Teaching License from Arkansas to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from Arkansas to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification), verify your Arkansas license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. Michigan requires the appropriate Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC) subject-area test(s) for the certificate sought, unless the applicant documents three years of successful teaching experience under the validity of the out-of-state certificate in the endorsement area. An applicant who qualifies for the Professional Teaching Certificate as their initial Michigan certificate is not required to test at all. MDE instructs applicants not to register for any MTTC until they receive an evaluation letter stating which tests, if any, are required.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Arkansas to Michigan: your Arkansas teaching license gets you in the door, not a Michigan license on its own terms. Michigan reviews your credential and, if you still owe its requirements, can issue a one-year nonrenewable Temporary Teaching Certificate so you can teach while you complete them. Plan those requirements into your first year.
What changes, Arkansas → Michigan
| Arkansas (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $75 ($75.00 nonrefundable online application fee; background-check costs additional) | $210 ($210 out-of-state evaluation fee for the Standard or Professional Teaching Certificate (the in-state fee for the same certificates is $160); an additional endorsement is $50. Fees are authorized by MCL 380.1538, are valid two years from the date of payment, and are not refunded for denied applications) |
| Processing time | 2+ weeks (ADE sends a written deficiency-response letter within about two weeks of evaluating a complete packet; total issuance time not otherwise stated) | MDE publishes no processing timeframe; an assigned certification specialist evaluates the credential and issues an evaluation letter identifying any remaining tests or coursework before certification |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure | Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Create a Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) account and submit a teaching certificate application for evaluation.
- Have completed a state-approved preparation program including student teaching, or a state-approved alternative route program with the standard teaching certificate issued by that state.
- Pass the MTTC test(s) named in MDE's evaluation letter, or document three years of successful teaching experience under the out-of-state certificate.
- For the Professional Teaching Certificate, complete six semester credit hours of reading methods if elementary certified, or three semester credit hours if secondary certified.
- Provide official transcripts, the out-of-state certificate, and work-experience verification requested by the assigned certification specialist.
- Pay the fees ($210 ($210 out-of-state evaluation fee for the Standard or Professional Teaching Certificate (the in-state fee for the same certificates is $160); an additional endorsement is $50. Fees are authorized by MCL 380.1538, are valid two years from the date of payment, and are not refunded for denied applications)). Processing time: MDE publishes no processing timeframe; an assigned certification specialist evaluates the credential and issues an evaluation letter identifying any remaining tests or coursework before certification.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept an Arkansas teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Arkansas to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification), verify your Arkansas license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. Michigan requires the appropriate Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC) subject-area test(s) for the certificate sought, unless the applicant documents three years of successful teaching experience under the validity of the out-of-state certificate in the endorsement area. An applicant who qualifies for the Professional Teaching Certificate as their initial Michigan certificate is not required to test at all. MDE instructs applicants not to register for any MTTC until they receive an evaluation letter stating which tests, if any, are required.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Arkansas to Michigan?
Michigan requires the appropriate Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC) subject-area test(s) for the certificate sought, unless the applicant documents three years of successful teaching experience under the validity of the out-of-state certificate in the endorsement area. An applicant who qualifies for the Professional Teaching Certificate as their initial Michigan certificate is not required to test at all. MDE instructs applicants not to register for any MTTC until they receive an evaluation letter stating which tests, if any, are required.
Can I teach in Michigan right away?
Possibly. Michigan can issue a one-year nonrenewable Temporary Teaching Certificate so you can teach while you complete its remaining requirements; ask the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) whether you qualify for it.
What does the Arkansas-to-Michigan transfer cost and how long does it take?
$210 ($210 out-of-state evaluation fee for the Standard or Professional Teaching Certificate (the in-state fee for the same certificates is $160); an additional endorsement is $50. Fees are authorized by MCL 380.1538, are valid two years from the date of payment, and are not refunded for denied applications). Processing time: MDE publishes no processing timeframe; an assigned certification specialist evaluates the credential and issues an evaluation letter identifying any remaining tests or coursework before certification.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- MDE — Out-of-State Applicants (Standard, Professional, and Temporary Teaching Certificates; MTTC testing; three-year experience exemption; reading methods coursework) [michigan.gov intermittently blocks automated clients; read via the Internet Archive capture of 2026-08-03] ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- MDE — Certificate Evaluation Fees (out-of-state fee table: $210 Standard and Professional Teaching Certificate, $160 in-state, $50 additional endorsement; fees valid two years) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Arkansas DESE — Licensure by Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]