Transfer Your Teaching License to Texas: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Texas Education Agency (TEA) - Educator Certification ↗

Moving your teaching license to Texas means applying to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) - Educator Certification for its own credential, not transferring the one you hold. Expect a provisional certificate to begin, followed by Texas's exams and requirements within its completion window. 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).

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

The framing that saves relocating teachers real trouble: Texas is giving you a runway, not a transfer. The provisional credential lets you take a classroom immediately, but the clock on Texas's tests and coursework starts with it. Map the requirements below to a timeline the day you accept a position — the deadline inside your provisional window is the thing that trips people, not the difficulty of any single requirement.

Reciprocity is a misnomer, and in Texas it is flatly false - TEA states Texas 'does not have reciprocity with any other state' and does not automatically accept an out-of-state certificate. The sequence is Review of Credentials, then an optional non-renewable One-Year Certificate so you can teach while finishing requirements, then the standard certificate once TExES exams are passed or exempted. The Science of Teaching Reading exam cannot be waived by classroom experience alone. Note the fee discrepancy: the SBEC rule sets $160 for the credentials review while TEA's application materials collect $164, and the same small delta appears against the rule's $75 standard-certificate and $50 one-year-certificate amounts.

Texas requirements at a glance

Out-of-state teaching certificate transfer requirements for Texas, verified 2026-08-07
Exam	TEA states Texas 'does not have reciprocity with any other state.' Out-of-state credentials go through an individual Review of Credentials and the applicant may be exempted from some or all TExES exams. Exemption requires proof of the certification exams required in the state of licensure PLUS experience - at least one year as a classroom teacher (two years in the certificate area for administrative and student-services certificates), or three or more years of verifiable experience. The Science of Teaching Reading (STR) exam is the hard exception: 'Classroom teaching experience alone does not qualify an applicant for exemption from the STR exam,' and completing the Reading Academies does not exempt it either. Any non-exempted TExES exam must be passed before the standard certificate is issued
Additional requirements	Create an Educator Certification Online System (ECOS) account through TEAL and submit a Review of Credentials application Hold an out-of-state standard certificate that is both valid and active when the complete application is received Have official transcripts sent electronically to [email protected] Submit out-of-state exam score reports and verification of experience if seeking a test exemption Pass any required TExES exams not covered by an exemption before the standard certificate is issued Submit fingerprints for a national criminal history record check
Fees	$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)
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)

Step by step

Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) - Educator Certification website — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) - Educator Certification (application linked on this page).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Create an Educator Certification Online System (ECOS) account through TEAL and submit a Review of Credentials application.
Hold an out-of-state standard certificate that is both valid and active when the complete application is received.
Have official transcripts sent electronically to [email protected].
Submit out-of-state exam score reports and verification of experience if seeking a test exemption.
Pass any required TExES exams not covered by an exemption before the standard certificate is issued.
Submit fingerprints for a national criminal history record check.
Pay the fees ($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)) and allow 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).

Official links

Texas Education Agency (TEA) - Educator Certification ↗Texas application ↗License verification ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Texas:

All 50 origin states

Frequently asked questions

Does my teaching license transfer to Texas?

Is teaching reciprocity automatic in Texas?

No. Texas reviews your out-of-state credential and issues a provisional certificate; you complete its tests and coursework within a set window before the full license. It is the right to apply, not an instant swap.

What tests or requirements does Texas add?

TEA states Texas 'does not have reciprocity with any other state.' Out-of-state credentials go through an individual Review of Credentials and the applicant may be exempted from some or all TExES exams. Exemption requires proof of the certification exams required in the state of licensure PLUS experience - at least one year as a classroom teacher (two years in the certificate area for administrative and student-services certificates), or three or more years of verifiable experience. The Science of Teaching Reading (STR) exam is the hard exception: 'Classroom teaching experience alone does not qualify an applicant for exemption from the STR exam,' and completing the Reading Academies does not exempt it either. Any non-exempted TExES exam must be passed before the standard certificate is issued.

What does a Texas out-of-state teaching certificate cost and how long does it take?

$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); processing 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).

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

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