Skip to content
LicenseReciprocity

Teaching License from Pennsylvania to South Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-08 · source: South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification ↗

A teaching certificate transfers from Pennsylvania to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet South Dakota's endorsement requirements. South Dakota certifies out-of-state educators by reciprocity: the department recognizes an educator certificate issued by another state on completion of an approved educator preparation program and issues an equivalent South Dakota certificate, so South Dakota's own state-designated content/pedagogy tests are not re-taken for endorsements already held on the valid out-of-state certificate; endorsements NOT carried on that certificate must be earned under South Dakota's own endorsement rules (ARSD 24:28), which the DOE certification pages did not spell out on the date accessed.

Verify this exact pair in the checker

Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

The honest version of Pennsylvania to South Dakota: your Pennsylvania teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. South Dakota 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 South Dakota's requirements — plan them into your first year.

What changes, Pennsylvania → South Dakota

Side-by-side: Pennsylvania vs South Dakota (Teaching (K-12)), verified 2026-08-08
Pennsylvania (current)South Dakota (destination)
Application feeNOT 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.$35–$60 ($35 provisional certificate (1-year term) issued first to allow time to complete the South Dakota Indian Studies course, then $60 Initial Educator Certificate (5-year term) once the coursework is done, per the DOE Certification FAQ fee list. The fingerprint-based DCI/FBI background-check cost is charged separately and is not published by the certification office)
Processing timeNOT VERIFIED — PDE publishes no processing timeframe for out-of-state certification applications on the reviewed page4–6 weeks (DOE Certification FAQ: applications are reviewed 'in approximately 4-6 weeks'; the same FAQ warns 'Processing can take up to 10 weeks so it is important to plan ahead')
Licensing authorityPennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) — Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher QualitySouth Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification

The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Dakota sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold a valid out-of-state educator certificate issued on completion of an approved educator preparation program.
  5. Register an Educator Profile and apply through the South Dakota Educator Portal.
  6. Complete a department-approved three-credit-hour South Dakota Indian Studies course with a grade of C or higher to convert the one-year provisional certificate to the full certificate.
  7. Complete a fingerprint-based DCI and FBI criminal background check for school employment.
  8. Pay the fees ($35–$60 ($35 provisional certificate (1-year term) issued first to allow time to complete the South Dakota Indian Studies course, then $60 Initial Educator Certificate (5-year term) once the coursework is done, per the DOE Certification FAQ fee list. The fingerprint-based DCI/FBI background-check cost is charged separately and is not published by the certification office)) and allow 4–6 weeks (DOE Certification FAQ: applications are reviewed 'in approximately 4-6 weeks'; the same FAQ warns 'Processing can take up to 10 weeks so it is important to plan ahead').

Official links

South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification ↗South Dakota application ↗

Related guides

Reverse: South Dakota → PennsylvaniaTeaching in PennsylvaniaTeaching in South DakotaAll teaching states

Frequently asked questions

Does South Dakota accept a Pennsylvania teaching license?

A teaching certificate transfers from Pennsylvania to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) - Office of Educator Certification, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet South Dakota's endorsement requirements. South Dakota certifies out-of-state educators by reciprocity: the department recognizes an educator certificate issued by another state on completion of an approved educator preparation program and issues an equivalent South Dakota certificate, so South Dakota's own state-designated content/pedagogy tests are not re-taken for endorsements already held on the valid out-of-state certificate; endorsements NOT carried on that certificate must be earned under South Dakota's own endorsement rules (ARSD 24:28), which the DOE certification pages did not spell out on the date accessed.

Will I have to retake tests moving from Pennsylvania to South Dakota?

South Dakota certifies out-of-state educators by reciprocity: the department recognizes an educator certificate issued by another state on completion of an approved educator preparation program and issues an equivalent South Dakota certificate, so South Dakota's own state-designated content/pedagogy tests are not re-taken for endorsements already held on the valid out-of-state certificate; endorsements NOT carried on that certificate must be earned under South Dakota's own endorsement rules (ARSD 24:28), which the DOE certification pages did not spell out on the date accessed. Holding a Pennsylvania license does not by itself waive South Dakota's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.

Can I teach in South Dakota right away?

Generally yes on a provisional or one-year South Dakota certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.

What does the Pennsylvania-to-South Dakota transfer cost and how long does it take?

$35–$60 ($35 provisional certificate (1-year term) issued first to allow time to complete the South Dakota Indian Studies course, then $60 Initial Educator Certificate (5-year term) once the coursework is done, per the DOE Certification FAQ fee list. The fingerprint-based DCI/FBI background-check cost is charged separately and is not published by the certification office); processing 4–6 weeks (DOE Certification FAQ: applications are reviewed 'in approximately 4-6 weeks'; the same FAQ warns 'Processing can take up to 10 weeks so it is important to plan ahead').

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]