Teaching License from Illinois to Alaska: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) — Teacher Certification ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to Alaska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) — Teacher Certification, verify your Illinois license, and meet Alaska's endorsement requirements. Applicants with 2+ years of experience and a current, valid, regular out-of-state certificate qualify for a Professional Out-of-State Teacher Certificate with endorsements mirroring the out-of-state certificate and no separate Alaska exams; applicants with under 2 years of experience must apply for the Initial Teacher Certificate and pass an approved basic-competency exam and an approved content-area exam..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Illinois to Alaska: your Illinois teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Alaska 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 Illinois license waives Alaska's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Illinois → Alaska
| Illinois (current) | Alaska (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $150 ($150 PEL application fee for out-of-state (and out-of-country) applicants, assessed electronically in ELIS; license registration fees are additional and required before employment) | $200 ($200 teacher-certificate application fee; + $60 fingerprint processing) |
| Processing time | Not stated on the reviewed ISBE application page | 3–4 weeks (Board-stated current processing time of 3-4 weeks) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) - Educator Licensure | Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) — Teacher Certification |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alaska sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alaska's current requirements on the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) — Teacher Certification website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) — Teacher Certification (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, valid, regular out-of-state teaching certificate (not restricted, provisional, emergency, substitute, or temporary).
- Two or more years of teaching experience to qualify for the Professional Out-of-State Teacher Certificate (otherwise apply for the Initial certificate and pass required exams).
- Complete 3 semester hours of approved Alaska Studies coursework within the certificate window.
- Complete 3 semester hours of approved Alaska multicultural/cross-cultural coursework within the certificate window.
- Fingerprint-based background check.
- Apply through the TEACH-AK online certification system.
- Pay the fees ($200 ($200 teacher-certificate application fee; + $60 fingerprint processing)) and allow 3–4 weeks (Board-stated current processing time of 3-4 weeks).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Alaska accept a Illinois teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to Alaska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) — Teacher Certification, verify your Illinois license, and meet Alaska's endorsement requirements. Applicants with 2+ years of experience and a current, valid, regular out-of-state certificate qualify for a Professional Out-of-State Teacher Certificate with endorsements mirroring the out-of-state certificate and no separate Alaska exams; applicants with under 2 years of experience must apply for the Initial Teacher Certificate and pass an approved basic-competency exam and an approved content-area exam..
Will I have to retake tests moving from Illinois to Alaska?
Applicants with 2+ years of experience and a current, valid, regular out-of-state certificate qualify for a Professional Out-of-State Teacher Certificate with endorsements mirroring the out-of-state certificate and no separate Alaska exams; applicants with under 2 years of experience must apply for the Initial Teacher Certificate and pass an approved basic-competency exam and an approved content-area exam.. Holding a Illinois license does not by itself waive Alaska's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Alaska right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Alaska certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Illinois-to-Alaska transfer cost and how long does it take?
$200 ($200 teacher-certificate application fee; + $60 fingerprint processing); processing 3–4 weeks (Board-stated current processing time of 3-4 weeks).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Alaska DEED — Teaching Certificates (Professional Out-of-State and Initial certificates) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alaska DEED — Teacher Certification Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ISBE - Educator Licensure Application (Reciprocity / Out-of-State supporting documentation and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ISBE - Educator Licensure (requirements hub) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]