KY certification

Kentucky teacher certification

Kentucky reports 13 teaching credentials and 10 alternative routes to Title II, and licensed 3,272 new teachers in the latest year.

Credential rules change. Confirm current requirements with Kentucky Department of Education - Office of Educator Licensure and Certification.

Teaching credentials in Kentucky

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

Kentucky credentials
Credential	Initial	Years	Renewable	Grade levels
Conditional	Yes	1	No	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Emergency	Yes	1	No	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Emeritus	No	10	Yes	K-5, 5-9, 9-12
Limited	Yes	1	Yes	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Part-time Adjunct Instructor	Yes	1	No	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Probationary	No	1	Yes	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Professional	No	5	Yes	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Professional Occupation-based Career & Technical Education Certificate	No	5	Yes	5-12, 5-12
Proficiency Provisional	Yes	2	Yes	PK-5, 5-9, 8-12
Provisional Internship	Yes	1	No	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Provisional Occupation-based Career & Technical Education Certificate	Yes	1	Yes	5-12, 5-12
Temporary	Yes	1	No	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Temporary Provisional	Yes	1	Yes	K-5, 5-9, 8-12

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
Conditional	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Emergency	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Emeritus	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Limited	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Part-time Adjunct Instructor	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Probationary	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Professional	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Professional Occupation-based Career & Technical Education Certificate	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Proficiency Provisional	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Provisional Internship	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Provisional Occupation-based Career & Technical Education Certificate	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Temporary	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Temporary Provisional	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No

Verify a teaching license in Kentucky

Teaching licenses in Kentucky are verified on the lookup service run by Kentucky Department of Education - Office of Educator Licensure and Certification. 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
Conditional	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Emergency	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Emeritus	Yes	1	10	Certification fee. If this certificate notes administrative certification then documentation of: qualifying employment or 42 hours of approved training selected from the programs approved by the KY Effective Instructional leadership Training Program or If this certificate notes teacher certification, documentation of: qualifying employment or 64 hours of professional development that meets the requirements of KRS 156.095. Qualifying employment shall be 30 days of employment per academic year for a minimum of 2 academic years. Renewal requirements shall be completed by September 1 of the year of expiration of the certificate.
Limited	Yes	2	1	Offer of employment in a KY school in a foreign exchange teaching agreement via the KY Department of Education.
Part-time Adjunct Instructor	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Probationary	Yes	2	1	Active participation in the probationary preparation program; minimum of 6 new hours each year.
Professional	Yes	10	5	Completion of approved Master’s degree within 10 years of beginning teaching in KY; then three out of five years teaching experience in the area of the certificate during the 5 year cycle of issuance.
Professional Occupation-based Career & Technical Education Certificate	Yes	10	5	Three out of five years teaching experience in the area of the certificate during the 5 year cycle of issuance, or 6 new credit hours
Proficiency Provisional	Yes	1	1	Recommendation by the educator preparation provider that indicates continued coursework towards program completion.
Provisional Internship	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Provisional Occupation-based Career & Technical Education Certificate	Yes	9	1	Completion of state approved 64-hour pedagogy program
Temporary	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Temporary Provisional	Yes	2	1	Offer of employment and active participation in the alternative route preparation program.

Emergency and temporary credentials

Emergency credentials
Credential	Initial	Years	Renewable	Grade levels
Conditional	Yes	1	No	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Emergency	Yes	1	No	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Limited	Yes	1	Yes	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Part-time Adjunct Instructor	Yes	1	No	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Proficiency Provisional	Yes	2	Yes	PK-5, 5-9, 8-12
Provisional Internship	Yes	1	No	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Provisional Occupation-based Career & Technical Education Certificate	Yes	1	Yes	5-12, 5-12
Temporary	Yes	1	No	K-5, 5-9, 8-12
Temporary Provisional	Yes	1	Yes	K-5, 5-9, 8-12

Out-of-state teachers

Title II lists no separate out-of-state credential for Kentucky. Ask Kentucky Department of Education - Office of Educator Licensure and Certification how it reviews licenses from other states.

Newly licensed teachers prepared out of state: 821.

Alternative routes

Option 1: Exceptional Work Experience Certificate (teach while completing)
Option 2: Local District Training Program (teach while completing)
Option 3: College Faculty Certification (teach while completing)
Option 4: Adjunct Instructor Certification (teach while completing)
Option 5: Veterans of the Armed Services (Troops to Teachers) (teach while completing)
Option 6: University-based Alternative Certification (teach while completing)
Option 7: Institute-based Alternative Certification (teach while completing)
Option 8: Teach for America (TFA) Alternative Route to Certification (teach while completing)
Option 9 - Expedited Route (teach while completing)
Proficiency Evaluation (teach while completing)

All alternative routes in Kentucky

About Kentucky certification

The Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) is responsible for establishing the standards and requirements for obtaining and maintaining educator certification; accrediting educator preparation providers and approving educator preparation programs at colleges, universities, local school districts, and private contractors; selecting assessments for teachers and administrators; administering Kentucky's National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification; and processing complaints of educator misconduct pursuant to KRS 161.120.

The EPSB is composed of seventeen members. The secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet and the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, or their designees, serve as ex officio voting members. The other fifteen members representing various groups within the education community are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

The EPSB is administratively supported by the Kentucky Department of Education's Office of Educator Licensure and Effectiveness (OELE). The OELE offices are located at 300 Sower Blvd. in Frankfort, KY.

How to become a teacher in Kentucky Kentucky teacher preparation providers

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a teaching certificate in Kentucky?

Kentucky reports 13 credentials to Title II, 9 of them initial. 7 initial credentials require a bachelor's degree, 5 require a preparation program and 7 require tests. Apply through Kentucky Department of Education - Office of Educator Licensure and Certification.

How do I verify a teaching license in Kentucky?

Licenses are verified on the lookup service run by Kentucky Department of Education - Office of Educator Licensure and Certification. PT3 does not verify licenses.

Can I renew a Kentucky teaching certificate?

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

Does Kentucky issue emergency or temporary teaching certificates?

Yes. Title II lists 9: Conditional; Emergency; Limited; Part-time Adjunct Instructor; Proficiency Provisional.

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

Title II lists no separate out-of-state credential for Kentucky. Ask Kentucky Department of Education - Office of Educator Licensure and Certification how it reviews licenses from other states.

Is there alternative teacher certification in Kentucky?

Yes. Kentucky reports 10 alternative routes to Title II.