Teaching License from New York to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) — Division of Educator Effectiveness (Educator Licensure) ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from New York to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) — Division of Educator Effectiveness (Educator Licensure), verify your New York license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. 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..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of New York to Maryland: your New York teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Maryland 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 New York license waives Maryland's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, New York → Maryland
| New York (current) | Maryland (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $100 ($100 per certificate title or extension for an Initial/Professional classroom teaching certificate awarded on alternate requirements (transcript/individual evaluation) — the route interstate applicants use. The $50 rate applies only to certificates based on completion of a New York State-registered approved program requiring a college recommendation. Additional: $104.50 fingerprint fee as of 2026-02-02 (DCJS $75.00 + FBI $12.00 + IDEMIA $17.50). An application is valid for three years or two evaluations, whichever comes first, and the fee is non-refundable once evaluated.) | $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 | NYSED publishes no processing-time estimate for certification applications. The Office of Teaching Initiatives states only that it 'can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.' | ~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) |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives | Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) — Division of Educator Effectiveness (Educator Licensure) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) — Division of Educator Effectiveness (Educator Licensure) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) — Division of Educator Effectiveness (Educator Licensure) (application linked below).
- 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 ~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
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maryland accept a New York teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from New York to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) — Division of Educator Effectiveness (Educator Licensure), verify your New York license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. 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..
Will I have to retake tests moving from New York to Maryland?
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.. Holding a New York license does not by itself waive Maryland's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Maryland right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Maryland certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the New York-to-Maryland transfer 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 ~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)
- NYSED OTI — Applicants from Other States (Interstate Reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED OTI — Application Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED OTI — Workshops Required for Educator Certification ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED — Fingerprinting (fee effective 2026-02-02) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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