WV Professional Teaching Certificate

Candidate Requirements

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 a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.5
• Have completed a state-approved student teaching experience or equivalent
• Have completed a West Virginia Board of Education-approved traditional teacher preparation program
• Have passing scores on all West Virginia Board of Education-required Praxis exams for the requested certificate and endorsement (or meet a qualifying exemption as identified in Policy 5202)
• Have a recommendation from a designated college or university official

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 Instructions

Form 20T 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 will also need to select the West Virginia college or university that will recommend you for your teaching license. Please note that you may need to submit documentation verifying your education.
3. Submit the application.
4. Your application will go to your college or university for approval. It will also be sent to your county, if you are employed in the West Virginia public school system. Following school and county approval, you will receive an email for payment. Log back in to the portal to pay the application fee.
5. Following the receipt of the application by the Office of Certification, you will receive an email with instructions for completing your background check.
6. 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 20T How To video:

User Guides

• Form 20T Applicant User Guide
• Form 20T College or University Approval Guide

$35