IL certification

Illinois teacher certification

Illinois reports 13 teaching credentials and 1 alternative route to Title II, and licensed 12,044 new teachers in the latest year.

Credential rules change. Confirm current requirements with Illinois State Board of Education.

Teaching credentials in Illinois

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

Illinois credentials
Credential	Initial	Years	Renewable	Grade levels
Alternative Provisional Educator	No	2	Yes	K-6, 5-8, 5-12
Career and Technical Educator	Yes	5	Yes	7-12, 7-12
Early Childhood Education	Yes	5	Yes	EC-3
Elementary Education	Yes	5	Yes	K-9
Elementary Visiting International Educator	No	3	No	K-9, K-9
Provisional Career and Technical Educator	Yes	5	Yes	11-12
Provisional Educator	No	1	Yes	K-9, 5-8, 9-12
Secondary Education	Yes	5	Yes	9-12
Secondary Visiting International Educator	Yes	3	No	6-12, 6-12
Special Education	Yes	5	Yes	PK-12, PK-12, PK-12
Special Teaching	Yes	5	Yes	K-12, K-12, K-12
Special Visiting International Educator	Yes	3	No	K-12, K-12
Transitional Bilingual Educator	No	5	No	K-12, K-12, K-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
Alternative Provisional Educator	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Career and Technical Educator	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Early Childhood Education	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Elementary Education	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Elementary Visiting International Educator	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Provisional Career and Technical Educator	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Provisional Educator	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Secondary Education	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Secondary Visiting International Educator	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Special Education	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Special Teaching	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Special Visiting International Educator	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Transitional Bilingual Educator	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No

Verify a teaching license in Illinois

Teaching licenses in Illinois are verified on the lookup service run by Illinois State Board 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
Alternative Provisional Educator	Yes	1	1	Non completion of coursework or teaching experience due to inability to obtain a teaching position or illness.
Career and Technical Educator	Yes	99	5	1) Complete eight semester hours of coursework related to education, of which no fewer than two semester hours must address advancing the licensee’s knowledge and skills as a teacher in relation to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 24.100) and the content-area standards in his or her area of licensure, endorsement, or assignment; or 2) 120 continuing professional development units (CPDUs) in accordance with Section 25.875 of this Part; or 3) any combination of the types of activities described in subsections (a)(1) and (2) of this Section, provided that the total effort represents the equivalent of 120 CPDUs, and provided that one semester hour of college credit shall be considered the equivalent of 15 CPDUs; or 4) an advanced degree from a regionally accredited institution in an education-related field; or 5) all required activities in pursuit of certification or recertification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS); or 6) four semester hours of graduate-level coursework on the assessment of one's own performance in relation to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards; or 7) four semester hours of graduate-level coursework in preparation for meeting the requirements for certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Early Childhood Education	Yes	99	5	Educators must submit professional development (PD) in the form of PD hour credit, college coursework, or uniquely-qualifying activities. Professional development is approved by a regional office of education or the State Board of Education.
Elementary Education	Yes	99	5	Educators must submit professional development (PD) in the form of PD hour credit, college coursework, or uniquely-qualifying activities. Professional development is approved by a regional office of education or the State Board of Education.
Elementary Visiting International Educator	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Provisional Career and Technical Educator	Yes	1	5	This license may be renewed once if a test of basic skills is passed and 20 semester hours of relevant coursework are completed.
Provisional Educator	Yes	1	1	Educator must have proof of a passing Basic Skills and Content area test; license can then be renewed for one additional fiscal year, but is then non renewable beyond this point.
Secondary Education	Yes	99	5	Educators must submit professional development (PD) in the form of PD hour credit, college coursework, or uniquely-qualifying activities. Professional development is approved by a regional office of education or the State Board of Education.
Secondary Visiting International Educator	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Special Education	Yes	99	5	Educators must submit professional development in the form of CPDU credit, college coursework, or uniquely-qualifying activities. Professional development is approved by a regional office of education or the State Board of Education.
Special Teaching	Yes	99	5	Educators must submit professional development in the form of CPDU credit, college coursework, or uniquely-qualifying activities.
Special Visiting International Educator	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Transitional Bilingual Educator	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Emergency and temporary credentials

Emergency credentials
Credential	Initial	Years	Renewable	Grade levels
Alternative Provisional Educator	No	2	Yes	K-6, 5-8, 5-12
Elementary Visiting International Educator	No	3	No	K-9, K-9
Provisional Educator	No	1	Yes	K-9, 5-8, 9-12
Secondary Visiting International Educator	Yes	3	No	6-12, 6-12
Special Visiting International Educator	Yes	3	No	K-12, K-12
Transitional Bilingual Educator	No	5	No	K-12, K-12, K-12

Out-of-state teachers

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

Newly licensed teachers prepared out of state: 5,273.

Alternative routes

Alternative Licensure (105 ILCS 5/21B-50) (teach while completing)

All alternative routes in Illinois

About Illinois certification

VISION

Each and every child is equipped to make meaningful contributions to society and live life to its fullest potential.

MISSION

Provide each and every child with safe and healthy learning conditions, great educators, and equitable opportunities by practicing data-informed stewardship of resources and policy development, all done in partnership with educators, families, and stakeholders.

EQUITY STATEMENT

Illinois has an urgent and collective responsibility to achieve educational equity by ensuring that all policies, programs, and practices affirm the strengths that each and every child brings within their diverse backgrounds and life experiences, and by delivering the comprehensive supports, programs, and educational opportunities they need to succeed.

GOALS

Student Learning: Every child will make significant academic gains each year, increasing their knowledge, skills, and opportunities so they graduate equipped to pursue a successful future, with the state paying special attention to addressing historic inequities.

Learning Conditions: All schools will receive the resources necessary to create safe, healthy, and welcoming learning environments, and will be equipped to meet the unique academic and social and emotional needs of each and every child.

Elevating Educators: Illinois’ diverse student population will have educators who are prepared through multiple pathways and are supported in and celebrated for their efforts to provide each and every child an education that meets their needs.

How to become a teacher in Illinois Illinois teacher preparation providers

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a teaching certificate in Illinois?

Illinois reports 13 credentials to Title II, 9 of them initial. 7 initial credentials require a bachelor's degree, 5 require a preparation program and 8 require tests. Apply through Illinois State Board of Education.

How do I verify a teaching license in Illinois?

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

Can I renew a Illinois teaching certificate?

9 of 13 Illinois credentials are reported as renewable. Renewal details by credential are listed in the Renewal section.

Does Illinois issue emergency or temporary teaching certificates?

Yes. Title II lists 6: Alternative Provisional Educator; Elementary Visiting International Educator; Provisional Educator; Secondary Visiting International Educator; Special Visiting International Educator.

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

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

Is there alternative teacher certification in Illinois?

Yes. Illinois reports 1 alternative route to Title II.