Teaching License from Texas to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) ↗
A teaching certificate transfers from Texas to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification), verify your Texas license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. Michigan requires the appropriate Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC) subject-area test(s) for the certificate sought, unless the applicant documents three years of successful teaching experience under the validity of the out-of-state certificate in the endorsement area. An applicant who qualifies for the Professional Teaching Certificate as their initial Michigan certificate is not required to test at all. MDE instructs applicants not to register for any MTTC until they receive an evaluation letter stating which tests, if any, are required..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The honest version of Texas to Michigan: your Texas teaching license gets you in the door, not into the classroom on its own terms. Michigan 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 Texas license waives Michigan's requirements — plan them into your first year.
What changes, Texas → Michigan
| Texas (current) | Michigan (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) | $210 ($210 out-of-state evaluation fee for the Standard or Professional Teaching Certificate (the in-state fee for the same certificates is $160); an additional endorsement is $50. Fees are authorized by MCL 380.1538, are valid two years from the date of payment, and are not refunded for denied applications) |
| 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) | MDE publishes no processing timeframe; an assigned certification specialist evaluates the credential and issues an evaluation letter identifying any remaining tests or coursework before certification |
| Licensing authority | Texas Education Agency (TEA) - Educator Certification | Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Create a Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) account and submit a teaching certificate application for evaluation.
- Have completed a state-approved preparation program including student teaching, or a state-approved alternative route program with the standard teaching certificate issued by that state.
- Pass the MTTC test(s) named in MDE's evaluation letter, or document three years of successful teaching experience under the out-of-state certificate.
- For the Professional Teaching Certificate, complete six semester credit hours of reading methods if elementary certified, or three semester credit hours if secondary certified.
- Provide official transcripts, the out-of-state certificate, and work-experience verification requested by the assigned certification specialist.
- Pay the fees ($210 ($210 out-of-state evaluation fee for the Standard or Professional Teaching Certificate (the in-state fee for the same certificates is $160); an additional endorsement is $50. Fees are authorized by MCL 380.1538, are valid two years from the date of payment, and are not refunded for denied applications)) and allow MDE publishes no processing timeframe; an assigned certification specialist evaluates the credential and issues an evaluation letter identifying any remaining tests or coursework before certification.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept a Texas teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Texas to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) — Office of Educator Excellence (Educator Certification), verify your Texas license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. Michigan requires the appropriate Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC) subject-area test(s) for the certificate sought, unless the applicant documents three years of successful teaching experience under the validity of the out-of-state certificate in the endorsement area. An applicant who qualifies for the Professional Teaching Certificate as their initial Michigan certificate is not required to test at all. MDE instructs applicants not to register for any MTTC until they receive an evaluation letter stating which tests, if any, are required..
Will I have to retake tests moving from Texas to Michigan?
Michigan requires the appropriate Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC) subject-area test(s) for the certificate sought, unless the applicant documents three years of successful teaching experience under the validity of the out-of-state certificate in the endorsement area. An applicant who qualifies for the Professional Teaching Certificate as their initial Michigan certificate is not required to test at all. MDE instructs applicants not to register for any MTTC until they receive an evaluation letter stating which tests, if any, are required.. Holding a Texas license does not by itself waive Michigan's tests — experience or National Board certification is what typically does.
Can I teach in Michigan right away?
Generally yes on a provisional or one-year Michigan certificate issued while you complete its requirements; districts hire on that credential.
What does the Texas-to-Michigan transfer cost and how long does it take?
$210 ($210 out-of-state evaluation fee for the Standard or Professional Teaching Certificate (the in-state fee for the same certificates is $160); an additional endorsement is $50. Fees are authorized by MCL 380.1538, are valid two years from the date of payment, and are not refunded for denied applications); processing MDE publishes no processing timeframe; an assigned certification specialist evaluates the credential and issues an evaluation letter identifying any remaining tests or coursework before certification.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- MDE — Out-of-State Applicants (Standard, Professional, and Temporary Teaching Certificates; MTTC testing; three-year experience exemption; reading methods coursework) [michigan.gov intermittently blocks automated clients; read via the Internet Archive capture of 2026-08-03] ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- MDE — Certificate Evaluation Fees (out-of-state fee table: $210 Standard and Professional Teaching Certificate, $160 in-state, $50 additional endorsement; fees valid two years) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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