Teaching License from Pennsylvania to Connecticut: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from Pennsylvania to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) - Bureau of Certification, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. Under Enhanced Reciprocity (valid certificate from a listed state/territory) no Connecticut assessments or transcripts are required to be issued the certificate; under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement (all other states) applicants qualify via a state-approved program (ED 125) or 30 months of experience (ED 126), and may be exempt from the Praxis II subject-matter assessment if they hold a valid out-of-state certificate at least equivalent to a CT Initial Educator Certificate plus three years of experience in the endorsement within 10 years, or a master's degree in the subject.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Pennsylvania to Connecticut is an application, not a transfer: Connecticut reviews your Pennsylvania certificate and issues a Connecticut certificate of its own. The tests and requirements below are what Connecticut still asks — gather them before you apply, because gaps are what slow a review.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Connecticut
| Pennsylvania (current) | Connecticut (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $150 ($150 total for an out-of-state applicant's new credential (program completed outside PA: Instructional, Career and Technical, Educational Specialist, Administrative/Supervisory, LOE, CQL) per PDE's Fees and Forms schedule effective 11/12/25 — a $50 standard certification fee (capped at $50 by Act 47 of 2025) plus the separate $100 Professional Educator Discipline fee, which Act 47 did not waive. Charged inside TIMS at submission. Veterans and their spouses are exempt from both fees. Separate from this: Praxis/PECT test fees paid to the testing provider, transcript costs, and background-check clearances. Adding an endorsement is billed separately ($100). On the same PDE schedule, experience-based credentials and their add-ons are $0, but testing add-ons (Instructional I/II, Career and Technical Instructional I/II, Administrative) are $150 — add-ons are not uniformly free, so check which kind yours is.) | $50 ($50 non-refundable application review fee for the ED 170 (both the Enhanced Reciprocity and NIA paths); payable by credit card in CECS or by cashier's/certified check or money order) |
| Processing time | NOT VERIFIED — PDE publishes no processing timeframe for out-of-state certification applications on the reviewed page | Not stated on the reviewed CSDE certification pages |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) — Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality | Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) - Bureau of Certification |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Connecticut sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) - Bureau of Certification website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) - Bureau of Certification (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Complete the ED 170 application through the Connecticut Educator Certification System (CECS) or on paper, and pay the non-refundable review fee.
- Submit a copy of a valid out-of-state educator certificate (temporary, emergency, or interim certificates are not accepted).
- For the NASDTEC/NIA path, verify a state-approved preparation program (ED 125) or 30 months of successful full-time experience in the last 10 years (ED 126, signed by the superintendent/HR director).
- Submit official undergraduate/graduate transcripts by mail or to [email protected] (not required to be issued a certificate under Enhanced Reciprocity, but recommended for the permanent file).
- Pay the fees ($50 ($50 non-refundable application review fee for the ED 170 (both the Enhanced Reciprocity and NIA paths); payable by credit card in CECS or by cashier's/certified check or money order)). Processing time: Not stated on the reviewed CSDE certification pages.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Connecticut accept a Pennsylvania teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Pennsylvania to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) - Bureau of Certification, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. Under Enhanced Reciprocity (valid certificate from a listed state/territory) no Connecticut assessments or transcripts are required to be issued the certificate; under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement (all other states) applicants qualify via a state-approved program (ED 125) or 30 months of experience (ED 126), and may be exempt from the Praxis II subject-matter assessment if they hold a valid out-of-state certificate at least equivalent to a CT Initial Educator Certificate plus three years of experience in the endorsement within 10 years, or a master's degree in the subject.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Pennsylvania to Connecticut?
Under Enhanced Reciprocity (valid certificate from a listed state/territory) no Connecticut assessments or transcripts are required to be issued the certificate; under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement (all other states) applicants qualify via a state-approved program (ED 125) or 30 months of experience (ED 126), and may be exempt from the Praxis II subject-matter assessment if they hold a valid out-of-state certificate at least equivalent to a CT Initial Educator Certificate plus three years of experience in the endorsement within 10 years, or a master's degree in the subject.
Can I teach in Connecticut right away?
Not until the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) - Bureau of Certification issues your Connecticut certificate, so build its processing time into your start date.
What does the Pennsylvania-to-Connecticut transfer cost and how long does it take?
$50 ($50 non-refundable application review fee for the ED 170 (both the Enhanced Reciprocity and NIA paths); payable by credit card in CECS or by cashier's/certified check or money order). Processing time: Not stated on the reviewed CSDE certification pages.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-01.
- CSDE - Enhanced Reciprocity States: How To (listed states, ED 170, $50 fee, no transcripts/exams) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSDE - How do teachers from other states apply (Initial Educator Certificate via NIA; ED 125 program / ED 126 30-months; $50 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CSDE - Am I exempt from subject matter assessments (Praxis II exemption via experience or master's) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Pennsylvania Department of Education — Out-of-State Educators (TIMS application, transcripts, test-score reporting, PDE338V/PDE338A forms, citizenship requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-08)
- Pennsylvania Department of Education — Certification Fees and Forms (fee schedule effective 11/12/25: out-of-state new credential $50 standard + $100 Professional Educator Discipline fee = $150; veteran/spouse exemption) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-01)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-09-01
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]