Certification Information

Complete Application Package

• Complete the online application via the Department of Education, Bureau of Educator Certification Room 201, Turlington Building, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400, along with a $75 fee for each subject requested. Include an official transcript showing the conferral of an acceptable Bachelor's or higher degree. Applications will not be processed until all items are received.
• Submit copies of out-of-state certificates held, if applicable, to the Department of Education.
• Submit official score reports of any FTCE examinations already taken and passed to the Department of Education.

Official Statement of Status of Eligibility

• Will be issued by The Department of Education once the application is complete.
• Will indicate requirements (if any) to be completed in order to qualify for a professional certificate.

Note: The date on the Statement of Status of Eligibility is not the date of the certificate. Once the certificate is issued, the date of the certificate supersedes the date on the Statement of Status of Eligibility.

Certificates

• Certificates will be issued by the Department of Education upon receipt of teacher's fingerprints and an issue request. These items are sent by Florida Virtual School- Certification. This is done automatically at the time of hire. Teachers do not need to contact Florida Virtual School- Certification regarding issuance of certification.
• Teachers will be issued the highest level certificate, either professional (5 years) or temporary (3 years), for which they are eligible at the time of issuance

Florida has two reciprocity routes for certified teachers and administrators to qualify for our Professional Certificate.

• Route 1: Valid Standard Certificate Issued by a State Other than Florida
  • The certificate must be a standard or Level II certificate issued by the other state or US territory, and the certificate must be valid (not expired or revoked).
  • The subject(s) shown on your certificate must be considered comparable to a subject(s) issued in Florida
• Route 2: Certificate Issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
  • The NBPTS certificate must be valid
  • The Florida certificate will reflect the Florida subject considered comparable to the NBPTS subject.
  • NBPTS certification areas.
• Begin the Application Process
  • Apply for a Florida Professional Certificate in the same subject/s shown on your valid out-of-state or NBPTS certificate.

Graduates from a Teaching Program

• Graduates of Florida state-approved teacher preparation programs who have passed the subject area exam, the professional education test, and all four parts of the general knowledge exam will qualify for a Professional Florida Educator’s Certificate. Graduates of Florida approved teacher preparation programs who have not passed all tests will qualify for a Temporary Certificate.
• Apply for your Florida Certificate

Career Changer or College Graduate of a Non-education Program:

A graduate with a degree from an accredited or approved institution who is considering the teaching profession as a first career or a career change must first be eligible for a temporary certificate.  There are three ways to achieve eligibility:

• Hold a degree in an area in which Florida offers certification.
• Hold a degree in any area and a passing score on an appropriate Subject Area Examination taken after July 1, 2002.
• Hold a bachelor's degree in any area and meet the specialization requirement through appropriate coursework.

You will apply for a Temporary Certificate, so that you may begin teaching full-time while you complete your remaining certification requirements. Your Statement of Status of Eligibility will provide you with specific and official information about your remaining requirements for the Professional Certificate.

• Certification Exams - FTCE Testing Site
• Education Credits - Educator Preparation Institute

Foreign Trained Graduate:

Applicants with academic training completed outside the United States should submit the following documentation with the completed application and fee(s):

Credential evaluation report: an original credential report that includes a statement of degree equivalency and a breakdown of coursework into descriptive course titles and semester-hour credit. Please do not submit original foreign documents to the Bureau of Educator Certification.

The credential evaluation report may be provided by one of the following:

• an accredited four-year college or university in the United States
• a current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)
• a current member of the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE)
• a credential evaluation agency approved by the Bureau of Educator Certification (Approved Credential Evaluation Agencies)

You will apply for a Temporary Certificate, so that you may begin teaching full-time while you complete your remaining certification requirements. Your Statement of Status of Eligibility will provide you with specific and official information about your remaining requirements for the Professional Certificate. For more information, please click here.

FLVS District Issued Certification

In order to be considered for a FLVS District Issued Certificate you must meet the minimum requirements below:

Degreed Vocational:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in the field (vocational subject area)
• At least 2 years of full-time occupational experience or the part-time equivalent

or

Non-Degreed Vocational Teacher:

• High School Diploma or GED
• At least 6 years of full-time occupational experience or the part-time equivalent with one or more of the following:
  • Completion of a training program specific to the area, completed at a postsecondary vocational or technical institution approved by the State Board for Vocational Education in the state where the institution is located
  • A valid certificate, or license issued by a recognized state or national credentialing agency in an area specific to the assignment (RN, Cosmetology, Fire Service Instructor, etc.);
  • A certificate of completion of an apprenticeship program, established by the U.S. Department of Labor or the Florida Department of Labor (Air Conditioning, Building Maintenance, Electrical Wiring, etc.)

If you meet at least one of the areas above you can apply for the FLVS District Issued Certificate area:

• Apply online to Florida Virtual School for an open District Certification job opening
• Certification Specialist will review your application and send the District Certification application
  • The Certification Specialist will request specific documentation such as; official transcripts, official letters of employment verification, etc.
• If hired, a $75 certificate fee will be required
• The Certification Specialist will send a notification of requirements needed to be completed if necessary.