Transfer Your Teaching License to Maryland: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Maryland does not exchange your teaching license. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) — Division of Educator Effectiveness (Educator Licensure) reviews each out-of-state credential individually and decides which Maryland credential you qualify for and what you still need to complete. Application fee: $10 ($10 processing fee for issuance of a license, paid through the TEACH Dashboard only after MSDE determines eligibility; Visa and Mastercard accepted).
Moving to Maryland from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Maryland reviews out-of-state teachers case by case, so no page — this one included — can tell you in advance exactly what it will ask of you. Apply early: the review result is your real requirement list, and it decides which Maryland credential you start on.
Reciprocity is a misnomer — Maryland does not auto-exchange an out-of-state license. You apply through TEACH and MSDE reviews your credentials against a defined route. A valid out-of-state professional license or approved out-of-state program covers the preparation and content requirements, but Maryland still imposes its own performance-based pedagogy assessment (waivable by National Board certification, two years of effective evaluations, or an effective Maryland evaluation) and a reading instruction assessment for early childhood, elementary, generic special education, and ESOL. MSDE issues four professional licenses — Temporary Professional, Initial Professional, Professional, and Advanced Professional — and determines which one you receive. marylandpublicschools.org blocks some automated clients; pages were read directly with a standard browser user agent on 2026-08-07.
Maryland requirements at a glance
| Exam | Maryland does not require its own content-area licensure tests from applicants who hold a valid out-of-state professional license or completed an approved out-of-state preparation program; instead every such applicant must submit a passing score on a performance-based pedagogy assessment (edTPA or PPAT), which may be satisfied instead by a current National Board Certificate, two years of effective (or comparable) evaluations, or an effective rating on one Maryland local school system year-end evaluation. An approved reading instruction assessment (Pearson Foundations of Reading, passing score 240, or Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary 5205, passing score 159) is additionally required for early childhood, elementary, generic special education (any grade band), and ESOL PK-12. |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $10 ($10 processing fee for issuance of a license, paid through the TEACH Dashboard only after MSDE determines eligibility; Visa and Mastercard accepted) |
| Processing time | up to 8 weeks (MSDE states it will process a licensure application within 8 weeks of submission if all required documents have been provided; service members, veterans, and their spouses are entitled to expedited processing) |
Step by step
- Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) — Division of Educator Effectiveness (Educator Licensure) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) — Division of Educator Effectiveness (Educator Licensure) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Apply online through the Educator Application and Certification Hub (TEACH).
- Hold a bachelor's degree or higher plus either a valid out-of-state professional license or completion of an out-of-state approved preparation program including a clinical internship, in the license area sought.
- Submit a passing performance-based pedagogy assessment score, OR two years of effective evaluations, OR a current National Board Certificate, OR an effective Maryland year-end evaluation rating.
- Pass an approved reading instruction assessment when applying for early childhood, elementary, generic special education, or ESOL licensure.
- Submit official transcripts showing the degree conferred and the conferral date.
- Pay the fees ($10 ($10 processing fee for issuance of a license, paid through the TEACH Dashboard only after MSDE determines eligibility; Visa and Mastercard accepted)) and allow up to 8 weeks (MSDE states it will process a licensure application within 8 weeks of submission if all required documents have been provided; service members, veterans, and their spouses are entitled to expedited processing).
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Maryland:
Nearby states
Teaching license transfer into the states bordering Maryland:
Maryland for other professions
- Nursing in Maryland
- Cosmetology / Barber in Maryland
- Real Estate in Maryland
- Contractor in Maryland
- CPA / Accounting in Maryland
- Electrician in Maryland
- Plumber in Maryland
- Engineering in Maryland
- Pharmacy in Maryland
- Physical Therapy in Maryland
- Psychology in Maryland
- Counseling in Maryland
- Social Work in Maryland
- Occupational Therapy in Maryland
Frequently asked questions
Does my teaching license transfer to Maryland?
Maryland does not exchange your teaching license. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) — Division of Educator Effectiveness (Educator Licensure) reviews each out-of-state credential individually and decides which Maryland credential you qualify for and what you still need to complete. Application fee: $10 ($10 processing fee for issuance of a license, paid through the TEACH Dashboard only after MSDE determines eligibility; Visa and Mastercard accepted).
Is teaching reciprocity automatic in Maryland?
No. Maryland reviews each out-of-state credential individually and decides which credential you qualify for and what remains.
What tests or requirements does Maryland add?
Maryland does not require its own content-area licensure tests from applicants who hold a valid out-of-state professional license or completed an approved out-of-state preparation program; instead every such applicant must submit a passing score on a performance-based pedagogy assessment (edTPA or PPAT), which may be satisfied instead by a current National Board Certificate, two years of effective (or comparable) evaluations, or an effective rating on one Maryland local school system year-end evaluation. An approved reading instruction assessment (Pearson Foundations of Reading, passing score 240, or Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary 5205, passing score 159) is additionally required for early childhood, elementary, generic special education (any grade band), and ESOL PK-12.
What does a Maryland out-of-state teaching certificate cost and how long does it take?
$10 ($10 processing fee for issuance of a license, paid through the TEACH Dashboard only after MSDE determines eligibility; Visa and Mastercard accepted). Processing: up to 8 weeks (MSDE states it will process a licensure application within 8 weeks of submission if all required documents have been provided; service members, veterans, and their spouses are entitled to expedited processing).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- MSDE — Educator Licensure Frequently Asked Questions ($10 processing fee; 8-week processing commitment; TEACH application system) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- MSDE — Pathways to Initial Licensure (Out-of-State Teacher Preparation Program and Out-of-State Professional License routes) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- MSDE — Out-of-State Candidate Assessment Requirements (performance-based pedagogy assessment options and reading instruction assessment passing scores) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]