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LicenseReciprocity

Teaching License from Wisconsin to New York: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives ↗

A teaching certificate transfers from Wisconsin to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives, verify your Wisconsin license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. There is no blanket transfer of another state's tests — out-of-state applicants must earn satisfactory scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations required for the Initial certificate, which for classroom teaching means the Educating All Students (EAS) test plus the Content Specialty Test(s) for the certificate area; what the interstate pathway waives is repeating a full New York preparation program, not the exams.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Moving from Wisconsin to New York is an application, not a transfer: New York reviews your Wisconsin certificate and issues a New York certificate of its own. The tests and requirements below are what New York still asks — gather them before you apply, because gaps are what slow a review.

What changes, Wisconsin → New York

Side-by-side: Wisconsin vs New York (Teaching (K-12)), verified 2026-08-07
Wisconsin (current)New York (destination)
Application fee$190 (190 USD for the Out-of-State Educator application per the DPI License Application Fees page (the standard educator processing fee is 135 USD). This is a processing fee, not a license-issuance fee, and is not refunded if no license can be issued. The DPI out-of-state pathways flowchart page still shows a stale 175 USD; the fee page governs. Fieldprint fingerprint costs are separate.)$100 ($100 per certificate title or extension for an Initial/Professional classroom teaching certificate awarded on alternate requirements (transcript/individual evaluation) — the route interstate applicants use. The $50 rate applies only to certificates based on completion of a New York State-registered approved program requiring a college recommendation. Additional: $104.50 fingerprint fee as of 2026-02-02 (DCJS $75.00 + FBI $12.00 + IDEMIA $17.50). An application is valid for three years or two evaluations, whichever comes first, and the fee is non-refundable once evaluated.)
Processing time6–12 weeks (DPI states processing time varies by application type and time of year and that on average it takes between 6 and 12 weeks; incomplete materials or a background check needing further review add time. DPI also maintains a live Check Application Status page.)NYSED publishes no processing-time estimate for certification applications. The Office of Teaching Initiatives states only that it 'can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.'
Licensing authorityWisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) - Educator LicensingNew York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives

The destination column is what you must satisfy — New York sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm New York's current requirements on the New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Apply through the TEACH Online System and pay the certificate application fee.
  5. Hold a bachelor's degree with a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA and complete a comparable approved teacher preparation program, in the subject of the application, at a college in another U.S. state or territory that would lead to an institutional recommendation there.
  6. Earn satisfactory scores on all New York certification examinations required for the Initial certificate (EAS and the applicable Content Specialty Test).
  7. Complete the NYSED-required workshops — Child Abuse Identification, School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE), and DASA harassment, bullying and discrimination training (at least six clock hours).
  8. Obtain fingerprint clearance through MorphoTrust/IDEMIA using service code 14ZGQT.
  9. Pay the fees ($100 ($100 per certificate title or extension for an Initial/Professional classroom teaching certificate awarded on alternate requirements (transcript/individual evaluation) — the route interstate applicants use. The $50 rate applies only to certificates based on completion of a New York State-registered approved program requiring a college recommendation. Additional: $104.50 fingerprint fee as of 2026-02-02 (DCJS $75.00 + FBI $12.00 + IDEMIA $17.50). An application is valid for three years or two evaluations, whichever comes first, and the fee is non-refundable once evaluated.)). Processing time: NYSED publishes no processing-time estimate for certification applications. The Office of Teaching Initiatives states only that it 'can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.'.

Official links

New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives ↗New York application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: New York → WisconsinTeaching in WisconsinTeaching in New YorkAll teaching states

Frequently asked questions

Does New York accept a Wisconsin teaching license?

A teaching certificate transfers from Wisconsin to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives, verify your Wisconsin license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. There is no blanket transfer of another state's tests — out-of-state applicants must earn satisfactory scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations required for the Initial certificate, which for classroom teaching means the Educating All Students (EAS) test plus the Content Specialty Test(s) for the certificate area; what the interstate pathway waives is repeating a full New York preparation program, not the exams.

Will I have to retake tests moving from Wisconsin to New York?

There is no blanket transfer of another state's tests — out-of-state applicants must earn satisfactory scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations required for the Initial certificate, which for classroom teaching means the Educating All Students (EAS) test plus the Content Specialty Test(s) for the certificate area; what the interstate pathway waives is repeating a full New York preparation program, not the exams.

Can I teach in New York right away?

Not until the New York State Education Department (NYSED) — Office of Teaching Initiatives issues your New York certificate, so build its processing time into your start date.

What does the Wisconsin-to-New York transfer cost and how long does it take?

$100 ($100 per certificate title or extension for an Initial/Professional classroom teaching certificate awarded on alternate requirements (transcript/individual evaluation) — the route interstate applicants use. The $50 rate applies only to certificates based on completion of a New York State-registered approved program requiring a college recommendation. Additional: $104.50 fingerprint fee as of 2026-02-02 (DCJS $75.00 + FBI $12.00 + IDEMIA $17.50). An application is valid for three years or two evaluations, whichever comes first, and the fee is non-refundable once evaluated.) Processing time: NYSED publishes no processing-time estimate for certification applications. The Office of Teaching Initiatives states only that it 'can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.'.

Sources

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

Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

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