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LicenseReciprocity

Teaching License from Georgia to Tennessee: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP) ↗

A teaching certificate transfers from Georgia to Tennessee by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP), verify your Georgia license, and meet Tennessee's endorsement requirements. Two-tier. An applicant holding a full, valid, continuously renewable PROFESSIONAL-level out-of-state license is issued a Tennessee Professional 6-Year license (policy effective July 1, 2021). An applicant holding an active INITIAL-level out-of-state license is issued a 3-year Practitioner license and, per TDOE, 'are not required to submit assessments' at initial application, but must pass Tennessee's required content assessment(s) to renew or advance. Out-of-state scores count only when the score report is sent directly from the testing agency to TNCompass.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Moving from Georgia to Tennessee is an application, not a transfer: Tennessee reviews your Georgia certificate and issues a Tennessee certificate of its own. The tests and requirements below are what Tennessee still asks — gather them before you apply, because gaps are what slow a review.

What changes, Georgia → Tennessee

Side-by-side: Georgia vs Tennessee (Teaching (K-12)), verified 2026-08-07
Georgia (current)Tennessee (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.)$0 (TDOE Licensure FAQ Guide states plainly: 'There is no fee associated with applying for licensure in Tennessee.' Third-party costs are separate - ETS/Praxis registration, re-sending score reports, and transcript delivery)
Processing time2+ 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.)TDOE publishes no fixed turnaround. Applications 'are processed in the order in which they are received' and current processing times appear on a 'Now Processing' chart updated weekly. TDOE asks applicants to wait at least ten business days after submitting before contacting the office; Tennessee districts that hire an applicant may request expedited or priority processing
Licensing authorityGeorgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Tennessee sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Register a TNCompass account and submit the out-of-state educator licensure application.
  5. Hold a bachelor's degree and have official transcripts sent directly to [email protected].
  6. Meet Tennessee Literacy Success Act requirements through a qualifying training or assessment where the endorsement applies.
  7. Pass Tennessee's required content assessment(s) before renewing or advancing a Practitioner license.
  8. Pay the fees ($0 (TDOE Licensure FAQ Guide states plainly: 'There is no fee associated with applying for licensure in Tennessee.' Third-party costs are separate - ETS/Praxis registration, re-sending score reports, and transcript delivery)). Processing time: TDOE publishes no fixed turnaround. Applications 'are processed in the order in which they are received' and current processing times appear on a 'Now Processing' chart updated weekly. TDOE asks applicants to wait at least ten business days after submitting before contacting the office; Tennessee districts that hire an applicant may request expedited or priority processing.

Official links

Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP) ↗Tennessee application ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Tennessee → GeorgiaTeaching in GeorgiaTeaching in TennesseeAll teaching states

Frequently asked questions

Does Tennessee accept a Georgia teaching license?

A teaching certificate transfers from Georgia to Tennessee by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP), verify your Georgia license, and meet Tennessee's endorsement requirements. Two-tier. An applicant holding a full, valid, continuously renewable PROFESSIONAL-level out-of-state license is issued a Tennessee Professional 6-Year license (policy effective July 1, 2021). An applicant holding an active INITIAL-level out-of-state license is issued a 3-year Practitioner license and, per TDOE, 'are not required to submit assessments' at initial application, but must pass Tennessee's required content assessment(s) to renew or advance. Out-of-state scores count only when the score report is sent directly from the testing agency to TNCompass.

Will I have to retake tests moving from Georgia to Tennessee?

Two-tier. An applicant holding a full, valid, continuously renewable PROFESSIONAL-level out-of-state license is issued a Tennessee Professional 6-Year license (policy effective July 1, 2021). An applicant holding an active INITIAL-level out-of-state license is issued a 3-year Practitioner license and, per TDOE, 'are not required to submit assessments' at initial application, but must pass Tennessee's required content assessment(s) to renew or advance. Out-of-state scores count only when the score report is sent directly from the testing agency to TNCompass.

Can I teach in Tennessee right away?

Not until the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP) issues your Tennessee certificate, so build its processing time into your start date.

What does the Georgia-to-Tennessee transfer cost and how long does it take?

$0 (TDOE Licensure FAQ Guide states plainly: 'There is no fee associated with applying for licensure in Tennessee.' Third-party costs are separate - ETS/Praxis registration, re-sending score reports, and transcript delivery). Processing time: TDOE publishes no fixed turnaround. Applications 'are processed in the order in which they are received' and current processing times appear on a 'Now Processing' chart updated weekly. TDOE asks applicants to wait at least ten business days after submitting before contacting the office; Tennessee districts that hire an applicant may request expedited or priority processing.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.

Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

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