Teaching License from Texas to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A teaching certificate transfers from Texas to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB), verify your Texas license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Out-of-state applicants must pass a basic-skills test (WEST-B or an OSPI-approved alternative) and a content-area test for the endorsement sought (WEST-E/NES or an approved alternative); comparable out-of-state tests can satisfy these as approved alternatives. Testing is not waived by out-of-state experience. Separately, an advanced-level out-of-state certificate that PESB has approved as comparable, or National Board certification, is a route to the second-tier Professional Teacher certificate.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Texas to Washington is an application, not a transfer: Washington reviews your Texas certificate and issues a Washington certificate of its own. The tests and requirements below are what Washington still asks — gather them before you apply, because gaps are what slow a review.
What changes, Texas → Washington
| Texas (current) | Washington (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) | $93 (93 USD for the Residency Teacher first issue per the OSPI Professional Certification Fee Schedule; that total includes the 51 USD OSPI processing fee plus the PESB certification fee. The Professional Teacher certificate is 81 USD. Fingerprint and background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor.) |
| 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) | OSPI publishes no fixed week range; it maintains a live Application Processing Status page showing the current pending-application count and the month of applications under review, and districts may submit rush requests through E-Certification |
| Licensing authority | Texas Education Agency (TEA) - Educator Certification | Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Apply in E-Certification for the Residency Teacher (First Issue) certificate as an out-of-state applicant.
- Document either completion of an accredited out-of-state preparation program with supervised student teaching, or a full out-of-state teaching certificate (valid or expired) plus three years of out-of-state teaching experience.
- Pass the WEST-B basic-skills test and the WEST-E/NES content test for the endorsement, or approved alternatives.
- Submit fingerprints for a Washington State Patrol and FBI background check unless you already hold a valid Washington certificate.
- Pay the fees ($93 (93 USD for the Residency Teacher first issue per the OSPI Professional Certification Fee Schedule; that total includes the 51 USD OSPI processing fee plus the PESB certification fee. The Professional Teacher certificate is 81 USD. Fingerprint and background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor.)). Processing time: OSPI publishes no fixed week range; it maintains a live Application Processing Status page showing the current pending-application count and the month of applications under review, and districts may submit rush requests through E-Certification.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington accept a Texas teaching license?
A teaching certificate transfers from Texas to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB), verify your Texas license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Out-of-state applicants must pass a basic-skills test (WEST-B or an OSPI-approved alternative) and a content-area test for the endorsement sought (WEST-E/NES or an approved alternative); comparable out-of-state tests can satisfy these as approved alternatives. Testing is not waived by out-of-state experience. Separately, an advanced-level out-of-state certificate that PESB has approved as comparable, or National Board certification, is a route to the second-tier Professional Teacher certificate.
Will I have to retake tests moving from Texas to Washington?
Out-of-state applicants must pass a basic-skills test (WEST-B or an OSPI-approved alternative) and a content-area test for the endorsement sought (WEST-E/NES or an approved alternative); comparable out-of-state tests can satisfy these as approved alternatives. Testing is not waived by out-of-state experience. Separately, an advanced-level out-of-state certificate that PESB has approved as comparable, or National Board certification, is a route to the second-tier Professional Teacher certificate.
Can I teach in Washington right away?
Not until the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) - Certification (standards set by PESB) issues your Washington certificate, so build its processing time into your start date.
What does the Texas-to-Washington transfer cost and how long does it take?
$93 (93 USD for the Residency Teacher first issue per the OSPI Professional Certification Fee Schedule; that total includes the 51 USD OSPI processing fee plus the PESB certification fee. The Professional Teacher certificate is 81 USD. Fingerprint and background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor.) Processing time: OSPI publishes no fixed week range; it maintains a live Application Processing Status page showing the current pending-application count and the month of applications under review, and districts may submit rush requests through E-Certification.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- OSPI - Residency Teacher Out-of-State (two routes; WEST-B and WEST-E/NES; fingerprint requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- OSPI - Out-of-State Applicants, Teachers (issues-of-abuse coursework applies to Professional Teacher applicants, not Residency; PESB-comparable advanced certificate and National Board routes to Professional) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- OSPI - Professional Certification Fee Schedule (Residency Teacher 1st issue 93 USD; Professional Teacher 81 USD; 51 USD OSPI processing fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- OSPI - Application Processing Status ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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