Teaching License from Illinois to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification, verify your Illinois license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. An applicant who holds a current, valid out-of-state certificate (issued under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement on completion of a state-approved program) transfers without retaking Idaho content exams; an applicant qualifying instead through a recent CAEP/AAQEP institutional recommendation must document the content-area testing required by the preparing institution.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Illinois to Idaho: your Illinois teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Idaho 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 Idaho's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Illinois → Idaho
| Illinois (current) | Idaho (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) | $75 ($75 application fee payable to the Idaho Department of Education; a separate Background Investigation Check (fingerprint) processing fee is additional) |
| Processing time | Not stated on the reviewed ISBE application page | Not stated on the official out-of-state page; applicants are told to include transcripts to expedite and to allow 1-2 weeks for separately mailed transcripts to be paired with the application |
| Licensing authority | Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) - Educator Licensure | Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Idaho sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, valid out-of-state certificate issued on completion of a state-approved program (NASDTEC Interstate Agreement), or complete a CAEP/AAQEP-accredited program within the last 2 years.
- Submit the completed and signed Idaho Educator Certification Application packet with all required documents in a single packet.
- Complete a Background Investigation Check (BIC) packet with fingerprinting and its processing fee.
- Submit official transcripts verifying at least a baccalaureate degree and the certification/endorsement areas.
- Pay the fees ($75 ($75 application fee payable to the Idaho Department of Education; a separate Background Investigation Check (fingerprint) processing fee is additional)) and allow Not stated on the official out-of-state page; applicants are told to include transcripts to expedite and to allow 1-2 weeks for separately mailed transcripts to be paired with the application.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Idaho accept a Illinois teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification, verify your Illinois license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. An applicant who holds a current, valid out-of-state certificate (issued under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement on completion of a state-approved program) transfers without retaking Idaho content exams; an applicant qualifying instead through a recent CAEP/AAQEP institutional recommendation must document the content-area testing required by the preparing institution.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Illinois to Idaho?
An applicant who holds a current, valid out-of-state certificate (issued under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement on completion of a state-approved program) transfers without retaking Idaho content exams; an applicant qualifying instead through a recent CAEP/AAQEP institutional recommendation must document the content-area testing required by the preparing institution. Holding a Illinois license does not by itself waive Idaho's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Idaho right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Idaho certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Illinois-to-Idaho transfer cost and how long does it take?
$75 ($75 application fee payable to the Idaho Department of Education; a separate Background Investigation Check (fingerprint) processing fee is additional); processing Not stated on the official out-of-state page; applicants are told to include transcripts to expedite and to allow 1-2 weeks for separately mailed transcripts to be paired with the application.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Idaho SDE - Certificate for Out-of-state Applicants ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho SDE - Educator Certification (department landing) ↗ (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]