Teaching License from Pennsylvania to District of Columbia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-08 · source: Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) - Educator Credentialing ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Pennsylvania to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) - Educator Credentialing, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. Applicants may submit comparable licensing-exam scores passed in the state where the active full credential is held to satisfy DC's subject-content and pedagogy testing requirements; any applicant who cannot provide passing scores for comparable exams from another US state/territory must pass the prescribed District of Columbia exams (Praxis), while the National Board (NBPTS) pathway requires no DC exams.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Pennsylvania to District of Columbia: your Pennsylvania teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. District of Columbia 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 Pennsylvania license waives District of Columbia's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Pennsylvania → District of Columbia
| Pennsylvania (current) | District of Columbia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | NOT VERIFIED — PDE's out-of-state educators page references application fees but publishes no amount, and the linked PDE application-fees page returned HTTP 404 on 2026-08-08. Fees are assessed inside TIMS at submission. No figure is asserted rather than publishing an unverified number. | $50 ($50 non-refundable application processing fee per credential area (per the OSSE Educator Credential Areas and Fee Schedule dated 1.8.21); OSSE has announced a new educator-credentialing fee schedule effective October 1, 2026 - re-verify the amount for applications on/after that date) |
| Processing time | NOT VERIFIED — PDE publishes no processing timeframe for out-of-state certification applications on the reviewed page | Not stated on the reviewed OSSE reciprocity/credential pages |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) — Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality | Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) - Educator Credentialing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — District of Columbia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm District of Columbia's current requirements on the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) - Educator Credentialing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) - Educator Credentialing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active, full educator credential/license from another US state or territory (reciprocity may be applied only on your first DC educator-credential application).
- Complete an FBI Identity History Summary Check (IHSC) background check.
- Submit official transcripts from your degree-granting institution(s).
- Provide passing scores on comparable out-of-state licensing exams, or pass the prescribed District of Columbia (Praxis) exams.
- Pay the fees ($50 ($50 non-refundable application processing fee per credential area (per the OSSE Educator Credential Areas and Fee Schedule dated 1.8.21); OSSE has announced a new educator-credentialing fee schedule effective October 1, 2026 - re-verify the amount for applications on/after that date)) and allow Not stated on the reviewed OSSE reciprocity/credential pages.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does District of Columbia accept a Pennsylvania teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Pennsylvania to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) - Educator Credentialing, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. Applicants may submit comparable licensing-exam scores passed in the state where the active full credential is held to satisfy DC's subject-content and pedagogy testing requirements; any applicant who cannot provide passing scores for comparable exams from another US state/territory must pass the prescribed District of Columbia exams (Praxis), while the National Board (NBPTS) pathway requires no DC exams.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Pennsylvania to District of Columbia?
Applicants may submit comparable licensing-exam scores passed in the state where the active full credential is held to satisfy DC's subject-content and pedagogy testing requirements; any applicant who cannot provide passing scores for comparable exams from another US state/territory must pass the prescribed District of Columbia exams (Praxis), while the National Board (NBPTS) pathway requires no DC exams. Holding a Pennsylvania license does not by itself waive District of Columbia's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in District of Columbia right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year District of Columbia certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Pennsylvania-to-District of Columbia transfer cost and how long does it take?
$50 ($50 non-refundable application processing fee per credential area (per the OSSE Educator Credential Areas and Fee Schedule dated 1.8.21); OSSE has announced a new educator-credentialing fee schedule effective October 1, 2026 - re-verify the amount for applications on/after that date); processing Not stated on the reviewed OSSE reciprocity/credential pages.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-08.
- OSSE - Out-of-State Credential Holders (Reciprocity) (active full credential, IHSC, comparable/DC exams, $50 fee, first-application only) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OSSE - Standard Teacher Credential (4-year renewable; Option 3 out-of-state pathway; exam waiver with comparable out-of-state scores) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OSSE - Educator Credential Areas and Fee Schedule ($50 per credential area) ↗ (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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-08
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