Skip to Main Content

Secondary School Teachers

Certification, Licensing, and Special Requirements

Certification or Licensing

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards offers voluntary national certification. Contact the board for information on eligibility criteria.

Public school teachers must be licensed under regulations established by the department of education of the state in which they teach. Not all states require licensure for teachers in private or parochial schools. When you've received your teaching degree, you may request that a transcript of your college record be sent to the licensure section of the state department of education. If you have met licensure requirements, you will receive a certificate and thus be eligible to teach in that state's public schools. In some states, you may have to take additional tests. If you move to another state, you will have to resubmit college transcripts, as well as comply with any other regulations in the new state to be able to teach there.