Teaching License from Illinois to South Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification, verify your Illinois license, and meet South Dakota's endorsement requirements. South Dakota certifies out-of-state educators by reciprocity: the department recognizes an educator certificate issued by another state on completion of an approved educator preparation program and issues an equivalent South Dakota certificate, so South Dakota's own state-designated content/pedagogy tests are not re-taken for endorsements already held on the valid out-of-state certificate; endorsements NOT carried on that certificate must be earned under South Dakota's own endorsement rules (ARSD 24:28), which the DOE certification pages did not spell out on the date accessed.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Illinois to South Dakota: your Illinois teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. South Dakota 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 South Dakota's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Illinois → South Dakota
| Illinois (current) | South Dakota (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) | $35–$60 ($35 provisional certificate (1-year term) issued first to allow time to complete the South Dakota Indian Studies course, then $60 Initial Educator Certificate (5-year term) once the coursework is done, per the DOE Certification FAQ fee list. The fingerprint-based DCI/FBI background-check cost is charged separately and is not published by the certification office) |
| Processing time | Not stated on the reviewed ISBE application page | 4–6 weeks (DOE Certification FAQ: applications are reviewed 'in approximately 4-6 weeks'; the same FAQ warns 'Processing can take up to 10 weeks so it is important to plan ahead') |
| Licensing authority | Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) - Educator Licensure | South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a valid out-of-state educator certificate issued on completion of an approved educator preparation program.
- Register an Educator Profile and apply through the South Dakota Educator Portal.
- Complete a department-approved three-credit-hour South Dakota Indian Studies course with a grade of C or higher to convert the one-year provisional certificate to the full certificate.
- Complete a fingerprint-based DCI and FBI criminal background check for school employment.
- Pay the fees ($35–$60 ($35 provisional certificate (1-year term) issued first to allow time to complete the South Dakota Indian Studies course, then $60 Initial Educator Certificate (5-year term) once the coursework is done, per the DOE Certification FAQ fee list. The fingerprint-based DCI/FBI background-check cost is charged separately and is not published by the certification office)) and allow 4–6 weeks (DOE Certification FAQ: applications are reviewed 'in approximately 4-6 weeks'; the same FAQ warns 'Processing can take up to 10 weeks so it is important to plan ahead').
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does South Dakota accept a Illinois teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Illinois to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification, verify your Illinois license, and meet South Dakota's endorsement requirements. South Dakota certifies out-of-state educators by reciprocity: the department recognizes an educator certificate issued by another state on completion of an approved educator preparation program and issues an equivalent South Dakota certificate, so South Dakota's own state-designated content/pedagogy tests are not re-taken for endorsements already held on the valid out-of-state certificate; endorsements NOT carried on that certificate must be earned under South Dakota's own endorsement rules (ARSD 24:28), which the DOE certification pages did not spell out on the date accessed.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Illinois to South Dakota?
South Dakota certifies out-of-state educators by reciprocity: the department recognizes an educator certificate issued by another state on completion of an approved educator preparation program and issues an equivalent South Dakota certificate, so South Dakota's own state-designated content/pedagogy tests are not re-taken for endorsements already held on the valid out-of-state certificate; endorsements NOT carried on that certificate must be earned under South Dakota's own endorsement rules (ARSD 24:28), which the DOE certification pages did not spell out on the date accessed. Holding a Illinois license does not by itself waive South Dakota's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in South Dakota right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year South Dakota certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Illinois-to-South Dakota transfer cost and how long does it take?
$35–$60 ($35 provisional certificate (1-year term) issued first to allow time to complete the South Dakota Indian Studies course, then $60 Initial Educator Certificate (5-year term) once the coursework is done, per the DOE Certification FAQ fee list. The fingerprint-based DCI/FBI background-check cost is charged separately and is not published by the certification office); processing 4–6 weeks (DOE Certification FAQ: applications are reviewed 'in approximately 4-6 weeks'; the same FAQ warns 'Processing can take up to 10 weeks so it is important to plan ahead').
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- South Dakota DOE - Certification FAQ (fee list: $35 provisional 1-year, $60 Initial Educator Certificate 5-year; 4-6 week review, up to 10 weeks) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- South Dakota DOE - Educator Certification Requirements (three-credit-hour South Dakota Indian Studies course, grade C or higher, for educators certified on or after July 1, 2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- South Dakota DOE - Out-of-State Reciprocity Options (pathway documents) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- South Dakota DOE - Educator Certification Application (Educator Portal / Educator Profile registration) ↗ (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
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