Teaching License from Georgia to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education) ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Georgia to Kentucky by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education), verify your Georgia license, and meet Kentucky's endorsement requirements. Kentucky's required Praxis tests (ETS, KY code 7283) apply, but are waived if the applicant verifies two years of out-of-state teaching experience; out-of-state test scores do not substitute for Kentucky's Praxis tests unless they carry the exact same test code, and credentials earned in another state solely by passing an assessment are not recognized (16 KAR 4:030).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Georgia to Kentucky: your Georgia teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Kentucky 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 Georgia license waives Kentucky's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Georgia → Kentucky
| Georgia (current) | Kentucky (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $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.) | $85 ($85.00 application fee paid online through the EPSB account (ePay)) |
| Processing time | ~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.) | Not stated on the reviewed EPSB out-of-state page |
| Licensing authority | Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) | Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Complete a state-approved teacher preparation program at a regionally accredited institution (or a state-approved alternative route).
- Submit application 'A' (CA-1, Application for Kentucky Certification) through the EPSB Online Document Submission portal.
- Provide a copy of your valid out-of-state teaching certificate (16 KAR 4:030).
- Meet Kentucky ancillary requirements - GPA, testing (Praxis via ETS), and internship.
- Submit official bachelor's (and graduate, if applicable) transcripts to KDE Certification.
- Pay the fees ($85 ($85.00 application fee paid online through the EPSB account (ePay))) and allow Not stated on the reviewed EPSB out-of-state page.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kentucky accept a Georgia teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Georgia to Kentucky by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) - Division of Educator Licensure and Quality (administered with the Kentucky Department of Education), verify your Georgia license, and meet Kentucky's endorsement requirements. Kentucky's required Praxis tests (ETS, KY code 7283) apply, but are waived if the applicant verifies two years of out-of-state teaching experience; out-of-state test scores do not substitute for Kentucky's Praxis tests unless they carry the exact same test code, and credentials earned in another state solely by passing an assessment are not recognized (16 KAR 4:030).
Will I have to retake tests moving from Georgia to Kentucky?
Kentucky's required Praxis tests (ETS, KY code 7283) apply, but are waived if the applicant verifies two years of out-of-state teaching experience; out-of-state test scores do not substitute for Kentucky's Praxis tests unless they carry the exact same test code, and credentials earned in another state solely by passing an assessment are not recognized (16 KAR 4:030). Holding a Georgia license does not by itself waive Kentucky's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Kentucky right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Kentucky certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Georgia-to-Kentucky transfer cost and how long does it take?
$85 ($85.00 application fee paid online through the EPSB account (ePay)); processing Not stated on the reviewed EPSB out-of-state page.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Kentucky EPSB - Candidates Trained Outside of Kentucky (out-of-state certification, NASDTEC, CA-1, $85 fee, Praxis) [accessed via Internet Archive; live epsb.ky.gov unreachable/migrating, content dated 2020] ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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