Teaching License from California to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education) ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from California to Kentucky by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education), verify your California license, and meet Kentucky's endorsement requirements. Kentucky's required Praxis tests (ETS, KY code 7283) apply, but are waived if the applicant verifies two years of out-of-state teaching experience; out-of-state test scores do not substitute for Kentucky's Praxis tests unless they carry the exact same test code, and credentials earned in another state solely by passing an assessment are not recognized (16 KAR 4:030).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of California to Kentucky: your California teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Kentucky will review your credential, issue a provisional certificate so you can begin teaching, and then require its own tests and coursework within its completion window before the full license. Nothing about holding an California license waives Kentucky's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, California → Kentucky
| California (current) | Kentucky (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $100 ($100.00 basic nonrefundable application fee (+ $2.65 online service fee); + $49 out-of-state fingerprint-card processing; fee waived only for qualifying military-spouse relocations) | $85 ($85.00 application fee paid online through the EPSB account (ePay)) |
| Processing time | Not stated for credential review; out-of-state (non-resident) applications are a manual process and CTC posts current processing times separately — out-of-state DOJ fingerprint cards are stated at 10-12 weeks | Not stated on the reviewed EPSB out-of-state page |
| Licensing authority | California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) | Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Complete a state-approved teacher preparation program at a regionally accredited institution (or a state-approved alternative route).
- Submit application 'A' (CA-1, Application for Kentucky Certification) through the EPSB Online Document Submission portal.
- Provide a copy of your valid out-of-state teaching certificate (16 KAR 4:030).
- Meet Kentucky ancillary requirements - GPA, testing (Praxis via ETS), and internship.
- Submit official bachelor's (and graduate, if applicable) transcripts to KDE Certification.
- Pay the fees ($85 ($85.00 application fee paid online through the EPSB account (ePay))) and allow Not stated on the reviewed EPSB out-of-state page.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kentucky accept a California teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from California to Kentucky by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education), verify your California license, and meet Kentucky's endorsement requirements. Kentucky's required Praxis tests (ETS, KY code 7283) apply, but are waived if the applicant verifies two years of out-of-state teaching experience; out-of-state test scores do not substitute for Kentucky's Praxis tests unless they carry the exact same test code, and credentials earned in another state solely by passing an assessment are not recognized (16 KAR 4:030).
Will I have to retake tests moving from California to Kentucky?
Kentucky's required Praxis tests (ETS, KY code 7283) apply, but are waived if the applicant verifies two years of out-of-state teaching experience; out-of-state test scores do not substitute for Kentucky's Praxis tests unless they carry the exact same test code, and credentials earned in another state solely by passing an assessment are not recognized (16 KAR 4:030). Holding a California license does not by itself waive Kentucky's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Kentucky right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Kentucky certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the California-to-Kentucky transfer cost and how long does it take?
$85 ($85.00 application fee paid online through the EPSB account (ePay)); processing Not stated on the reviewed EPSB out-of-state page.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Kentucky EPSB - Candidates Trained Outside of Kentucky (out-of-state certification, NASDTEC, CA-1, $85 fee, Praxis) [accessed via Internet Archive; live epsb.ky.gov unreachable/migrating, content dated 2020] ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CTC — Out-of-State Elementary Teacher Applicants (Multiple Subject) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CTC — Credential Leaflet CL-561 (Multiple Subject Teaching Credential for Educators Prepared in Another State) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CTC — Credential Leaflet CL-659 (Application Fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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