Teaching License from Illinois to Kansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to Kansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure, verify your Illinois license, and meet Kansas's endorsement requirements. Kansas content and pedagogy assessment requirements apply to out-of-state applicants but may be exempted by accepting the applicant's out-of-state test scores or verified teaching experience; where requirements remain outstanding, an Out-of-State Provisional license is available while they are completed.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Illinois to Kansas: your Illinois teaching license gets you in the door, not a Kansas license on its own terms. Kansas reviews your credential and, if you still owe its requirements, can issue an Out-of-State Provisional license so you can teach while you complete them. Plan those requirements into your first year.
What changes, Illinois → Kansas
| Illinois (current) | Kansas (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) | KSDE assesses a nonrefundable application processing fee in KLAS; a fixed amount was not published on the reviewed pages; fingerprinting is additional for first-time out-of-state applicants |
| Processing time | Not stated on the reviewed ISBE application page | Not stated on the reviewed KSDE pages |
| Licensing authority | Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) - Educator Licensure | Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kansas's current requirements on the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a valid full or standard out-of-state teaching license issued after completing a state-approved preparation program.
- Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution and have completed a teacher preparation program.
- Meet the 'recency' requirement - teaching experience and/or college credit within the last six years.
- Submit the Form 2 Initial Out-of-State application with a fingerprint card through the Kansas Licensure Applications System (KLAS).
- Pay the fees (KSDE assesses a nonrefundable application processing fee in KLAS; a fixed amount was not published on the reviewed pages; fingerprinting is additional for first-time out-of-state applicants). Processing time: Not stated on the reviewed KSDE pages.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas accept an Illinois teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to Kansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure, verify your Illinois license, and meet Kansas's endorsement requirements. Kansas content and pedagogy assessment requirements apply to out-of-state applicants but may be exempted by accepting the applicant's out-of-state test scores or verified teaching experience; where requirements remain outstanding, an Out-of-State Provisional license is available while they are completed.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Illinois to Kansas?
Kansas content and pedagogy assessment requirements apply to out-of-state applicants but may be exempted by accepting the applicant's out-of-state test scores or verified teaching experience; where requirements remain outstanding, an Out-of-State Provisional license is available while they are completed.
Can I teach in Kansas right away?
Possibly. Kansas can issue an Out-of-State Provisional license so you can teach while you complete its remaining requirements; ask the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure whether you qualify for it.
What does the Illinois-to-Kansas transfer cost and how long does it take?
KSDE assesses a nonrefundable application processing fee in KLAS; a fixed amount was not published on the reviewed pages; fingerprinting is additional for first-time out-of-state applicants. Processing time: Not stated on the reviewed KSDE pages.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- KSDE - License Information and Applications (KLAS; license structure and content assessments) ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]