Educator Licensing FAQs

What is Utah's educator licensing structure?

Effective January 1, 2020, the Utah State Board of Education has approved the following licensing structure: Associate Educator License, Professional Educator License, LEA-specific Educator License. Requirements for each are listed below.

Associate Educator License (valid for 2 years)

  • Requires that individuals successfully complete:
    • Clearance of a Utah State Board of Education's criminal background check
    • Utah State Board of Education's Educator Ethics Review within one calendar year prior to the application
  • Requires completion of one of the following:
    • A bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution
    • OR current enrollment in a university-based Board-approved educator preparation program that will result in a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution
    • OR skill certification in a specific career and technical education area
  • Requires individuals meet content knowledge requirements:
    • For Elementary Licenses:
      • General education courses as determined by the university OR passage of an elementary Praxis content test - Praxis 5001 - Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects - reading/language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science
    • For Secondary or CTE Licenses with a content endorsement (one of the following):
      • Bachelor's degree or higher in a major in the content area from a regionally accredited university
      • OR passage of a content knowledge test approved by the Superintendent
      • OR enrollment in a program that will result in a degree in a license content area
    • For all other license areas:
      • Enrollment in a university-based Board-approved educator preparation program
  • Additional pedagogical requirements include successful completion of professional learning modules in:
    • Educator ethics
    • Classroom management and instruction
    • Basic special education law and instruction
    • Utah Effective teaching standards OR
    • Enrollment in a Board-approved educator preparation program

Professional Educator License (valid for five years)

  • Requires all general requirements for an Associate Educator License
  • Requires completion of one of the following:
    • A bachelor’s degree or higher from a Board-approved educator preparation program
    • OR skill certification in a specific CTE area
  • Requires completion of one of the following:
    • Recommendation from a Board-approved educator preparation program
    • OR a standard educator license issued by licensing jurisdiction outside of Utah that is currently valid
  • Requires all content knowledge requirements for an associate license
  • Pedagogical requirements include all pedagogical requirements for an associate educator license
  • Requires passage of a Board-approved pedagogical performance assessment. USU requires the PPAT by ETS to meet this state requirement. For early childhood, elementary, and special education mild-moderate and severe, passing the Foundations of Reading test is required. 

Local Education Agency (LEA)-Specific Educator License

LEA selects individual and must provide a mentoring program that includes a formal professional learning plan and LEA support if meeting professional licensing requirements.

  • Not available for Special Education or Preschool Special Education
  • Valid only within the requesting LEA, e.g., district or charter school
  • Valid for 1, 2, or 3 years, but renewal one time with Board approval. After one renewal, subsequent renewals must be requested and decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis
  • Expires immediately if the educator ends his/her employment in the participating LEA or the LEA ends the individual’s employment
  • Requirements:
    • Criminal background check
    • Educator Ethics Review
    • Utah Effective Teaching Standards
    • Basic special education law and instruction
    • Approval of the request by the LEA governing board in a public meeting
    • Content knowledge and pedagogical requirements established by the LEA governing board
Note: Students who are hired by a school district without a completed bachelor’s degree and who are not in a board approved preparation program will have an LEA-specific license. The LEA-specific license does not lead to a professional license and is not transferable across districts or states.

What are Utah's educator licensing concentrations/license areas?

Effective January 1, 2020, the Utah State Board of Education has approved the following concentrations/license areas:

  • Early Childhood Education
  • Elementary Education
  • Secondary Education
  • Career and Technical Education (CTE)
  • School Counselor
  • School Leadership
  • School Psychologist
  • Special Education
  • Preschool Special Education
  • Deaf Education
  • Speech-Language Pathologist
  • Speech-Language Technician
  • School Social Worker
  • Communication Disorders

USU also offers courses or programs that lead to the following endorsements. Contact the listed faculty member for more information. For information on other endorsements, please contact the Utah State Board of Education.

Endorsement Faculty Contact Email
English as a Second Language (ESL)
and Dual Language Immersion (DLI)
Dr. Sarah Braden sarah.braden@usu.edu
Elementary Mathematics Dr. Katherine Vela katherine.vela@usu.edu
Literacy Dr. Nicole Pyle nicole.pyle@usu.edu
School Leadership Heather Newell heather.newell@usu.edu
Library/Media Endorsement Kelli Munns kelli.munns@usu.edu

How do I apply for my license?

Please complete your licensing application before you complete the licensing program. We recommend that you complete your licensing application at the same time you are completing your graduation application for your bachelor's degree in teacher education. You will need to do the following prior to completing your license application:

  1. Request a copy of your transcripts
  2. Complete the Utah Educator Ethics Review if not current
  3. Complete a background check if not current
  4. Complete the Program Survey

Once you have completed your licensing application, remember to attach all requested documents.

If you are applying for your license after September 1, 2023, you will also need to score a 36 or higher on the Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT)

If you are applying for your license after September 1, 2024 and are applying for an early childhood, elementary, or special education mild/moderate or severe license, you will need to have passed the Utah Foundations of Reading test with a score of 240 or better. 

What happens to my application after I complete it?

When your final program semester has ended, an email with a request for your electronic signature will be sent to the email address specified on your application. After you electronically sign your application, the document will be routed to your major and/or minor advisor(s) and then to the licensing office for final recommendation. Each will have to approve and sign the application to move along this process. The application will then be held in the Education Licensing Office at Utah State University until we receive your official transcript showing your degree awarded. If your degree was earned at another institution, or you are applying course work taken at another institution toward your license, you will be required to request that official transcript(s) as well. As soon as we receive your official transcript(s), we will submit our recommendation to the Utah State Board of Education that you be issued a license.

How long will it be before I get my license?

It generally takes one to two months after graduation to get all of our students recommended to the Utah State Board of Education for their licenses. Once your license application is complete, we will recommend you to the Utah State Board of Education. An email will be sent to you explaining how to complete the online process at the Utah State Board of Education website. Once you have completed the process, you will be able to go to the home page in your USIMS account and print your license. A license will not be mailed or emailed to you from the Utah State Board of Education office.

I understand that I will receive an email verifying that I have been recommended for a Utah Educator License when I graduate. Can I get this verification email early so I can get a job or make more money as a substitute?

We send an email to every student who completes a licensing program when their application is forwarded to the Utah State Board of Education. This email verifies that the student has satisfactorily completed the program and has USU's official recommendation for licensure. We CANNOT send letters/emails before your degree is posted on your transcript. If you are not in a degree program, all of your grades must be on your transcript.

If I already have my degree, do I still have to get my advisor's signature on the application?

Yes, you do. After you sign the application, the document will automatically be routed to the appropriate advisor. Having a degree does not guarantee that you have completed the licensing program.

If I am not in Logan, how can I get my advisor(s) signature?

The application will automatically be routed to the appropriate advisor(s) for signature.

How do I order an official transcript?

The online educator license application has a link to the registrar's office where you can order your official transcripts. If the institution you need transcripts from is not in the Student Clearinghouse, you will need to contact that institution to have either an official electronic copy sent directly from them to lisa.christensen@usu.edu or a paper copy mailed to the following address: Educator Licensing Office, 2800 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-2800.

How can I find out if my background check is current?

Your background clearance is good for five years. If you want us to check on it for you, email us and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We cannot accept background checks done for school districts, so if you are currently teaching and have never had a background check done through the Utah State Board of Education, you will probably have to complete another one. For more information on the background check, visit our background check page.

How do I get licensed in another state?

You will probably need to complete an "Institutional Recommendation" form. These forms can be sent to the Educator Licensing Office, 2800 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322-2800 or to lisa.christensen@usu.edu. We will return them to you as quickly as possible. These forms cannot be filled out by us until you have completed the program and all necessary documentation is on your transcript.

For more information concerning licensure in other states, see the Education Licensure Compliance Table.

Are there licensing fees to receive my teaching license in Utah?

The Utah State Board of Education does not charge an Educator License Application fee.

How can I contact the Utah State Board of Education to find out the status of my application?

The Utah State Board of Education can be reached at (801) 538-7740. Their address is 250 East 500 South, P.O. Box 144200, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4200.