Teaching License from Texas to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from Texas to Delaware by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) - Licensure and Certification, verify your Texas license, and meet Delaware's endorsement requirements. Test scores are not required for a reciprocity credential - Delaware states test scores are only needed for applications that do not meet Delaware reciprocity requirements or for new (non-reciprocal) certificate applications; a holder of a current, valid out-of-state license therefore transfers without retaking Delaware's Praxis tests.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Texas to Delaware is an application, not a transfer: Delaware reviews your Texas certificate and issues a Delaware certificate of its own. The tests and requirements below are what Delaware still asks — gather them before you apply, because gaps are what slow a review.
What changes, Texas → Delaware
| Texas (current) | Delaware (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $160–$164 (19 TAC Sec. 230.101 (SBEC rules currently in effect) sets the nonrefundable fee for 'Review of a credential issued by a jurisdiction other than Texas' at $160, the standard certificate at $75, and the 'One-year certificate based on a credential issued by a jurisdiction other than Texas' at $50. TEA's out-of-state application materials state $164 is collected for the credentials review; the $4 difference is not explained on any TEA page reviewed, so the range is reported rather than a single figure. The national criminal history check fee (a $10 criminal history review fee plus the current DPS/FBI fingerprint scanning and processing cost) and TExES exam fees are additional) | $100 (One-time, non-refundable $100 application fee for a first Delaware license; reimbursable upon employment in a Delaware public or charter school once the educator is fully licensed and certified) |
| Processing time | 6–8 weeks (TEA: 'Applicants should allow 6 to 8 weeks for processing.' Reviews and test-exemption determinations run longer in the busy season, which TEA pages describe variously as March-October and April-September. TEA's out-of-state certification page reported 531 applications awaiting review as of August 5, 2026 with four specialists assigned) | Not stated on the reviewed DDOE out-of-state applicant page |
| Licensing authority | Texas Education Agency (TEA) - Educator Certification | Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) - Licensure and Certification |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Delaware's current requirements on the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) - Licensure and Certification website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) - Licensure and Certification (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current and valid out-of-state license/certificate (expired licenses are not reciprocal) and apply online in the Delaware Educator Data System (DEEDS) via the EdAccess login.
- Document at least one year of successful teaching experience under the out-of-state license for an Initial License by reciprocity (four years for a Continuing License).
- Have official (unopened) transcripts for all degrees/coursework sent directly to the Delaware Department of Education from regionally accredited institutions.
- Submit Form E (Verification of Teaching Experience) completed by the prior school/personnel office when the experience was outside a Delaware public/charter school.
- Pay the fees ($100 (One-time, non-refundable $100 application fee for a first Delaware license; reimbursable upon employment in a Delaware public or charter school once the educator is fully licensed and certified)). Processing time: Not stated on the reviewed DDOE out-of-state applicant page.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Delaware accept a Texas teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Texas to Delaware by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) - Licensure and Certification, verify your Texas license, and meet Delaware's endorsement requirements. Test scores are not required for a reciprocity credential - Delaware states test scores are only needed for applications that do not meet Delaware reciprocity requirements or for new (non-reciprocal) certificate applications; a holder of a current, valid out-of-state license therefore transfers without retaking Delaware's Praxis tests.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Texas to Delaware?
Test scores are not required for a reciprocity credential - Delaware states test scores are only needed for applications that do not meet Delaware reciprocity requirements or for new (non-reciprocal) certificate applications; a holder of a current, valid out-of-state license therefore transfers without retaking Delaware's Praxis tests.
Can I teach in Delaware right away?
Not until the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) - Licensure and Certification issues your Delaware certificate, so build its processing time into your start date.
What does the Texas-to-Delaware transfer cost and how long does it take?
$100 (One-time, non-refundable $100 application fee for a first Delaware license; reimbursable upon employment in a Delaware public or charter school once the educator is fully licensed and certified). Processing time: Not stated on the reviewed DDOE out-of-state applicant page.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- DDOE - Out-of-State Applicant (Initial/Continuing License by reciprocity, DEEDS, $100 fee, Form E, tests waived for reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Texas TEA - Out-of-State Certified Educators (no reciprocity; Review of Credentials; certificate must be valid and active; 6-8 weeks) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Texas TEA - Out-of-State Educator Test Exemption Review (1 year classroom / 2 years administrative-student services / 3+ years verifiable; STR not exemptible by experience or Reading Academies) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Texas SBEC rules currently in effect - 19 TAC Chapter 230 Subchapter G PDF, Sec. 230.101 Schedule of Fees ($160 review of an out-of-jurisdiction credential; $75 standard certificate; $50 one-year certificate; $10 criminal history review fee plus fingerprint costs) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Texas TEA - Out-of-State Certifications overview (ECOS account required; 6 to 8 weeks in busiest months April-September; current review backlog) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Texas TEA - Out-of-State Application Instructions (three-step TEAL sequence: Review of Credentials, One-Year Certificate, Standard Certificate) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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