Teaching License from Michigan to Tennessee: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP) ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Michigan to Tennessee by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP), verify your Michigan license, and meet Tennessee's endorsement requirements. Two-tier. An applicant holding a full, valid, continuously renewable PROFESSIONAL-level out-of-state license is issued a Tennessee Professional 6-Year license (policy effective July 1, 2021). An applicant holding an active INITIAL-level out-of-state license is issued a 3-year Practitioner license and, per TDOE, 'are not required to submit assessments' at initial application, but must pass Tennessee's required content assessment(s) to renew or advance. Out-of-state scores count only when the score report is sent directly from the testing agency to TNCompass.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Michigan to Tennessee: your Michigan teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Tennessee 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 Tennessee's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Michigan → Tennessee
| Michigan (current) | Tennessee (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) | $0 (TDOE Licensure FAQ Guide states plainly: 'There is no fee associated with applying for licensure in Tennessee.' Third-party costs are separate - ETS/Praxis registration, re-sending score reports, and transcript delivery) |
| 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 | TDOE publishes no fixed turnaround. Applications 'are processed in the order in which they are received' and current processing times appear on a 'Now Processing' chart updated weekly. TDOE asks applicants to wait at least ten business days after submitting before contacting the office; Tennessee districts that hire an applicant may request expedited or priority processing |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) | Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Tennessee sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Register a TNCompass account and submit the out-of-state educator licensure application.
- Hold a bachelor's degree and have official transcripts sent directly to [email protected].
- Meet Tennessee Literacy Success Act requirements through a qualifying training or assessment where the endorsement applies.
- Pass Tennessee's required content assessment(s) before renewing or advancing a Practitioner license.
- Pay the fees ($0 (TDOE Licensure FAQ Guide states plainly: 'There is no fee associated with applying for licensure in Tennessee.' Third-party costs are separate - ETS/Praxis registration, re-sending score reports, and transcript delivery)) and allow TDOE publishes no fixed turnaround. Applications 'are processed in the order in which they are received' and current processing times appear on a 'Now Processing' chart updated weekly. TDOE asks applicants to wait at least ten business days after submitting before contacting the office; Tennessee districts that hire an applicant may request expedited or priority processing.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee accept a Michigan teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Michigan to Tennessee by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) - Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP), verify your Michigan license, and meet Tennessee's endorsement requirements. Two-tier. An applicant holding a full, valid, continuously renewable PROFESSIONAL-level out-of-state license is issued a Tennessee Professional 6-Year license (policy effective July 1, 2021). An applicant holding an active INITIAL-level out-of-state license is issued a 3-year Practitioner license and, per TDOE, 'are not required to submit assessments' at initial application, but must pass Tennessee's required content assessment(s) to renew or advance. Out-of-state scores count only when the score report is sent directly from the testing agency to TNCompass.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Michigan to Tennessee?
Two-tier. An applicant holding a full, valid, continuously renewable PROFESSIONAL-level out-of-state license is issued a Tennessee Professional 6-Year license (policy effective July 1, 2021). An applicant holding an active INITIAL-level out-of-state license is issued a 3-year Practitioner license and, per TDOE, 'are not required to submit assessments' at initial application, but must pass Tennessee's required content assessment(s) to renew or advance. Out-of-state scores count only when the score report is sent directly from the testing agency to TNCompass. Holding a Michigan license does not by itself waive Tennessee's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Tennessee right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Tennessee certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Michigan-to-Tennessee transfer cost and how long does it take?
$0 (TDOE Licensure FAQ Guide states plainly: 'There is no fee associated with applying for licensure in Tennessee.' Third-party costs are separate - ETS/Praxis registration, re-sending score reports, and transcript delivery); processing TDOE publishes no fixed turnaround. Applications 'are processed in the order in which they are received' and current processing times appear on a 'Now Processing' chart updated weekly. TDOE asks applicants to wait at least ten business days after submitting before contacting the office; Tennessee districts that hire an applicant may request expedited or priority processing.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Tennessee DOE - Out-of-State Educators (Practitioner 3-year vs Professional 6-Year; assessments not required at initial application on an active out-of-state initial license; Literacy Success Act) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Tennessee DOE - Licensure FAQ Guide PDF ('There is no fee associated with applying for licensure in Tennessee'; 'Now Processing' chart updated weekly; ETS score-report rules) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Tennessee DOE - Educator Licensure & Preparation hub (wait ten business days after submission before contacting the office) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Tennessee DOE - Educator Licensure Operating Procedures PDF (priority processing requests by directors of schools; no fee schedule) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 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
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