Credentials FAQ - General Questions

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The answer depends on the type of certification you hold.  Please see various scenarios below to find your answer. 

• Clear Credentials, Emergency 30 Day Substitute Permits, and most Child Development Permits* may be renewed online. Online renewal requires you only to complete the renewal process and pay the renewal fee. Please navigate here to see how to complete an online renewal. 
  
  Online renewals are typically processed within 10 business days (unless additional information is requested from our Division of Professional Practices).
  
  *Assistant and Associate Child Development permits must be renewed via a paper application because they require evaluation.
  

• Preliminary credentials are not renewable. They must be cleared via the completion of the renewal requirements listed on the document. Preliminary credential holders that were prepared in California are required to complete an Induction program in order to upgrade to the clear credential. This program requires full-time employment as teacher of record in a California public school, teaching in the subject area of your credential. A list of approved Induction programs may be found at on our Approved Institutions and Programs dashboard. Select “Teacher Induction” from the “Program Name” drop down menu on the left.  Preliminary credential holders who obtained their California credentials by transferring them from other states or countries may have other requirements listed besides induction. Once all requirements have been met, these educators must provide proof to their induction program in order to be recommended for the Clear credential. Induction is required for everyone with the exception of those who taught for two or more years in another state in the U.S. If this applies to you, once you have completed your other requirements, you can apply directly to the Commission for the Clear credential with a paper application packet and application processing fee, a verification letter of two or more years of teaching experience and two summative annual performance evaluations, and the proof of meeting your other requirements. Please note: private school experience in California and out-of-country experience will not be accepted to satisfy this requirement. More information on how to to clear your Preliminary credential may be found on Clear Your Credential. 
  
  Preliminary Administrative Services credentials are considered dependent credentials, meaning their expiration date must align with that of the prerequisite base credential. This is why even though this type of credential is valid for 5 years, your Preliminary Administrative Services credential may be issued for less than 5 years. Once you have renewed your base credential, you may apply for the remainder of time on your Preliminary Administrative Services credential by submitting a paper application and application processing fee.
  
  If you find that you are unable to clear your credential prior to the expiration date, you may be eligible for an extension. Details on the extension options are available at Extensions by Appeal. 
  

• Dependent credentials including Clear Administrative or Teacher Librarian Services credentials may also be renewed online, but the process is different. To do so you will need to pick a base credential during renewal (e.g. Multiple Subject, Single Subject, or Education Specialist Teaching credential). When you renew on the Commission’s website, you should select both your basic teaching and your dependent document for renewal in the same transaction. If you do not select both documents then the system may not allow you to go back and renew the dependent document until the basic credential renewal has been processed and granted. Please visit CTC Online - Written Instructions for Application and Payment, and under the section Select the Online Application Process, click on Renew Your Document and scroll down to "Picking a Base Credential (for documents such as Administrative Services Credential)" to find in-depth instructions on completing the renewal process with a base credential.
  
  
• Emergency permits or Waivers may not be renewed. Please communicate with your employer if you hold an emergency document that is set to expire.  
  

Additional information can be found on Renewal and Reissuance of Credentials.

NOTE: There is no penalty for letting your credential expire as long as you are not currently employed in a position that requires you to hold the credential.  You can renew a document at any time after the expiration as long as you have completed the renewal requirements (if applicable). Note that if your document is expired for more than 18 months, you may be required to submit new fingerprint information. 

In some instances, an employer may request that the Commission waive a requirement for an educator on a one-time basis, for a limited amount of time. Interested educators must speak to their employers to arrange this. The Commission will not issue waivers unless they are requested through an employer.  

The Commission does not have the authority to waive any credentialing requirements. This includes, but is not limited to coursework, the Basic Skills Requirement, examinations such as the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA), subject matter competence, and teacher performance assessments. Speak with a California college or university with a Commission-approved teacher preparation program for more information.

If you have a request for reasonable accommodation related to a credential requirement, please contact the Commission via one of the following options:

• Fill out the Contact Us form

• Mail the information to:

Commission on Teacher Credentialing
ATTN: Certification Division Manager
651 Bannon Street, Suite 601
Sacramento, CA 95811

• In-person requests may be made at the Sacramento address listed above, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Please include information on the specific credential requirement you need accommodated and medical substantiation related to your disability so that we may begin the interactive process and support your needs.

The 41-LS (LiveScan) form can be downloaded and printed from the Commission's website. Fingerprint cards (FD-258) are not accessible on the website; however, the Commission can mail cards upon request. Please Contact Us to request fingerprint cards.

The standard timeframe for a California resident who completed a Live Scan is 3-7 business days. For a non-resident who submitted fingerprint cards, it can take 10-12 weeks. However, this is the standard timeframe and it may take significantly longer. 

Please do not email the Commission within 30 days from the end of the above timeframe. When a "Fingerprint Response" is received from DOJ the applicant will either be granted or notified by the Commission of any fingerprint issues. 

The Commission does not have control regarding DOJ's processing timeframe. Applicants who used the Live Scan automated process may check the status of their fingerprint submission by visiting the DOJ website. You will need your ATI number from your 41-LS form and your date of birth when checking your status.

Instructions on how to check your account to see if the Commission has received your fingerprints can be found at CTC Online - Your Educator Account under the section Check the Status and "Check Your Fingerprint Clearance Status."

For more information on fingerprinting, please navigate here.

When completing Form 41-NC, all of Section A “Personal Information” must be filled out. For an SSN/ITIN correction, complete Section B. For a Date of Birth correction, complete Section C. For a name change or correction, complete Section D. The required supporting documentation is listed in each section and photocopies of each supporting document must be included with the submission to process the requested change. The Form 41-NC is only valid if the bottom of page 2 is signed and dated with a wet ink signature or acceptable digital signature (see Credential Information Alert 23-01 for more information).

The Commission requires educator’s legal information be on file at all times. Form 41-NC must be submitted for changes to a name, SSN/ITIN or DOB. Form 41-NC must be accompanied by the appropriate supporting documents as indicated on the form and mailed to the Commission. If the Form 41-NC cannot be processed or supporting documentation is missing from the submission, the process will start over and cause a delay in correcting personal information on file. Incomplete or illegible forms or supporting documents will not be processed. All supporting documents become property of the Commission.

Once the 41-NC is complete, the 41-NC and the corresponding required supporting documentation should be mailed to the Commission at the following address:

Commission on Teacher Credentialing 
Certification Division 
651 Bannon St., Suite 601 
Sacramento, CA 95811 
Attn: Educator Profile Change Request

There is no fee associated with the name change process.

The Commission processes Form 41-NCs and any returned supporting documents in the order in which they are received, which is typically within four weeks. However, as we receive a high volume of Form 41-NCs, our processing times vary. Unfortunately, there is no expedite procedure. Our processing times may increase to twelve weeks during periods of high volume. Once a Form 41-NC is processed, the supporting materials are scanned into the Educator’s Profile and confidentially destroyed.

Multilingual students or English Learners are students who have not yet attained full proficiency in English. Students designated in these categories must be taught by teachers that hold an English Learner Authorization. If an educator has even one English Learner in the classroom, they must hold the appropriate authorization to serve them in accordance with California law. English Learner students make up a significant portion of California public school students.

You can find information on the types of English Learner authorizations, and how to obtain them in these documents:

• Serving Multilingual or English Learner Students
• English Learner Authorization

There are also emergency permits available to authorize you to provide English Learner services while you work toward obtaining the full authorization. There are a few types available depending on students’ needs and the type of credential you have, but usually if you are teaching in a non-bilingual assignment, you will need an Emergency CLAD Permit, and if you are teaching in a bilingual assignment, you will need an Emergency Bilingual Authorization Permit in the target language. These permits may only be applied for through your employer and you must have a valid base credential (a California teaching credential or other acceptable credential). They are valid for one year but cannot have a later expiration date than the base credential, and once the Basic Skills Requirement has been met, can be renewed for a total of three permits. More information on how to obtain an Emergency CLAD Permit or Emergency Bilingual Authorization Permit can be found in Emergency Permits (CL-533o-CLAD-BL).

Yes, if you do not have a professional-level teaching credential from another state or country or qualifying experience teaching in private schools, you must complete a Commission-approved credentialing program (also called a teacher preparation program) in order to obtain a California teaching credential. 

Teacher preparation is a program of professional coursework (including student teaching) that develops the skills needed for teaching in a classroom. This includes coursework in areas such as teaching methodologies, curriculum development, and classroom management. 

If you are interested in becoming a teacher, please visit Becoming a Teacher in California, which explains the entire credentialing process and includes links to other pages to help you find the best program for you and even financial resources to support your career.   

Furthermore, if you would like additional guidance from one of the Commission’s Education Career Counselors, you can request a phone call, video chat, or email here!

Errors are addressed differently based on how the application was submitted.

• If you are an educator who submitted the application directly to the Commission, please fill out the Contact Us form. You must include ALL of the following information:
  • Document number or document title (example: Clear Single Subject Teaching Credential)
  • An explanation of the error
    

• If a program sponsor or an employing agency recommended or submitted the application on your behalf, please contact them and ask them to request the correction. Correction requests on recommendations must come from the originating Institution of Higher Education or Local Education Agency in order to be honored. To make the request, they should also fill out the Contact Us form and provide the following information:
  • Document number or document title (example: Clear Single Subject Teaching Credential)
  • An explanation of the error

Once the document correction request has been submitted, please allow 1-2 weeks for the corrected document to post online. If additional information is needed to process the correction request, or it has been determined that a correction is not necessary, the Commission will contact you by email.

If you are a professional-level licensed teacher from another state, you have an opportunity to apply directly to the Commission for an initial California credential in a comparable subject area. Teaching in California - Prepared in Another State explains the process of transferring an out-of-state teaching credential to California.

While teacher preparation is knowledge of how to teach, subject matter competence is knowledge of what is taught. Subject matter competence is a requirement for all Multiple Subject, Single Subject, and Education Specialist Instruction credentials (with the exception of Early Childhood Special Education), which assess the prospective teacher's knowledge in the academic subject area that they will be teaching. This requirement is met by the following options:

• Having a specific degree major on official transcripts that can be accepted;
• Completing subject matter competence examinations called the CSET exams in the subject area of the credential you want to obtain;
• Taking courses (in addition to the teacher preparation courses) in the academic subject area through a California college or university that has a Commission-approved subject matter preparation program for that area;
• Obtaining a coursework evaluation from a California teacher credentialing program approved by the Commission to recommend candidates for credentials in that specific subject area.

More information regarding subject matter competence may be found on Subject Matter Requirements.

Yes. Elementary and Secondary public school teachers must be certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing in order to be employed in a California public school. Once an individual completes all Credential Requirements for certification in California, they may apply for and receive a California teaching credential. 

Questions concerning authorization of California credential documents and appropriate assignment of certificated personnel must be directed to the appropriate entity:

• Questions from Educators: Educator questions concerning the appropriate certification to be authorized/assigned for a course or position should be directed to their employing school district or charter school. The employing school/district can assist educators with questions regarding the type of credential or authorization required for employment in a specific position, local employment options, and the legal basis of an employee's assignment.

• Questions from Public School Employers: School Site Administrators or school district Credential Analysts/Technicians inquiring about appropriate assignment options must contact the County Office of Education (COE) that serves as their monitoring authority. COEs employ personnel who annually monitor certificated assignments within the county.  Employers should work closely with their county to ensure appropriate authorization and placement of certificated personnel.

• Questions from Charter Schools: Charter School Administrators or Credential Analysts/Technicians inquiring about appropriate assignment options must contact the School District or COE that serves as their chartering authority.  If a district serving as a chartering authority requires additional assistance with the inquiry or assignment determination, they may contact their COE for assistance.

• Questions from County Offices of Education: Credential Technicians or Analysts from COEs may contact the Commission's Assignment Monitoring Program directly with assignment-related questions regarding certificated staffing through the dedicated COE email address.