Teaching License from Michigan to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-08 · source: Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Michigan 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 Michigan 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 Michigan to Oregon: your Michigan 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 Michigan license waives Oregon's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Michigan → Oregon
| Michigan (current) | Oregon (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) | $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 | 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 | NOT VERIFIED — TSPC publishes no processing timeframe for the Reciprocal Teaching License on the reviewed pages |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) | 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 Michigan teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Michigan 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 Michigan 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 Michigan 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 Michigan 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 Michigan-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)
- 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 2026-08-08
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