Teaching License from Colorado to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Colorado 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 Colorado 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..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Colorado to Michigan: your Colorado teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Michigan 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 Colorado license waives Michigan's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Colorado → Michigan
| Colorado (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $90 ($90 base application (evaluation) fee for the Initial or Professional Teacher License, assessed in Colorado Online Licensing (COOL) and non-refundable per state statute; the CBI/FBI fingerprint background check fee is 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 | ~9 weeks (CDE states it will evaluate the application within 45 business days of receipt (~9 weeks); applicants have 60 days to submit missing documentation before withdrawal) | 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 | Colorado Department of Education (CDE) - Educator Talent / Educator Licensing | 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)) and allow 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 a Colorado teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Colorado 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 Colorado 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 Colorado 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.. Holding a Colorado license does not by itself waive Michigan's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Michigan right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Michigan certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Colorado-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 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)
- CDE - Teachers from Out-of-State/Out-of-Country (requirements, CBI fingerprints, transcripts, exams) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CDE - Credentialing Guide for Out-of-State Applicants (Professional vs. evaluation pathway; exam determination) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CDE - Initial Teacher License checklist ($90 base application fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CDE - The Application & Evaluation Process (45 business days) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]