Professional Teaching Certificate (Out-of-State)

 This certificate is valid for three (3) years.

General Requirements

To apply, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or hold eligible documentation (see Policy 5202, Minimum Requirements for the Licensure of Professional/Paraprofessional Personnel and Advanced Salary Classifications)
• Be at least 18 years old
• Be physically, mentally, and emotionally qualified
• Have verification and approval on the Form 20A from the certification official or designee at the college or university where the teacher preparation program was completed
  • If you are employed in any capacity in a WV public school system, the county official or designee must approve the Form 20A.
  • If you are not employed in any capacity with these entities, select "no county" under "employing county". 

Education Level

To apply, you must:

• Have a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.5 for a bachelor's degree, or minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 for a master's degree
• Have completed an out of state-approved teacher preparation program
• Have documentation verifying successful completion of a student teaching experience
• Pass all West Virginia Board of Education required exams in basic skills, content, and pedagogy
  • Testing exemptions are located in our Licensure Testing Directory and Policy 5202.

Please have your college or university email official transcripts to our office (cert.transcripts.wvde@k12.wv.us). Transcripts must be received from the college or university, not the applicant.

Application Submission

For instructions on how to apply for a license to work in West Virginia public schools, follow the steps detailed in the certification application process.

If this is your first time using our Certification Portal, you will need to register. Follow the instructions for first-time applicants. 

For more detailed instructions, watch our Form 20A how-to video.

$100