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LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) - Office of Certification ↗

A teaching certificate transfers from Georgia to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) - Office of Certification, verify your Georgia license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. The route depends on the form. Form 20R (reciprocity) is for an applicant who already holds a valid, renewable out-of-state professional teaching certificate equivalent to the West Virginia Professional Teaching Certificate; WVDE's published Form 20R conditions are the equivalent certificate, GPA, citizenship and recommendation items and do not list West Virginia examinations. Form 20A (out-of-state program completer, no out-of-state certificate) expressly requires passing all WVBE-required exams for the certificate and endorsement sought..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

The honest version of Georgia to West Virginia: your Georgia teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. West Virginia 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 West Virginia's requirements — plan them into your first year.

What changes, Georgia → West Virginia

Side-by-side: Georgia vs West Virginia (Teaching (K-12)), verified 2026-08-07
Georgia (current)West Virginia (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.)WVDE does not publish the Form 20R (reciprocity) fee on any page reachable on 2026-08-07 - wvde.us returns HTTP 403 to automated requests and the fee sentence does not appear in official-domain search results for that form. For calibration, the parallel out-of-state route Form 20A is stated at 100 USD, and several unrelated WV forms (20T, 20WV, 28) are stated at 35 USD, so the 20R amount cannot be inferred safely. Fingerprinting is 47.25 USD paid directly to IdentoGo and is not submitted with the application.
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.)WVDE publishes no numeric processing range; the Office of Certification does not begin processing until the online payment clears.
Licensing authorityGeorgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) - Office of Certification

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm West Virginia's current requirements on the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) - Office of Certification website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) - Office of Certification (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Apply through the WVDE Certification Portal on Form 20R if you hold a valid renewable out-of-state professional teaching certificate, or Form 20A if you only completed an out-of-state preparation program.
  5. Meet the minimum cumulative GPA - 2.5 for a bachelor's degree or 3.0 for a master's degree.
  6. Be a U.S. citizen or hold eligible documentation.
  7. Obtain a county superintendent recommendation if employed by a West Virginia county school system, or submit Form 4B if not.
  8. Complete a fingerprint-based state and federal background check through IdentoGo.
  9. Pay the non-refundable application fee online through the Certification Portal.
  10. Pay the fees (WVDE does not publish the Form 20R (reciprocity) fee on any page reachable on 2026-08-07 - wvde.us returns HTTP 403 to automated requests and the fee sentence does not appear in official-domain search results for that form. For calibration, the parallel out-of-state route Form 20A is stated at 100 USD, and several unrelated WV forms (20T, 20WV, 28) are stated at 35 USD, so the 20R amount cannot be inferred safely. Fingerprinting is 47.25 USD paid directly to IdentoGo and is not submitted with the application.) and allow WVDE publishes no numeric processing range; the Office of Certification does not begin processing until the online payment clears..

Official links

West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) - Office of Certification ↗West Virginia application ↗

Related guides

Reverse: West Virginia → GeorgiaTeaching in GeorgiaTeaching in West VirginiaAll teaching states

Frequently asked questions

Does West Virginia accept a Georgia teaching license?

A teaching certificate transfers from Georgia to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) - Office of Certification, verify your Georgia license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. The route depends on the form. Form 20R (reciprocity) is for an applicant who already holds a valid, renewable out-of-state professional teaching certificate equivalent to the West Virginia Professional Teaching Certificate; WVDE's published Form 20R conditions are the equivalent certificate, GPA, citizenship and recommendation items and do not list West Virginia examinations. Form 20A (out-of-state program completer, no out-of-state certificate) expressly requires passing all WVBE-required exams for the certificate and endorsement sought..

Will I have to retake tests moving from Georgia to West Virginia?

The route depends on the form. Form 20R (reciprocity) is for an applicant who already holds a valid, renewable out-of-state professional teaching certificate equivalent to the West Virginia Professional Teaching Certificate; WVDE's published Form 20R conditions are the equivalent certificate, GPA, citizenship and recommendation items and do not list West Virginia examinations. Form 20A (out-of-state program completer, no out-of-state certificate) expressly requires passing all WVBE-required exams for the certificate and endorsement sought.. Holding a Georgia license does not by itself waive West Virginia's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.

Can I teach in West Virginia right away?

Generally yes on a provisional or one-year West Virginia certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.

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

WVDE does not publish the Form 20R (reciprocity) fee on any page reachable on 2026-08-07 - wvde.us returns HTTP 403 to automated requests and the fee sentence does not appear in official-domain search results for that form. For calibration, the parallel out-of-state route Form 20A is stated at 100 USD, and several unrelated WV forms (20T, 20WV, 28) are stated at 35 USD, so the 20R amount cannot be inferred safely. Fingerprinting is 47.25 USD paid directly to IdentoGo and is not submitted with the application.; processing WVDE publishes no numeric processing range; the Office of Certification does not begin processing until the online payment clears..

Sources

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

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]