Teaching License from Georgia to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from Georgia to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure, verify your Georgia license, and meet Montana's endorsement requirements. Montana accepts a current out-of-state educator license plus two years of teaching experience as one of four ways to satisfy the assessment requirement, in place of a minimum qualifying score on the Montana-required PRAXIS subject assessment. Applicants without that license-plus-experience combination must post a qualifying PRAXIS score, pass a student-teaching portfolio, or show a 3.0 or higher GPA in the relevant coursework.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Georgia to Montana: the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure reviews your credential and tells you what is missing; some states issue a provisional certificate while you complete requirements — check with the board before you plan a start date.
What changes, Georgia → Montana
| Georgia (current) | Montana (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.) | $80–$95 (First-time Montana license: $80 for a Class 2 Standard Teaching license and $95 for a Class 1 Professional Teaching license (each includes a $10 non-refundable processing fee); subsequent licenses are $70/$85. Fees are non-refundable and paid electronically in TeachMT. Fingerprint background-check costs are additional.) |
| 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.) | OPI publishes no processing-time range for new licenses. It warns only that summer is the busiest period and that applications left incomplete are purged after 90 days. Not estimated here |
| Licensing authority | Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) | Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Montana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Montana's current requirements on the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Apply electronically through the TeachMT licensing system — OPI accepts no paper applications.
- Submit official transcripts and a copy of your current out-of-state educator license.
- Submit a university recommendation verifying completion of a teacher preparation program, student teaching, and the endorsements you qualify for.
- Complete a fingerprint background check.
- Complete the course 'An Introduction to Indian Education for All in Montana'.
- Have foreign degrees evaluated course-by-course by a NACES member agency.
- Pay the fees ($80–$95 (First-time Montana license: $80 for a Class 2 Standard Teaching license and $95 for a Class 1 Professional Teaching license (each includes a $10 non-refundable processing fee); subsequent licenses are $70/$85. Fees are non-refundable and paid electronically in TeachMT. Fingerprint background-check costs are additional.)). Processing time: OPI publishes no processing-time range for new licenses. It warns only that summer is the busiest period and that applications left incomplete are purged after 90 days. Not estimated here.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Montana accept a Georgia teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Georgia to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure, verify your Georgia license, and meet Montana's endorsement requirements. Montana accepts a current out-of-state educator license plus two years of teaching experience as one of four ways to satisfy the assessment requirement, in place of a minimum qualifying score on the Montana-required PRAXIS subject assessment. Applicants without that license-plus-experience combination must post a qualifying PRAXIS score, pass a student-teaching portfolio, or show a 3.0 or higher GPA in the relevant coursework.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Georgia to Montana?
Montana accepts a current out-of-state educator license plus two years of teaching experience as one of four ways to satisfy the assessment requirement, in place of a minimum qualifying score on the Montana-required PRAXIS subject assessment. Applicants without that license-plus-experience combination must post a qualifying PRAXIS score, pass a student-teaching portfolio, or show a 3.0 or higher GPA in the relevant coursework.
Can I teach in Montana right away?
The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure reviews your credential and tells you what is missing; some states issue a provisional certificate while you complete requirements — check with the board.
What does the Georgia-to-Montana transfer cost and how long does it take?
$80–$95 (First-time Montana license: $80 for a Class 2 Standard Teaching license and $95 for a Class 1 Professional Teaching license (each includes a $10 non-refundable processing fee); subsequent licenses are $70/$85. Fees are non-refundable and paid electronically in TeachMT. Fingerprint background-check costs are additional.) Processing time: OPI publishes no processing-time range for new licenses. It warns only that summer is the busiest period and that applications left incomplete are purged after 90 days. Not estimated here.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Montana OPI — Educator Licensure (out-of-state applicants; 'Montana does not have reciprocity with any state for teacher licensure') ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana OPI — Educator Licenses (Class 1 and Class 2 requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana OPI — Educator Licensure Fees, effective July 27, 2026 ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]