Teaching License from Pennsylvania to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-08 · source: Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Licensure ↗
Yes — Mississippi recognizes teaching certificates from all states, including Pennsylvania. Apply to the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Licensure for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full reciprocity
Coming from Pennsylvania, Mississippi is a comparatively smooth move — but "reciprocity" still means applying to Mississippi for its own credential, not carrying your Pennsylvania license across. Mississippi's streamlined recognition shortens the path, and if you have several years of experience or National Board certification, its exams may be waived entirely. The requirements below are what Mississippi still asks.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Mississippi
| Pennsylvania (current) | Mississippi (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. | No fixed reciprocity application fee is published on the reviewed MDE pages; applications are submitted and paid through the MECCA system (a $5 fee is noted for duplicate-copy requests). Confirm the current fee at [email protected] |
| Processing time | NOT VERIFIED — PDE publishes no processing timeframe for out-of-state certification applications on the reviewed page | ~3 weeks (State Board policy requires MDE to grant the standard five-year reciprocity license within twenty-one (21) days of a completed application (about 3 weeks)) |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) — Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality | Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Licensure |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Mississippi's current requirements on the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Licensure website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Licensure (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Create a Mississippi Educator Career Continuum Archive (MECCA) account and submit the online licensure application.
- Upload a PDF copy of the valid standard out-of-state (or out-of-country) educator license.
- Submit official sealed transcripts of all college/university coursework and degrees.
- Submit a Verification of Lawful Presence (VLP) form if not previously provided.
- Pay the fees (No fixed reciprocity application fee is published on the reviewed MDE pages; applications are submitted and paid through the MECCA system (a $5 fee is noted for duplicate-copy requests). Confirm the current fee at [email protected]) and allow ~3 weeks (State Board policy requires MDE to grant the standard five-year reciprocity license within twenty-one (21) days of a completed application (about 3 weeks)).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Mississippi accept a Pennsylvania teaching license?
Yes — Mississippi recognizes teaching certificates from all states, including Pennsylvania. Apply to the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Licensure for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Pennsylvania to Mississippi?
A holder of a valid standard license from another state (or country/political subdivision) is granted a Mississippi standard five-year license without taking Mississippi's Praxis or other licensure exams; an applicant who does not hold a valid standard/renewable out-of-state license instead receives a two-year non-renewable reciprocity license and must complete Mississippi's testing/requirements to convert to a standard license. Holding a Pennsylvania license does not by itself waive Mississippi's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Mississippi right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Mississippi certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Pennsylvania-to-Mississippi transfer cost and how long does it take?
No fixed reciprocity application fee is published on the reviewed MDE pages; applications are submitted and paid through the MECCA system (a $5 fee is noted for duplicate-copy requests). Confirm the current fee at [email protected]; processing ~3 weeks (State Board policy requires MDE to grant the standard five-year reciprocity license within twenty-one (21) days of a completed application (about 3 weeks)).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-08.
- MDE — Guidelines for Mississippi Educator Licensure K-12 (Aug 2024): RECIPROCITY (standard five-year license within 21 days for a valid standard out-of-state license; Class A requirements) [PDF, accessed via Internet Archive] ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MDE — How to Apply for a License (Out of State License category: valid standard out-of-state license, official transcripts, VLP form; MECCA) [accessed via Internet Archive] ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MDE Teach Mississippi — Reciprocity pathway (standard 5-year renewable license; two-year non-renewable for non-standard out-of-state licenses; no Mississippi prep program or exam required) ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]