Teaching License from New York to Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) - Office of Licensure ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from New York to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) - Office of Licensure, verify your New York license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. Virginia does not exchange another state's scores. Under universal licensure by reciprocity (8VAC20-23-100 / Code of Virginia 22.1-298.1) an applicant holding a valid, full out-of-state teaching license without deficiencies that has been in force at least three years before and at the time of application faces NO Virginia licensing assessments and no service requirement. An applicant who does not meet the three-year threshold must satisfy the Board-prescribed professional teacher's assessments unless separately exempt..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of New York to Virginia: your New York teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Virginia 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 Virginia's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, New York → Virginia
| New York (current) | Virginia (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.) | $100–$150 (VDOE Fee Schedule for Licensure (revised January 2025) sets the initial license fee by the address on the application - 100 USD in-state, 150 USD out-of-state; an applicant still living out of state pays 150 USD. Background-check costs are charged separately by the hiring division.) |
| 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.' | ~3 weeks (Statutory, and specific to the universal-reciprocity path - VDOE must determine and communicate eligibility for licensure by reciprocity within 15 business days (about 3 weeks) of receiving a complete application packet, and must prioritize those applications. VDOE publishes no general week range for other licensure applications.) |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives | Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) - Office of Licensure |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Virginia's current requirements on the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) - Office of Licensure website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) - Office of Licensure (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Apply to the VDOE Office of Licensure with a copy of the valid out-of-state license and official transcripts.
- For the streamlined path, hold that out-of-state license in force at least three years before and at the time of application.
- Otherwise document completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program at a regionally accredited four-year institution.
- Pass the Board-prescribed professional teacher's assessments if you do not qualify for the three-year assessment exemption.
- Complete a fingerprint-based background check through the employing Virginia school division.
- Pay the fees ($100–$150 (VDOE Fee Schedule for Licensure (revised January 2025) sets the initial license fee by the address on the application - 100 USD in-state, 150 USD out-of-state; an applicant still living out of state pays 150 USD. Background-check costs are charged separately by the hiring division.)) and allow ~3 weeks (Statutory, and specific to the universal-reciprocity path - VDOE must determine and communicate eligibility for licensure by reciprocity within 15 business days (about 3 weeks) of receiving a complete application packet, and must prioritize those applications. VDOE publishes no general week range for other licensure applications.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Virginia accept a New York teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from New York to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) - Office of Licensure, verify your New York license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. Virginia does not exchange another state's scores. Under universal licensure by reciprocity (8VAC20-23-100 / Code of Virginia 22.1-298.1) an applicant holding a valid, full out-of-state teaching license without deficiencies that has been in force at least three years before and at the time of application faces NO Virginia licensing assessments and no service requirement. An applicant who does not meet the three-year threshold must satisfy the Board-prescribed professional teacher's assessments unless separately exempt..
Will I have to retake tests moving from New York to Virginia?
Virginia does not exchange another state's scores. Under universal licensure by reciprocity (8VAC20-23-100 / Code of Virginia 22.1-298.1) an applicant holding a valid, full out-of-state teaching license without deficiencies that has been in force at least three years before and at the time of application faces NO Virginia licensing assessments and no service requirement. An applicant who does not meet the three-year threshold must satisfy the Board-prescribed professional teacher's assessments unless separately exempt.. Holding a New York license does not by itself waive Virginia's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Virginia right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Virginia certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the New York-to-Virginia transfer cost and how long does it take?
$100–$150 (VDOE Fee Schedule for Licensure (revised January 2025) sets the initial license fee by the address on the application - 100 USD in-state, 150 USD out-of-state; an applicant still living out of state pays 150 USD. Background-check costs are charged separately by the hiring division.); processing ~3 weeks (Statutory, and specific to the universal-reciprocity path - VDOE must determine and communicate eligibility for licensure by reciprocity within 15 business days (about 3 weeks) of receiving a complete application packet, and must prioritize those applications. VDOE publishes no general week range for other licensure applications.).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 8VAC20-23-100 - Conditions for licensure for out-of-state candidates by reciprocity (universal licensure by reciprocity; no service requirements or licensing assessments for a 3-year license holder) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Code of Virginia 22.1-298.1 - universal licensure by reciprocity; 15-business-day eligibility determination; prioritized applications ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VDOE - Fee Schedule for Licensure, revised January 2025 (initial license 100 USD in-state / 150 USD out-of-state) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VDOE - Licensure Reciprocity ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]