Teaching License from Michigan to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Michigan to Arkansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure, verify your Michigan license, and meet Arkansas's endorsement requirements. Arkansas requires the content-area test(s) that applied to your out-of-state license, and documentation of ADE-approved content-area assessments must be submitted for the standard license; the Foundations of Reading test is required when licensing in K-6 Elementary, K-12 Special Education, or P-4 Early Childhood. National Board certification is accepted where applicable; Praxis exams are registered through ETS..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Michigan to Arkansas: your Michigan teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Arkansas 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 Michigan license waives Arkansas's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Michigan → Arkansas
| Michigan (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $210 ($210 out-of-state evaluation fee for the Standard or Professional Teaching Certificate (the in-state fee for the same certificates is $160); an additional endorsement is $50. Fees are authorized by MCL 380.1538, are valid two years from the date of payment, and are not refunded for denied applications) | $75 ($75.00 nonrefundable online application fee; background-check costs additional) |
| Processing time | MDE publishes no processing timeframe; an assigned certification specialist evaluates the credential and issues an evaluation letter identifying any remaining tests or coursework before certification | ~2 weeks (ADE sends a written deficiency-response letter within about two weeks of evaluating a complete packet; total issuance time not otherwise stated) |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) | Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arkansas's current requirements on the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current or expired out-of-state standard educator's license that has been in good standing for the three most recent years of teaching experience.
- Initiate and complete the Arkansas background check (fingerprinting).
- Submit official transcripts and a Verification of Teaching (experience) form.
- Complete Arkansas History for Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Childhood Social Studies, or Secondary Social Studies (accredited Arkansas institution or a 45-clock-hour Arkansas IDEAS course).
- A Provisional license is available if all standard-license requirements are met except content testing and/or Arkansas History, issued on a signed VOPLE from the employing superintendent.
- Pay the fees ($75 ($75.00 nonrefundable online application fee; background-check costs additional)) and allow ~2 weeks (ADE sends a written deficiency-response letter within about two weeks of evaluating a complete packet; total issuance time not otherwise stated).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Arkansas accept a Michigan teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Michigan to Arkansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — Office of Educator Licensure, verify your Michigan license, and meet Arkansas's endorsement requirements. Arkansas requires the content-area test(s) that applied to your out-of-state license, and documentation of ADE-approved content-area assessments must be submitted for the standard license; the Foundations of Reading test is required when licensing in K-6 Elementary, K-12 Special Education, or P-4 Early Childhood. National Board certification is accepted where applicable; Praxis exams are registered through ETS..
Will I have to retake tests moving from Michigan to Arkansas?
Arkansas requires the content-area test(s) that applied to your out-of-state license, and documentation of ADE-approved content-area assessments must be submitted for the standard license; the Foundations of Reading test is required when licensing in K-6 Elementary, K-12 Special Education, or P-4 Early Childhood. National Board certification is accepted where applicable; Praxis exams are registered through ETS.. Holding a Michigan license does not by itself waive Arkansas's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Arkansas right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Arkansas certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Michigan-to-Arkansas transfer cost and how long does it take?
$75 ($75.00 nonrefundable online application fee; background-check costs additional); processing ~2 weeks (ADE sends a written deficiency-response letter within about two weeks of evaluating a complete packet; total issuance time not otherwise stated).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Arkansas DESE — Licensure by Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MDE — Out-of-State Applicants (Standard, Professional, and Temporary Teaching Certificates; MTTC testing; three-year experience exemption; reading methods coursework) [michigan.gov intermittently blocks automated clients; read via the Internet Archive capture of 2026-08-03] ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- MDE — Certificate Evaluation Fees (out-of-state fee table: $210 Standard and Professional Teaching Certificate, $160 in-state, $50 additional endorsement; fees valid two years) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]