Teaching License from Pennsylvania to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from Pennsylvania to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. An applicant who holds a current, valid out-of-state certificate (issued under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement on completion of a state-approved program) transfers without retaking Idaho content exams; an applicant qualifying instead through a recent CAEP/AAQEP institutional recommendation must document the content-area testing required by the preparing institution.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Pennsylvania to Idaho is an application, not a transfer: Idaho reviews your Pennsylvania certificate and issues an Idaho certificate of its own. The tests and requirements below are what Idaho still asks — gather them before you apply, because gaps are what slow a review.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Idaho
| Pennsylvania (current) | Idaho (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.) | $75 ($75 application fee payable to the Idaho Department of Education; a separate Background Investigation Check (fingerprint) processing fee is additional) |
| Processing time | NOT VERIFIED — PDE publishes no processing timeframe for out-of-state certification applications on the reviewed page | Not stated on the official out-of-state page; applicants are told to include transcripts to expedite and to allow 1-2 weeks for separately mailed transcripts to be paired with the application |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) — Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality | Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Idaho sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, valid out-of-state certificate issued on completion of a state-approved program (NASDTEC Interstate Agreement), or complete a CAEP/AAQEP-accredited program within the last 2 years.
- Submit the completed and signed Idaho Educator Certification Application packet with all required documents in a single packet.
- Complete a Background Investigation Check (BIC) packet with fingerprinting and its processing fee.
- Submit official transcripts verifying at least a baccalaureate degree and the certification/endorsement areas.
- Pay the fees ($75 ($75 application fee payable to the Idaho Department of Education; a separate Background Investigation Check (fingerprint) processing fee is additional)). Processing time: Not stated on the official out-of-state page; applicants are told to include transcripts to expedite and to allow 1-2 weeks for separately mailed transcripts to be paired with the application.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Idaho accept a Pennsylvania teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Pennsylvania to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. An applicant who holds a current, valid out-of-state certificate (issued under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement on completion of a state-approved program) transfers without retaking Idaho content exams; an applicant qualifying instead through a recent CAEP/AAQEP institutional recommendation must document the content-area testing required by the preparing institution.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Pennsylvania to Idaho?
An applicant who holds a current, valid out-of-state certificate (issued under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement on completion of a state-approved program) transfers without retaking Idaho content exams; an applicant qualifying instead through a recent CAEP/AAQEP institutional recommendation must document the content-area testing required by the preparing institution.
Can I teach in Idaho right away?
Not until the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) - Educator/Teacher Certification issues your Idaho certificate, so build its processing time into your start date.
What does the Pennsylvania-to-Idaho transfer cost and how long does it take?
$75 ($75 application fee payable to the Idaho Department of Education; a separate Background Investigation Check (fingerprint) processing fee is additional). Processing time: Not stated on the official out-of-state page; applicants are told to include transcripts to expedite and to allow 1-2 weeks for separately mailed transcripts to be paired with the application.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-01.
- Idaho SDE - Certificate for Out-of-state Applicants ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho SDE - Educator Certification (department landing) ↗ (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]