Teaching License from Illinois to New York: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives, verify your Illinois license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. There is no blanket transfer of another state's tests — out-of-state applicants must earn satisfactory scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations required for the Initial certificate, which for classroom teaching means the Educating All Students (EAS) test plus the Content Specialty Test(s) for the certificate area; what the interstate pathway waives is repeating a full New York preparation program, not the exams.
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 New York: your Illinois teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. New York 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 New York's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Illinois → New York
| Illinois (current) | New York (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) | $100 ($100 per certificate title or extension for an Initial/Professional classroom teaching certificate awarded on alternate requirements (transcript/individual evaluation) — the route interstate applicants use. The $50 rate applies only to certificates based on completion of a New York State-registered approved program requiring a college recommendation. Additional: $104.50 fingerprint fee as of 2026-02-02 (DCJS $75.00 + FBI $12.00 + IDEMIA $17.50). An application is valid for three years or two evaluations, whichever comes first, and the fee is non-refundable once evaluated.) |
| Processing time | Not stated on the reviewed ISBE application page | NYSED publishes no processing-time estimate for certification applications. The Office of Teaching Initiatives states only that it 'can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.' |
| Licensing authority | Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) - Educator Licensure | New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New York sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New York's current requirements on the New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply through the TEACH Online System and pay the certificate application fee.
- Hold a bachelor's degree with a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA and complete a comparable approved teacher preparation program, in the subject of the application, at a college in another U.S. state or territory that would lead to an institutional recommendation there.
- Earn satisfactory scores on all New York certification examinations required for the Initial certificate (EAS and the applicable Content Specialty Test).
- Complete the NYSED-required workshops — Child Abuse Identification, School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE), and DASA harassment, bullying and discrimination training (at least six clock hours).
- Obtain fingerprint clearance through MorphoTrust/IDEMIA using service code 14ZGQT.
- Pay the fees ($100 ($100 per certificate title or extension for an Initial/Professional classroom teaching certificate awarded on alternate requirements (transcript/individual evaluation) — the route interstate applicants use. The $50 rate applies only to certificates based on completion of a New York State-registered approved program requiring a college recommendation. Additional: $104.50 fingerprint fee as of 2026-02-02 (DCJS $75.00 + FBI $12.00 + IDEMIA $17.50). An application is valid for three years or two evaluations, whichever comes first, and the fee is non-refundable once evaluated.)) and allow NYSED publishes no processing-time estimate for certification applications. The Office of Teaching Initiatives states only that it 'can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.'.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New York accept a Illinois teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives, verify your Illinois license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. There is no blanket transfer of another state's tests — out-of-state applicants must earn satisfactory scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations required for the Initial certificate, which for classroom teaching means the Educating All Students (EAS) test plus the Content Specialty Test(s) for the certificate area; what the interstate pathway waives is repeating a full New York preparation program, not the exams.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Illinois to New York?
There is no blanket transfer of another state's tests — out-of-state applicants must earn satisfactory scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations required for the Initial certificate, which for classroom teaching means the Educating All Students (EAS) test plus the Content Specialty Test(s) for the certificate area; what the interstate pathway waives is repeating a full New York preparation program, not the exams. Holding a Illinois license does not by itself waive New York's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in New York right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year New York certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Illinois-to-New York transfer cost and how long does it take?
$100 ($100 per certificate title or extension for an Initial/Professional classroom teaching certificate awarded on alternate requirements (transcript/individual evaluation) — the route interstate applicants use. The $50 rate applies only to certificates based on completion of a New York State-registered approved program requiring a college recommendation. Additional: $104.50 fingerprint fee as of 2026-02-02 (DCJS $75.00 + FBI $12.00 + IDEMIA $17.50). An application is valid for three years or two evaluations, whichever comes first, and the fee is non-refundable once evaluated.); processing NYSED publishes no processing-time estimate for certification applications. The Office of Teaching Initiatives states only that it 'can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.'.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- NYSED OTI — Applicants from Other States (Interstate Reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED OTI — Application Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED OTI — Workshops Required for Educator Certification ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED — Fingerprinting (fee effective 2026-02-02) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 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 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]