Teaching License from Illinois to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-08 · source: Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), verify your Illinois license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. No Oregon exams are required to obtain the one-year Reciprocal Teaching License; applicants submit any out-of-state score reports. To advance to a non-provisional (Preliminary) license the current Oregon subject-area exam must be passed unless waived — content-area coursework or a comparable out-of-state test can satisfy it.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Illinois to Oregon: your Illinois teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Oregon 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 Oregon's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Illinois → Oregon
| Illinois (current) | Oregon (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) | $247 (Reciprocal Teaching, Out-of-State: $247 per the TSPC Application Fee Schedule (rules in effect 4/7/2025). Every eLicensing transaction adds a $5 Portal Provider Fee and a $10 License System Fee. A $61 fingerprint/background clearance fee applies if the applicant has never held an Oregon license or it has been expired three years or more. All fees are non-refundable.) |
| Processing time | Not stated on the reviewed ISBE application page | NOT VERIFIED — TSPC publishes no processing timeframe for the Reciprocal Teaching License on the reviewed pages |
| Licensing authority | Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) - Educator Licensure | Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oregon sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oregon's current requirements on the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an out-of-state teaching license and meet TSPC's minimum degree requirement.
- Have completed a state-approved educator preparation program.
- Complete fingerprint/background clearance if you have never held an Oregon license or it has been expired three years or more.
- Apply and pay through the TSPC eLicensing system (fees are non-refundable and cannot be paid by check).
- Advance to a Preliminary Teaching License before the one-year Reciprocal license expires, completing any outstanding Oregon requirements.
- Pay the fees ($247 (Reciprocal Teaching, Out-of-State: $247 per the TSPC Application Fee Schedule (rules in effect 4/7/2025). Every eLicensing transaction adds a $5 Portal Provider Fee and a $10 License System Fee. A $61 fingerprint/background clearance fee applies if the applicant has never held an Oregon license or it has been expired three years or more. All fees are non-refundable.)) and allow NOT VERIFIED — TSPC publishes no processing timeframe for the Reciprocal Teaching License on the reviewed pages.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Oregon accept a Illinois teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), verify your Illinois license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. No Oregon exams are required to obtain the one-year Reciprocal Teaching License; applicants submit any out-of-state score reports. To advance to a non-provisional (Preliminary) license the current Oregon subject-area exam must be passed unless waived — content-area coursework or a comparable out-of-state test can satisfy it.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Illinois to Oregon?
No Oregon exams are required to obtain the one-year Reciprocal Teaching License; applicants submit any out-of-state score reports. To advance to a non-provisional (Preliminary) license the current Oregon subject-area exam must be passed unless waived — content-area coursework or a comparable out-of-state test can satisfy it. Holding a Illinois license does not by itself waive Oregon's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Oregon right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Oregon certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Illinois-to-Oregon transfer cost and how long does it take?
$247 (Reciprocal Teaching, Out-of-State: $247 per the TSPC Application Fee Schedule (rules in effect 4/7/2025). Every eLicensing transaction adds a $5 Portal Provider Fee and a $10 License System Fee. A $61 fingerprint/background clearance fee applies if the applicant has never held an Oregon license or it has been expired three years or more. All fees are non-refundable.); processing NOT VERIFIED — TSPC publishes no processing timeframe for the Reciprocal Teaching License on the reviewed pages.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-08.
- Oregon TSPC — Out-of-State Applicants (Reciprocal Teaching License; minimum degree, preparation program, and background clearance requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-08)
- Oregon TSPC — Application Fee Schedule (Reciprocal Teaching Out-of-State $247; Portal Provider Fee $5; License System Fee $10; Fingerprint/Background Clearance $61; rules in effect 4/7/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-08)
- Oregon TSPC — Fees (licensing fee index page) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-08)
- 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 2026-08-08
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]