Teaching License from California to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from California to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Department of Education — Bureau of Credentialing, Division of Educator Support and Higher Education, verify your California license, and meet New Hampshire's endorsement requirements. Initial teacher and instructional specialist candidates must pass a basic academic skills assessment — the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators or a comparable out-of-state test, with comparability decided during application review; alternatively a score at or above the 50th percentile on a nationally recognized test such as the SAT, ACT or GRE satisfies the requirement (Ed 505.01).
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from California to New Hampshire is an application, not a transfer: New Hampshire reviews your California certificate and issues a New Hampshire certificate of its own. The tests and requirements below are what New Hampshire still asks — gather them before you apply, because gaps are what slow a review.
What changes, California → New Hampshire
| California (current) | New Hampshire (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) | $150 (Ed 505.09 fee schedule — $150 for an initial Beginning Educator License or Experienced Educator License including one licensure area endorsement by any licensure pathway, and $150 to add another endorsement. A separate $100 Criminal History Record Check Clearance fee applies to first-time applicants) |
| 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 | The Bureau of Credentialing does not publish a stated processing time; applicants are directed to the Credentialing Knowledge Base / Help Desk for status. Set to null rather than guess |
| Licensing authority | California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) | New Hampshire Department of Education — Bureau of Credentialing, Division of Educator Support and Higher Education |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Hampshire's current requirements on the New Hampshire Department of Education — Bureau of Credentialing, Division of Educator Support and Higher Education website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Hampshire Department of Education — Bureau of Credentialing, Division of Educator Support and Higher Education (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Complete a state-approved educator preparation program in another state, whether or not that state is a NASDTEC signatory.
- Either hold full out-of-state licensure in a comparable endorsement area not expired more than 3 years, or apply within 3 years of the preparing institution's recommendation.
- Pass the basic academic skills assessment or an approved substitute score.
- Pass a criminal history records check and a DCYF Central Registry check before any credential is issued (required of all first-time applicants since January 11, 2023).
- Apply and pay through the NH Department of Education credentialing system administered by the Bureau of Credentialing.
- Pay the fees ($150 (Ed 505.09 fee schedule — $150 for an initial Beginning Educator License or Experienced Educator License including one licensure area endorsement by any licensure pathway, and $150 to add another endorsement. A separate $100 Criminal History Record Check Clearance fee applies to first-time applicants)). Processing time: The Bureau of Credentialing does not publish a stated processing time; applicants are directed to the Credentialing Knowledge Base / Help Desk for status. Set to null rather than guess.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire accept a California teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from California to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Department of Education — Bureau of Credentialing, Division of Educator Support and Higher Education, verify your California license, and meet New Hampshire's endorsement requirements. Initial teacher and instructional specialist candidates must pass a basic academic skills assessment — the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators or a comparable out-of-state test, with comparability decided during application review; alternatively a score at or above the 50th percentile on a nationally recognized test such as the SAT, ACT or GRE satisfies the requirement (Ed 505.01).
Will I have to retake tests moving from California to New Hampshire?
Initial teacher and instructional specialist candidates must pass a basic academic skills assessment — the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators or a comparable out-of-state test, with comparability decided during application review; alternatively a score at or above the 50th percentile on a nationally recognized test such as the SAT, ACT or GRE satisfies the requirement (Ed 505.01).
Can I teach in New Hampshire right away?
Not until the New Hampshire Department of Education — Bureau of Credentialing, Division of Educator Support and Higher Education issues your New Hampshire certificate, so build its processing time into your start date.
What does the California-to-New Hampshire transfer cost and how long does it take?
$150 (Ed 505.09 fee schedule — $150 for an initial Beginning Educator License or Experienced Educator License including one licensure area endorsement by any licensure pathway, and $150 to add another endorsement. A separate $100 Criminal History Record Check Clearance fee applies to first-time applicants). Processing time: The Bureau of Credentialing does not publish a stated processing time; applicants are directed to the Credentialing Knowledge Base / Help Desk for status. Set to null rather than guess.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- NH Department of Education — Bureau of Credentialing ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH Code of Administrative Rules Ed 500-514 — Certification Standards (Ed 505.01 basic academic skills; Ed 505.05 out-of-state approved program) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH Department of Education — Ed 505.09 adopted rule text (credential fee schedule) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]