Depending on the time of year, the professional educator’s licensure process may be approximately 60 to 90 days. Late spring and early summer are typically when the most professional educator’s license applications are submitted making completion times longer.

Please refer to the NC DPI Licensure web page for the most up to date information:

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/licensure/

New NC DPI Online Licensure System: use the following web address to make licensure requests online:

https://vo.licensure.ncpublicschools.gov/

Newest CEU requirements for renewal:  See Chart Below

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/educators-licensure/renew-or-update-your-professional-educators-license

For Future Teachers

Are you interested in becoming a teacher? Our friends at the nonprofit TeachNC.org have lots of free tools and resources to help you get started:

  • 1-on-1 advising calls to answer all your questions and choose an educator preparation program (EPP) that’s right for you
  • how-to guides to demystify eligibility, testing, and financial aid
  • an EPP Explorer so you can compare programs and interactive application checklists to keep you on track to apply
  • fee reimbursements to help cover application and enrollment expenses
  • a $1000 scholarship to help make your dream of becoming a teacher more economical

Haywood County Schools and TeachNC are committed to helping you achieve your dream of becoming a teacher! Sign up for a free TeachNC account today to get started! 

Still need to start an educator preparation program (EPP) so you can earn your licensure? Haywood County Schools partners with the nonprofit TeachNC to provide you with coaching, support, and financial aid opportunities (like fee reimbursements and scholarships) to help you successfully apply to an EPP.  Sign up for a free TeachNC account today to get started!

 

Professional Educator’s License Qualifications

Initial Licensure (SP1)

  • For teachers with 0-2 years of teaching experience
  • Valid for 3 years
  • Must complete a state approved teacher education program from a regionally accredited college/university, or
  • Must have 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/university

Continuing Licensure (SP2)

  • Teachers with 3 or more years teaching experience
  • Valid for 5 years
  • Teachers who are fully licensed and “Highly Qualified” in another state who have 3 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

 

Please visit the NCDPI Online Licensure website for licensure needs to include (fees may apply):

  • Duplicate copy of your current Professional Educator’s License or Test Score
  • Name change on your current Professional Educator’s License
    • Appropriate legal documents which verify the change (i.e. copies of: Marriage Certificate, Social Security Card, Driver’s License) will be required
  • Apply for a North Carolina Professional Educator’s License
  • Update or renew your NC Professional Educator’s License

Applying for your NC Professional Educator’s License 

  1. Go to NCDPI Online Licensure website
  2. For Forms go to this click on this site:  http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/licensure/forms/
  3. You will be required to upload:
    • A copy of your license from another state (include a copy of the front and back with the code key-it must be clear and legible) OR
    • Complete Form V (required if you have a graduate degree in education, or if you think there may be any question about the areas listed on your certificate or license)-Needs to be completed by the recommending official (licensure officer or dean of education) at the institution where the approved education program was completed
  4. Transcripts – Submit ORIGINAL, DEGREE DATED transcripts for each of your degrees and any coursework you have completed not listed on your transcript. Official transcripts for coursework being used for HQ purposes must be included with the application.
  5. Test Scores or Form OS-HQ -State approved test scores (legible, unaltered copies) for North Carolina or another state that granted you a license, should be provided if you have taken one or more of these tests or if they were required for your out-of-state license OR If you do not have subject area testing completed for your licensure areas please submit form OS-HQ. Information on your HQ status should include an official description of how the HQ was acquired. Verification of HQ status written by the applicant will not be accepted.
  6. Form E AND/OR Form CE– Form E needs to be completed if you have prior K-12 teaching experience, one for each former employer. Part A is used for verifying professional educator experience and Part B is used for verifying instructional teaching assistant experience.
  7. International Verification – If you have earned a degree from another country, provide an evaluation from an international education evaluation service with a copy of a current work authorization visa, permanent resident card or US passport. Note: For degrees earned abroad, the transcripts must be evaluated for US equivalency by an education evaluation agency.
  8. Notes, Payment and Mailing Instructions

Do not use highlighters of any color on your documents. Highlighted information is blacked out and unreadable by our digital scanning system. Highlighted documents will not be processed.

  • Incomplete application packages will not be processed.
  • Processing fees are non-refundable.

Update or Renew your Professional Educator’s License
The window of time for annual renewal is April 15th through June 30th of the year that a license expires. Please submit renewal requests only during that timeframe. Renewal requests submitted prior to April 15th will be returned.

North Carolina Continuing Professional Educator’s licenses must be renewed every five years. The renewal process ensures that professional educators licensed as school personnel continually update their professional knowledge and technical competency. Each professional educator’s license holder is responsible for knowing and satisfying their license renewal requirements. Failure to renew your North Carolina Continuing Professional Educator’s license makes one ineligible for employment.

Continuing Professional Educator’s Licenses Renewing June 30, 2018 & beyond:

Renewal and Reinstatement Guidelines

**The definition of teacher includes instructional support personnel

Credits required for licenses expiring on or after: June 30, 2019
Grades K-5

3 Subject Area
3 Literacy
2 Digital Learning Competencies

Grades 6-12

3 Subject Area
2 Digital Learning Competencies
3 General

Student Services Personnel

3 Professional Discipline Area
2 Digital Learning Competencies
3 General

Administrators

3 Executive’s Role
2 Digital Learning Competencies
3 General

*Subject to change based on NC State Board of Education policy updates

National Board Certification:

  • 8 credits for completion
  • 2 credits (1 for literacy and 1 for content) for 10 year renewal

Renewal Criteria:

  • A unit of renewal credit is equivalent to one quarter hour or one in-service credit from a North Carolina public school system. A unit reflects ten contact hours.
  • One semester hour is equivalent to 1.5 units of credit.
  • For a professional educator’s license to remain current, all credit must be earned by the expiration date of the existing professional educator’s license.
  • To renew an expired professional educator’s license, 8 units of renewal credit must be earned within the most recent five-year period.

Activities accepted for renewal credit:

  • College or university courses
    • Transcripts are required as documentation; grade reports are not accepted.
  • Local in-service courses or workshops
    • The administrative unit certifies credits
  • Classes and workshops approved by an LEA
    • Documentation of completion is provided by the agency sponsoring the activity

Keeping records of renewal credit:

  • Individuals employed in a public school unit (or a nonpublic school authorized to administer staff development programs) should contact the superintendent, headmaster, or designated staff development coordinator about all renewal questions and recording of credits earned.
  • Individuals not currently employed in a public school unit (or a nonpublic school authorized to administer staff development programs) should maintain their own records of renewal credit until it is time to renew their professional educator’s licenses. Prior to the time of renewal (late April to early May of the year of expiration) such credits should be submitted to the Licensure Section for renewal.

How to Apply for Renewal of a Professional Educator’s License

Access the NCDPI Online Licensure System to request renewal of your Professional Educator’s License. Instructions and more information are available within the online licensure system. You must upload into the system the following documentation to verify your eligibility for licensure renewal:

  • Official Transcripts – Grade reports are not accepted in place of official transcripts.
  • Certificates of renewal credits and/or additional supporting documentation that shows the number of contact hours earned for professional development activities.

Form E – Verification of K-12 Educator Experience (pdf, 27kb or doc, 69kb) should be included if you have teaching experience that has not been filed with the Licensure Section.

For questions contact NCDPI Licensure via email at asklicensure@dpi.nc.gov  (include your full name and the last 4 numbers of your SSN) or call 1.919.807.3310 Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.  In addition, please feel free to contact the Haywood County Schools’ Licensure Specialist Angie Ballance at 828.456.2400 or via email aballance@haywood.k12.nc.us.