Teaching License from California to Minnesota: Does It Transfer? (2026)

A teaching certificate transfers from California to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB), verify your California license, and meet Minnesota's endorsement requirements. Minnesota's exams are the MTLE. An out-of-state applicant who qualifies on a professional teaching license from another state in good standing plus two years of teaching experience as teacher of record must have passed the applicable MTLE content and pedagogy exams before applying — PELSB does not accept out-of-state test scores on that pathway. Only an applicant who completed a state-approved preparation program outside Minnesota but did NOT hold licensure in that same state may submit Section 6A, a certifying officer's verification of the testing required at the time of preparation, for review in lieu of Minnesota testing. Related-services (non-teaching) fields require no testing..

Minnesota's exams are the MTLE. An out-of-state applicant who qualifies on a professional teaching license from another state in good standing plus two years of teaching experience as teacher of record must have passed the applicable MTLE content and pedagogy exams before applying — PELSB does not accept out-of-state test scores on that pathway. Only an applicant who completed a state-approved preparation program outside Minnesota but did NOT hold licensure in that same state may submit Section 6A, a certifying officer's verification of the testing required at the time of preparation, for review in lieu of Minnesota testing. Related-services (non-teaching) fields require no testing.. Holding a California license does not by itself waive Minnesota's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.

Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Minnesota certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.

$89 ($89.00 initial/first-time Minnesota educator license application fee, which includes the fingerprint card fee; $57.00 for existing Minnesota license holders. Non-refundable, paid by check or money order payable to PELSB — no cash. This supersedes the $90.25 fee printed on the February 2025 application forms); processing PELSB publishes no processing timeframe on the Tier 3 or Tier 4 application forms; it warns only that partial or incomplete applications will be returned.