Teaching License from Florida to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Colorado Department of Education (CDE) - Educator Talent / Educator Licensing ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Florida to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) - Educator Talent / Educator Licensing, verify your Florida license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. Exam requirements are determined individually on review of a completed application and depend on the requested endorsement; a holder of a valid standard out-of-state license with an identical Colorado endorsement plus three years of experience in that content area (within the past seven years) may receive a Professional license, and content mastery can be shown through Colorado's 'multiple measures' options (approved exams or coursework) rather than always retaking Colorado-approved tests.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Florida to Colorado: your Florida teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Colorado 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 Colorado's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Florida → Colorado
| Florida (current) | Colorado (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) | $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) |
| Processing time | A specific board processing time is not published on the reviewed FLDOE pages | ~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) |
| Licensing authority | Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) - Bureau of Educator Certification | Colorado Department of Education (CDE) - Educator Talent / Educator Licensing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) - Educator Talent / Educator Licensing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) - Educator Talent / Educator Licensing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Submit fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and apply within 30 days of CDE receiving the background check results.
- Provide official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended (foreign transcripts require NACES course-by-course evaluation and English translation).
- Submit an approved program verification form completed by your out-of-state institution's certification officer/registrar, OR document three or more years of fully licensed teaching experience in the endorsement area.
- Provide a score report only for Colorado State Board of Education-approved exams passed (do not submit non-accepted exam results).
- Pay the fees ($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)) and allow ~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).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Colorado accept a Florida teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Florida to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) - Educator Talent / Educator Licensing, verify your Florida license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. Exam requirements are determined individually on review of a completed application and depend on the requested endorsement; a holder of a valid standard out-of-state license with an identical Colorado endorsement plus three years of experience in that content area (within the past seven years) may receive a Professional license, and content mastery can be shown through Colorado's 'multiple measures' options (approved exams or coursework) rather than always retaking Colorado-approved tests.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Florida to Colorado?
Exam requirements are determined individually on review of a completed application and depend on the requested endorsement; a holder of a valid standard out-of-state license with an identical Colorado endorsement plus three years of experience in that content area (within the past seven years) may receive a Professional license, and content mastery can be shown through Colorado's 'multiple measures' options (approved exams or coursework) rather than always retaking Colorado-approved tests. Holding a Florida license does not by itself waive Colorado's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Colorado right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Colorado certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Florida-to-Colorado transfer cost and how long does it take?
$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); processing ~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).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- 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)
- 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
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