Teaching License from Florida to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from Florida to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB), verify your Florida license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Out-of-state applicants must pass a basic-skills test (WEST-B or an OSPI-approved alternative) and a content-area test for the endorsement sought (WEST-E/NES or an approved alternative); comparable out-of-state tests can satisfy these as approved alternatives. Testing is not waived by out-of-state experience. Separately, an advanced-level out-of-state certificate that PESB has approved as comparable, or National Board certification, is a route to the second-tier Professional Teacher certificate.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Florida to Washington is an application, not a transfer: Washington reviews your Florida certificate and issues a Washington certificate of its own. The tests and requirements below are what Washington still asks — gather them before you apply, because gaps are what slow a review.
What changes, Florida → Washington
| Florida (current) | Washington (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) | $93 (93 USD for the Residency Teacher first issue per the OSPI Professional Certification Fee Schedule; that total includes the 51 USD OSPI processing fee plus the PESB certification fee. The Professional Teacher certificate is 81 USD. Fingerprint and background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor.) |
| Processing time | A specific board processing time is not published on the reviewed FLDOE pages | OSPI publishes no fixed week range; it maintains a live Application Processing Status page showing the current pending-application count and the month of applications under review, and districts may submit rush requests through E-Certification |
| Licensing authority | Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) - Bureau of Educator Certification | Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Apply in E-Certification for the Residency Teacher (First Issue) certificate as an out-of-state applicant.
- Document either completion of an accredited out-of-state preparation program with supervised student teaching, or a full out-of-state teaching certificate (valid or expired) plus three years of out-of-state teaching experience.
- Pass the WEST-B basic-skills test and the WEST-E/NES content test for the endorsement, or approved alternatives.
- Submit fingerprints for a Washington State Patrol and FBI background check unless you already hold a valid Washington certificate.
- Pay the fees ($93 (93 USD for the Residency Teacher first issue per the OSPI Professional Certification Fee Schedule; that total includes the 51 USD OSPI processing fee plus the PESB certification fee. The Professional Teacher certificate is 81 USD. Fingerprint and background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor.)). Processing time: OSPI publishes no fixed week range; it maintains a live Application Processing Status page showing the current pending-application count and the month of applications under review, and districts may submit rush requests through E-Certification.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington accept a Florida teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Florida to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB), verify your Florida license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Out-of-state applicants must pass a basic-skills test (WEST-B or an OSPI-approved alternative) and a content-area test for the endorsement sought (WEST-E/NES or an approved alternative); comparable out-of-state tests can satisfy these as approved alternatives. Testing is not waived by out-of-state experience. Separately, an advanced-level out-of-state certificate that PESB has approved as comparable, or National Board certification, is a route to the second-tier Professional Teacher certificate.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Florida to Washington?
Out-of-state applicants must pass a basic-skills test (WEST-B or an OSPI-approved alternative) and a content-area test for the endorsement sought (WEST-E/NES or an approved alternative); comparable out-of-state tests can satisfy these as approved alternatives. Testing is not waived by out-of-state experience. Separately, an advanced-level out-of-state certificate that PESB has approved as comparable, or National Board certification, is a route to the second-tier Professional Teacher certificate.
Can I teach in Washington right away?
Not until the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB) issues your Washington certificate, so build its processing time into your start date.
What does the Florida-to-Washington transfer cost and how long does it take?
$93 (93 USD for the Residency Teacher first issue per the OSPI Professional Certification Fee Schedule; that total includes the 51 USD OSPI processing fee plus the PESB certification fee. The Professional Teacher certificate is 81 USD. Fingerprint and background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor.) Processing time: OSPI publishes no fixed week range; it maintains a live Application Processing Status page showing the current pending-application count and the month of applications under review, and districts may submit rush requests through E-Certification.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- OSPI - Residency Teacher Out-of-State (two routes; WEST-B and WEST-E/NES; fingerprint requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- OSPI - Out-of-State Applicants, Teachers (issues-of-abuse coursework applies to Professional Teacher applicants, not Residency; PESB-comparable advanced certificate and National Board routes to Professional) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- OSPI - Professional Certification Fee Schedule (Residency Teacher 1st issue 93 USD; Professional Teacher 81 USD; 51 USD OSPI processing fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- OSPI - 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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]