Teaching License from Michigan to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from Michigan to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) — Division of Teacher Certification, verify your Michigan license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. Louisiana requires the Praxis series (Core Academic Skills for Educators, the Praxis subject-area assessment, and the Principles of Learning and Teaching/PLT); incoming teachers may transfer comparable out-of-state passing scores, and experienced applicants holding a valid out-of-state certificate or National Board Certified Teachers may qualify for testing waivers. An Out-of-State (OS) certificate — valid up to three years and non-renewable — is issued to allow time to complete any outstanding Louisiana exams before the standard certificate.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Michigan to Louisiana: your Michigan teaching license gets you in the door, not a Louisiana license on its own terms. Louisiana reviews your credential and, if you still owe its requirements, can issue an Out-of-State (OS) certificate, valid up to three years and non-renewable so you can teach while you complete them. Plan those requirements into your first year.
What changes, Michigan → Louisiana
| Michigan (current) | Louisiana (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) | certificate/application fee not confirmed on an official LDOE page during this pass; verify on teachlouisiana.net before publishing |
| 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 | LDOE does not publish a fixed processing timeframe; application status is trackable in the Teacher Certification Help Portal |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) | Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) — Division of Teacher Certification |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) — Division of Teacher Certification website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) — Division of Teacher Certification (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Apply for certification through the LDOE Teacher Certification portal (teachlouisiana.net / Teacher Certification Help Portal).
- Hold a valid standard out-of-state teaching certificate and have completed a state-approved teacher preparation program.
- Meet Louisiana's Praxis testing requirements, transfer comparable passing scores, or qualify for an experience/National-Board-based waiver.
- Submit official transcripts and direct verification of your out-of-state certificate.
- Complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check.
- Pay the fees (certificate/application fee not confirmed on an official LDOE page during this pass; verify on teachlouisiana.net before publishing). Processing time: LDOE does not publish a fixed processing timeframe; application status is trackable in the Teacher Certification Help Portal.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Louisiana accept a Michigan teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Michigan to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) — Division of Teacher Certification, verify your Michigan license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. Louisiana requires the Praxis series (Core Academic Skills for Educators, the Praxis subject-area assessment, and the Principles of Learning and Teaching/PLT); incoming teachers may transfer comparable out-of-state passing scores, and experienced applicants holding a valid out-of-state certificate or National Board Certified Teachers may qualify for testing waivers. An Out-of-State (OS) certificate — valid up to three years and non-renewable — is issued to allow time to complete any outstanding Louisiana exams before the standard certificate.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Michigan to Louisiana?
Louisiana requires the Praxis series (Core Academic Skills for Educators, the Praxis subject-area assessment, and the Principles of Learning and Teaching/PLT); incoming teachers may transfer comparable out-of-state passing scores, and experienced applicants holding a valid out-of-state certificate or National Board Certified Teachers may qualify for testing waivers. An Out-of-State (OS) certificate — valid up to three years and non-renewable — is issued to allow time to complete any outstanding Louisiana exams before the standard certificate.
Can I teach in Louisiana right away?
Possibly. Louisiana can issue an Out-of-State (OS) certificate, valid up to three years and non-renewable so you can teach while you complete its remaining requirements; ask the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) — Division of Teacher Certification whether you qualify for it.
What does the Michigan-to-Louisiana transfer cost and how long does it take?
certificate/application fee not confirmed on an official LDOE page during this pass; verify on teachlouisiana.net before publishing. Processing time: LDOE does not publish a fixed processing timeframe; application status is trackable in the Teacher Certification Help Portal.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Teach Louisiana (LDOE) — Certification portal ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LDOE — Teacher Certification Help Portal ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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