Teaching License from Texas to Kansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from Texas to Kansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure, verify your Texas license, and meet Kansas's endorsement requirements. Kansas content and pedagogy assessment requirements apply to out-of-state applicants but may be exempted by accepting the applicant's out-of-state test scores or verified teaching experience; where requirements remain outstanding, an Out-of-State Provisional license is available while they are completed.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Texas to Kansas: your Texas teaching license gets you in the door, not a Kansas license on its own terms. Kansas reviews your credential and, if you still owe its requirements, can issue an Out-of-State Provisional license so you can teach while you complete them. Plan those requirements into your first year.
What changes, Texas → Kansas
| Texas (current) | Kansas (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) | KSDE assesses a nonrefundable application processing fee in KLAS; a fixed amount was not published on the reviewed pages; fingerprinting is additional for first-time out-of-state applicants |
| 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 KSDE pages |
| Licensing authority | Texas Education Agency (TEA) - Educator Certification | Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kansas's current requirements on the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a valid full or standard out-of-state teaching license issued after completing a state-approved preparation program.
- Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution and have completed a teacher preparation program.
- Meet the 'recency' requirement - teaching experience and/or college credit within the last six years.
- Submit the Form 2 Initial Out-of-State application with a fingerprint card through the Kansas Licensure Applications System (KLAS).
- Pay the fees (KSDE assesses a nonrefundable application processing fee in KLAS; a fixed amount was not published on the reviewed pages; fingerprinting is additional for first-time out-of-state applicants). Processing time: Not stated on the reviewed KSDE pages.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas accept a Texas teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Texas to Kansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure, verify your Texas license, and meet Kansas's endorsement requirements. Kansas content and pedagogy assessment requirements apply to out-of-state applicants but may be exempted by accepting the applicant's out-of-state test scores or verified teaching experience; where requirements remain outstanding, an Out-of-State Provisional license is available while they are completed.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Texas to Kansas?
Kansas content and pedagogy assessment requirements apply to out-of-state applicants but may be exempted by accepting the applicant's out-of-state test scores or verified teaching experience; where requirements remain outstanding, an Out-of-State Provisional license is available while they are completed.
Can I teach in Kansas right away?
Possibly. Kansas can issue an Out-of-State Provisional license so you can teach while you complete its remaining requirements; ask the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) - Teacher Licensure whether you qualify for it.
What does the Texas-to-Kansas transfer cost and how long does it take?
KSDE assesses a nonrefundable application processing fee in KLAS; a fixed amount was not published on the reviewed pages; fingerprinting is additional for first-time out-of-state applicants. Processing time: Not stated on the reviewed KSDE pages.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- KSDE - License Information and Applications (KLAS; license structure and content assessments) ↗ (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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