Teaching License from Florida to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Florida to Georgia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC), verify your Florida license, and meet Georgia's endorsement requirements. Georgia reviews out-of-state credentials individually under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.21; GACE content and literacy assessments apply unless exempted. An out-of-state professional certificate holder who passed the out-of-state content assessment required for that certificate field may exempt the GACE content assessment, and five full years of successful out-of-state experience exempts the content assessment and the special education course (but never the literacy assessment). A comparable out-of-state literacy assessment may exempt the GACE literacy assessment, which applies to reciprocity teaching certificates issued after July 1, 2026. Applicants with fewer than three years of experience receive an Induction certificate and must pass the GACE Educator Ethics Assessment..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Florida to Georgia: your Florida teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Georgia 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 Georgia's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Florida → Georgia
| Florida (current) | Georgia (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) | $0–$20 ($20 processing fee payable via MyPSC for all certification transactions; waived for an applicant's first Georgia certificate when the application is supported by an employing Georgia local unit of administration (LUA). GACE exam fees and fingerprinting costs are additional.) |
| Processing time | A specific board processing time is not published on the reviewed FLDOE pages | ~2 weeks (GaPSC publishes no fixed range; it posts a live queue date and asks applicants to 'wait at least two weeks after completing your application' before contacting the office. On 2026-08-07 the site stated it was processing complete application packages received on or before July 27, 2026.) |
| Licensing authority | Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) - Bureau of Educator Certification | Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Georgia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply through MyPSC and submit Verification of Lawful Presence documentation.
- Submit official transcripts and your out-of-state professional certificate.
- Submit an Experience Verification Form to claim three or more years of out-of-state experience for the Standard Professional Teaching certificate.
- Pass the GACE Educator Ethics Assessment if issued a 5-Year Induction certificate (fewer than three years of experience).
- Complete a GaPSC-accepted special education (exceptional child) course before the initial reciprocity certificate can be renewed or converted.
- Complete an FBI fingerprint background check, required for employment in Georgia public schools.
- Pay the fees ($0–$20 ($20 processing fee payable via MyPSC for all certification transactions; waived for an applicant's first Georgia certificate when the application is supported by an employing Georgia local unit of administration (LUA). GACE exam fees and fingerprinting costs are additional.)) and allow ~2 weeks (GaPSC publishes no fixed range; it posts a live queue date and asks applicants to 'wait at least two weeks after completing your application' before contacting the office. On 2026-08-07 the site stated it was processing complete application packages received on or before July 27, 2026.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Georgia accept a Florida teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Florida to Georgia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC), verify your Florida license, and meet Georgia's endorsement requirements. Georgia reviews out-of-state credentials individually under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.21; GACE content and literacy assessments apply unless exempted. An out-of-state professional certificate holder who passed the out-of-state content assessment required for that certificate field may exempt the GACE content assessment, and five full years of successful out-of-state experience exempts the content assessment and the special education course (but never the literacy assessment). A comparable out-of-state literacy assessment may exempt the GACE literacy assessment, which applies to reciprocity teaching certificates issued after July 1, 2026. Applicants with fewer than three years of experience receive an Induction certificate and must pass the GACE Educator Ethics Assessment..
Will I have to retake tests moving from Florida to Georgia?
Georgia reviews out-of-state credentials individually under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.21; GACE content and literacy assessments apply unless exempted. An out-of-state professional certificate holder who passed the out-of-state content assessment required for that certificate field may exempt the GACE content assessment, and five full years of successful out-of-state experience exempts the content assessment and the special education course (but never the literacy assessment). A comparable out-of-state literacy assessment may exempt the GACE literacy assessment, which applies to reciprocity teaching certificates issued after July 1, 2026. Applicants with fewer than three years of experience receive an Induction certificate and must pass the GACE Educator Ethics Assessment.. Holding a Florida license does not by itself waive Georgia's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Georgia right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Georgia certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Florida-to-Georgia transfer cost and how long does it take?
$0–$20 ($20 processing fee payable via MyPSC for all certification transactions; waived for an applicant's first Georgia certificate when the application is supported by an employing Georgia local unit of administration (LUA). GACE exam fees and fingerprinting costs are additional.); processing ~2 weeks (GaPSC publishes no fixed range; it posts a live queue date and asks applicants to 'wait at least two weeks after completing your application' before contacting the office. On 2026-08-07 the site stated it was processing complete application packages received on or before July 27, 2026.).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- GaPSC Rule 505-2-.21 Certification by Interstate Reciprocity (eff. July 1, 2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- GaPSC Rule 505-2-.24 Special Georgia Requirements (eff. July 1, 2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- GaPSC Rule 505-2-.28 Certification Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- GaPSC Certification Division — Common Documents Required for Each Certification Transaction Type ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- GaPSC home page — current application processing status ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 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 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]