order, or certified check made payable to the Department of Public Instruction. You may also pay by Visa or MasterCard. (NCDPI, 2014)

To renew an expired professional educator's license, you must earn 15 units of renewal credits within the most recent five-year period or complete 10 semester hours. If you become employed with a NC school system, a validation of an expired professional educator's license can be requested. Renewing Your License.(NCDPI, 2014)

If you hold a clear teaching license with no restrictions, you can add an area to your license by taking and passing the Praxis II Test or Pearson Test for North Carolina: Foundations of Reading and General Curriculum (effective October 1, 2014) for that area, by completing a state approved teacher education program that leads to licensure, or by completing 24 hours in the subject area with a grade of C or better. If you hold a professional educator’s student services license you must complete the teacher education program to add a teaching area to your license. Update or Renew Your License. (NCDPI, 2014)

Copy of license. (NCDPI, 2014)

The federal definition of a "Highly Qualified" teacher is one who is fully certified and/or licensed by the state, holds at least a bachelor's degree from a four-year institution and demonstrates competence in core academic areas. (NCDPI, 2014)

The Residency License replaces the previous (lateral entry) process as the NC alternative license.  It includes one year, with the option to renew twice within no more than a three-year period.

The transcripts on file, or attached to your CCS application may be either copies or scanned transcripts; we need the original, official transcripts to send to NC DPI in order to apply for a teaching license.

You will need to affiliate with a University or RALC to start the course work process.

Usually anyone hired after December is considered an end of year employee and is not required to complete coursework for that year. Your lateral entry requirements would start the next school year.

Please view the RALC website for information.  If you are interested, turn in the RALC application to your HR Director.

This depends on the RALC’s timeline.  Please visit their website for more information.

Visit https://www.nbpts.org/ for more information.

More information about National Board Standards, visit https://www.nbpts.org/standards-five-core-propositions/

National Board Directory

Effective October 1, 2014, all elementary education (K–6) and special education general curriculum program completers and out-of-state* elementary education (K–6) and special education general curriculum teachers shall be required to pass the following tests from the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) program:

• Foundations of Reading test
• General Curriculum test

*Out-of-state licensed teachers with three or more years of successful teaching experience may teach for one year in North Carolina while meeting this requirement.