CT certification

Connecticut teacher certification

Connecticut reports 8 teaching credentials and 7 alternative routes to Title II, and licensed 1,108 new teachers in the latest year.

Credential rules change. Confirm current requirements with Connecticut State Department of Education.

Teaching credentials in Connecticut

Each row is a credential Connecticut reported to Title II. Initial means a first credential for a new teacher. Years is the length of validity.

Connecticut credentials
Credential	Initial	Years	Renewable	Grade levels
Durational Shortage Area Permit	No	1	Yes	K-6, 4-8, 7-12
Initial Educator Certificate	Yes	3	Yes	K-6, 4-8, 7-12
Interim Initial Educator Certificate	Yes	1	No	K-6, 4-8, 7-12
Interim Provisional Educator Certificate	Yes	1	No	K-6, 4-6, 7-12
Professional Educator Certificate	No	5	Yes	K-6, 4-8, 7-12
Provisional Educator Certificate	Yes	8	Yes	K-6, 4-8, 7-12
Resident Educator Certificate	No	1	Yes	K-6, 4-8, 7-12
Temporary 90-Day Certificate	No	1	Yes	K-6, 4-8, 7-12

Requirements

Yes means the state reports the item as required for that credential. Tests shows only whether tests are required; Title II does not name the tests.

Credential	Bachelor's	Master's	Education degree	Prep program	Tests	Performance assessment	Clinical	Coursework	Credit hours	Min. GPA	Transcripts	Employment	Mentoring	Recency	Background check	Fingerprint	Police check
Durational Shortage Area Permit	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Initial Educator Certificate	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Interim Initial Educator Certificate	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Interim Provisional Educator Certificate	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Professional Educator Certificate	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Provisional Educator Certificate	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Resident Educator Certificate	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Temporary 90-Day Certificate	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes

Verify a teaching license in Connecticut

Teaching licenses in Connecticut are verified on the lookup service run by Connecticut State Department of Education. Search there by the teacher's name or certificate number to see current status.

PT3 does not verify licenses and holds no records of individual teachers.

Renewal

Renew times is how many times the credential can be renewed; renewal years is the length of each renewal.

Renewal
Credential	Renewable	Renew times	Renewal years	Details
Durational Shortage Area Permit	Yes	2	1	Completion of 9 credits towards requirements for the certification endorsement.
Initial Educator Certificate	Yes	99	3	Has not served a minimum of 10 months under the certificate for a CT Board of Education, or need additional time to complete the induction program.
Interim Initial Educator Certificate	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Interim Provisional Educator Certificate	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Professional Educator Certificate	Yes	99	5	Completion of 5 years of successful service for a Connecticut board of education and 90 hours of continuing education units. Or if the educator is not working or is retired, the certificate may also be renewed.
Provisional Educator Certificate	Yes	99	8	Renewal duration depends on whether certificate is valid or expired at the time of application, and on whether the person has or has not served under the certificate for a CT public school. 1. If an applicant holds a valid provisional, has met all requirements of the initial educator certificate but has not served under the provisional, the applicant would be eligible for a renewal of the 8 year provisional. 2. If applicant holds a valid provisional certificate, has not served the total 8 years and has not completed requirements for the professional level certificate, the applicant would be eligible for a "balance of time" (8 years minus the number of years served). 3. If the person works in an approved private school for at least 3 years within last 10 years, meets all requirements for the initial certificate, the applicant would be eligible for an 8 year provisional educator certificate.
Resident Educator Certificate	Yes	1	1	Upon request of the employing Connecticut board of education and upon showing of good cause to the Commissioner of Education
Temporary 90-Day Certificate	Yes	2	1	Has completed fewer than 90 days of full-time service, or the school district did not recommend for the initial educator certificate

Emergency and temporary credentials

Emergency credentials
Credential	Initial	Years	Renewable	Grade levels
Durational Shortage Area Permit	No	1	Yes	K-6, 4-8, 7-12
Interim Initial Educator Certificate	Yes	1	No	K-6, 4-8, 7-12
Interim Provisional Educator Certificate	Yes	1	No	K-6, 4-6, 7-12
Resident Educator Certificate	No	1	Yes	K-6, 4-8, 7-12
Temporary 90-Day Certificate	No	1	Yes	K-6, 4-8, 7-12

Out-of-state teachers

Title II lists no separate out-of-state credential for Connecticut. Ask Connecticut State Department of Education how it reviews licenses from other states.

Newly licensed teachers prepared out of state: 546.

Alternative routes

All alternative routes in Connecticut

About Connecticut certification

The Connecticut State Board of Education developed the Comprehensive Plan for Education 2023-28 to set forth the state's vision for education and to provide direction for policy consideration and administrative actions designed to help meet the challenge of effectively preparing each student for learning, life and work beyond the classroom. The Board has identified four critical priorities. The four priorities include two that continue strategic commitments of the previous Connecticut State Board of Education Comprehensive Plan 2016-2021. While the Board believes that progress has certainly been made in both, work continues in these areas. The continued priorities are ensuring equitable access to education and ensuring healthy and safe learning environments. Two new areas of focus are elevating Connecticut's curriculum frameworks and creating opportunities for students to explore multiple career pathway options.

A strong teacher and principal corps starts with Connecticut’s educator preparation programs, the universities and other institutions that prepare college students pursuing careers in education. The State Board of Education works with and approves these institutions to ensure the recruitment of capable candidates and the preparation of high-quality teachers and principals so that new educators are learner-ready and school-ready when they arrive in the classroom. This includes a focus on expanding the pool of talented educators and recruiting and preparing a broad spectrum of teachers and principals.

As Title II tracks certain data about preparation programs, Connecticut has also developed an Educator Preparation Data Dashboard to publicly report on a set of indicators on the quality of teacher preparation.

How to become a teacher in Connecticut Connecticut teacher preparation providers

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a teaching certificate in Connecticut?

Connecticut reports 8 credentials to Title II, 4 of them initial. 4 initial credentials require a bachelor's degree, 3 require a preparation program and 4 require tests. Apply through Connecticut State Department of Education.

How do I verify a teaching license in Connecticut?

Licenses are verified on the lookup service run by Connecticut State Department of Education. PT3 does not verify licenses.

Can I renew a Connecticut teaching certificate?

6 of 8 Connecticut credentials are reported as renewable. Renewal details by credential are listed in the Renewal section.

Does Connecticut issue emergency or temporary teaching certificates?

Yes. Title II lists 5: Durational Shortage Area Permit; Interim Initial Educator Certificate; Interim Provisional Educator Certificate; Resident Educator Certificate; Temporary 90-Day Certificate.

Can I teach in Connecticut with an out-of-state license?

Title II lists no separate out-of-state credential for Connecticut. Ask Connecticut State Department of Education how it reviews licenses from other states.

Is there alternative teacher certification in Connecticut?

Yes. Connecticut reports 7 alternative routes to Title II.