Professional Teaching Certificate (Reciprocity from Out-of-State)

Candidate Requirements

If you are employed by a county school system, Form 20R requires an official recommendation from the county Superintendent. If you are not employed by a West Virginia county school system, you must also submit Form 4B. 

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)
• Have recommendation from the county Superintendent
• Be at least 18 years old
• Be physically, mentally, and emotionally qualified
• Have a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.5 for a bachelor's degree, or a  minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 for a master's degree
• Have a valid out-of-state (and renewable) professional certificate equivalent to the West Virginia Professional Teaching Certificate

To send official transcripts to our office, please have your college or university email them to cert.transcripts.wvde@k12.wv.us. Transcripts must be received from the college or university, not the applicant.

Application Requirements

Form 20R must be completed online. If this is your first time using our Certification Portal, you will need to register. Follow the instructions for first-time applicants.

1. Log in to the portal and select apply for licensure, the license type, and the certification.
2. Fill in the applicant information and attach any required documentation. You will need to provide personal information, such as your name and address, respond to legal disclosure questions, and indicate the county where you're employed, if applicable. You may also need to provide supporting documentation verifying your current license or work history.
3. Submit the application.
4. If you are employed in a West Virginia county school, your application will go to your county for approval. Following county approval, you will receive an email for payment. Log back in to the portal to pay the application fee.
5. If you are not employed, the "pay now" button will appear on your dashboard, and you will be able to pay immediately.
6. Following the receipt of the application by the Office of Certification, you will receive an email with instructions for completing your background check.
7. When your background check is complete and your application is approved, you will receive an email with instructions to download your certificate. You may follow the status of your application on the Certification Portal or by checking the Application Status feature.

For more detailed instructions, watch our Form 20R How To video:

$100