Teaching in California - Prepared in Another State

Welcome to teaching in California! 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 without completing any additional testing or coursework! All you have to do is gather the required materials for your application packet and mail it in. Once received, your application packet will begin to be processed, which can take up to 50 business days, so be sure to plan accordingly. During the evaluation process, you may monitor your application status online and you will be emailed when there are any status updates. Unfortunately, online applications are not available for out-of-state teachers.

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California has a two-tiered credential system for most credential types:

Preliminary credential: This is a five-year professional-level teaching credential. This credential is non-renewable and certain requirements must be completed before you can upgrade to the Clear credential.
Clear credential: This second-level credential is also issued for five years, but it is renewable. You may renew this credential every five years without having to complete further requirements.

After your application packet is reviewed, the result may be the issuance of either a Preliminary or a Clear credential. If you are issued a Preliminary credential, there will be certain renewal requirements listed on the credential that must be completed before you can upgrade to the Clear credential. What may have to be completed to later earn the Clear credential will depend on the materials you submit at the time you apply.

The image shows a text box titled Out-of-State License with an arrow pointing to another text box titled Preliminary Credential, which has an arrow pointing to Clear Credential. This is how an educator from another state can obtain a California credential

Is there more than one route for an out-of-state applicant?

Yes, California has three routes for a professional-level license teacher from another state to apply for a California credential! It's important to know which route you qualify for because the materials you need to provide for your application will vary depending on your out-of-state experience.

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Which route should I take?

This is your route if either of these apply to you:

You hold a professional-level teaching license out-of-state and have less than two years of full-time, out-of-state teaching experience.
You have zero teaching experience besides the student teaching you completed to earn your out-of-state license.

This is your route if these apply to you:

You hold a professional-level teaching license out-of-state and have two or more years of full-time, out-of-state teaching experience.
You're able and willing to provide a few more documents than you would have to if you applied under Route 1 because it means less requirements later to get your Clear credential.
You have time to gather documentation of your previous teaching experience. Since you have no control over how quickly your former employer(s) can provide this, you may want to apply under Route 1 if you're in a hurry to get your California credential.

This is your route if you hold a professional-level teaching license in another state and are certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Applying under this route also means that you are exempt from having to meet the Basic Skills Requirement!

Serving Multilingual or English Learner Students

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. There are a few types of English Learner services available depending on students’ needs. This resource describes the types and how to obtain the appropriate authorization depending on how you obtained your California teaching credential.

Serving Multilingual or English Learner Students

After applying for a teaching credential, you may find that an English Learner Authorization is also required for a position. If that’s the case, there’s no need to worry because your employer can help you apply for the type of authorization that’s needed. An English Leaner Authorization allows you to provide specialized instructional services to a student whose home language is not English. English Learner students make up a significant portion of California public school students.

There are a few types of authorizations 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. With this permit, you can teach English Learner students while you work toward obtaining the full authorization. The permit may only be applied for through your employing local education agency (LEA) and you must have a valid base credential (a California teaching credential or other acceptable credential). It is 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.

Apply for the Emergency CLAD Permit!

According to data collected in 2022 by the California Department of Education (CDE), English Learners make up 19% of the total enrollment in California public schools, and students who speak a language other than English in their homes make up about 40%. As a teacher coming from outside of California, you may be fluent in another language. If so, this will be a great asset to you in finding a teaching position and to the school that hires you! Bilingual teachers are in high demand and may be paid an additional stipend or higher salary depending on the employer.

To be authorized to teach a bilingual assignment, you will need an Emergency Bilingual Authorization Permit. Like the Emergency CLAD Permit, this permit may only be applied for through your local employing agency (LEA) and you must have a valid base credential. It is valid for one year, and once the Basic Skills Requirement has been met, can be renewed for a total of three permits.

Apply for the Emergency Bilingual Authorization Permit!