Teaching License from Florida to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Florida to Arkansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure, verify your Florida license, and meet Arkansas's endorsement requirements. Arkansas requires the content-area test(s) that applied to your out-of-state license, and documentation of ADE-approved content-area assessments must be submitted for the standard license; the Foundations of Reading test is required when licensing in K-6 Elementary, K-12 Special Education, or P-4 Early Childhood. National Board certification is accepted where applicable; Praxis exams are registered through ETS..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Florida to Arkansas: your Florida teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Arkansas 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 Florida license waives Arkansas's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Florida → Arkansas
| Florida (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $75 ($75 processing fee per subject for an initial Florida certification application (non-refundable), per the FLDOE Certification Application Fee Schedule; district fingerprint/background screening costs are separate) | $75 ($75.00 nonrefundable online application fee; background-check costs additional) |
| Processing time | A specific board processing time is not published on the reviewed FLDOE pages | ~2 weeks (ADE sends a written deficiency-response letter within about two weeks of evaluating a complete packet; total issuance time not otherwise stated) |
| Licensing authority | Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) - Bureau of Educator Certification | Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arkansas's current requirements on the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current or expired out-of-state standard educator's license that has been in good standing for the three most recent years of teaching experience.
- Initiate and complete the Arkansas background check (fingerprinting).
- Submit official transcripts and a Verification of Teaching (experience) form.
- Complete Arkansas History for Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Childhood Social Studies, or Secondary Social Studies (accredited Arkansas institution or a 45-clock-hour Arkansas IDEAS course).
- A Provisional license is available if all standard-license requirements are met except content testing and/or Arkansas History, issued on a signed VOPLE from the employing superintendent.
- Pay the fees ($75 ($75.00 nonrefundable online application fee; background-check costs additional)) and allow ~2 weeks (ADE sends a written deficiency-response letter within about two weeks of evaluating a complete packet; total issuance time not otherwise stated).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Arkansas accept a Florida teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Florida to Arkansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure, verify your Florida license, and meet Arkansas's endorsement requirements. Arkansas requires the content-area test(s) that applied to your out-of-state license, and documentation of ADE-approved content-area assessments must be submitted for the standard license; the Foundations of Reading test is required when licensing in K-6 Elementary, K-12 Special Education, or P-4 Early Childhood. National Board certification is accepted where applicable; Praxis exams are registered through ETS..
Will I have to retake tests moving from Florida to Arkansas?
Arkansas requires the content-area test(s) that applied to your out-of-state license, and documentation of ADE-approved content-area assessments must be submitted for the standard license; the Foundations of Reading test is required when licensing in K-6 Elementary, K-12 Special Education, or P-4 Early Childhood. National Board certification is accepted where applicable; Praxis exams are registered through ETS.. Holding a Florida license does not by itself waive Arkansas's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Arkansas right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Arkansas certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Florida-to-Arkansas transfer cost and how long does it take?
$75 ($75.00 nonrefundable online application fee; background-check costs additional); processing ~2 weeks (ADE sends a written deficiency-response letter within about two weeks of evaluating a complete packet; total issuance time not otherwise stated).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Arkansas DESE — Licensure by Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- FLDOE - Certified Teacher or Administrator (two reciprocity routes to the Professional Certificate; comparable standard cert or NBPTS; FTCE not required; 3-year non-renewable Temporary Certificate) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- FLDOE - Certification Application Fee Schedule ($75 per subject) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]