MI certification
Michigan teacher certification
Teaching credentials in Michigan
Each row is a credential Michigan reported to Title II. Initial means a first credential for a new teacher. Years is the length of validity.
| Credential | Initial | Years | Renewable | Grade levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Professional Teaching Certificate | No | 5 | Yes | PK-6, 5-9, 7-12 |
| Interim Teaching Certificate | Yes | 5 | No | PK-6, 5-9, 7-12 |
| Professional CTE Certificate | No | 5 | Yes | 5-12, 5-12 |
| Professional Teaching Certificate | No | 5 | Yes | PK-6, 5-9, 7-12 |
| Standard CTE Certificate | Yes | 5 | Yes | 5-12, 5-12 |
| Standard Teaching Certificate | Yes | 5 | Yes | PK-6, 5-9, 7-12 |
| Temporary Teacher Certificate | No | 1 | No | PK-6, 5-9, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Interim Teaching Certificate | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Professional CTE Certificate | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Standard CTE Certificate | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Standard Teaching Certificate | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Temporary Teacher Certificate | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Verify a teaching license in Michigan
Teaching licenses in Michigan are verified on the lookup service run by Michigan 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.
| Credential | Renewable | Renew times | Renewal years | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | 99 | 5 | An Advanced Professional Teaching Certificate may be renewed using highly effective annual evaluation ratings under MCL 380.1249 on 3 of the 5 most recent school years. Ineffective annual evaluation ratings from the 5 most recent school years prevents the renewal of an Advanced Professional Certificate. In addition, one (1) of the following must be completed since the date of issuance of the previous certificate to renew: 1) Completion of six (6) semester hours of academic credit appropriate to grade level and/or endorsement(s) of the certificate at any regionally accredited college or university. 2) One hundred and fifty (150) clock hours of State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) in approved professional development activities appropriate to the grade level and content endorsement(s) of the certificate. 3) One hundred and fifty (150) annual District Provided Professional Development (DPPD) hours in accordance with Michigan School Code Section 380.1527 4) Combination of the three previous options, equivalent to 150 clock hours. |
| Interim Teaching Certificate | No | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Professional CTE Certificate | Yes | 99 | 5 | One (1) of the following must be completed since the date of issuance of the previous certificate, to renew: 1) A valid out-of-state teaching certificate (may be used for one-time renewal). 2) Completion of six (6) semester hours of academic credit appropriate to grade level and/or endorsement(s) of the certificate at any regionally accredited college or university. 3) One hundred and fifty (150) clock hours of State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) in approved professional development activities appropriate to the grade level and content endorsement(s) of the certificate. 4) One hundred and fifty (150) annual District Provided Professional Development (DPPD) hours in accordance with Michigan School Code Section 380.1527. 5) Combination of SCECHs, DPPD, and/or College Credits totaling 150 or more professional learning hours. |
| Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | 99 | 5 | One (1) of the following must be completed, since the date of issuance of the previous certificate, to renew: 1) Completion of six (6) semester hours of academic credit appropriate to grade level and/or endorsement(s) of the certificate at any regionally accredited college or university. 2) One hundred and fifty (150) clock hours of State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) in approved professional development activities appropriate to the grade level and content endorsement(s) of the certificate. 3) One hundred and fifty (150) annual District Provided Professional Development (DPPD) hours in accordance with Michigan School Code Section 380.1527. 4) Completion of Education Related Professional Learning in the form of college credits, SCECHs, and DPPD, equivalent to 150 clock hours. |
| Standard CTE Certificate | Yes | 99 | 5 | One (1) of the following must be completed, since the date of issuance of the previous certificate, to renew: 1) An approved master’s degree at any time or a valid out-of-state teaching certificate (may be used for one-time renewal). 2) Completion of six (6) semester hours of academic credit appropriate to grade level and/or endorsement(s) of the certificate at any regionally accredited college or university. 3) One hundred and fifty (150) clock hours of State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) in approved professional development activities appropriate to the grade level and content endorsement(s) of the certificate. 4) One hundred and fifty (150) annual District Provided Professional Development (DPPD) hours in accordance with Michigan School Code Section 380.1527. 5) Complete Education Related Professional Learning in the form of college credits, SCECHs and DPPDthe three (3), equivalent to 150 clock hours. |
| Standard Teaching Certificate | Yes | 99 | 5 | One (1) of the following must be completed, since the date of issuance of the previous certificate, to renew : 1) An approved Master’s degree at any time or a valid out-of-state teaching certificate (may be used for one-time renewal); 2) Completion of six (6) semester hours of academic credit appropriate to grade level and/or endorsement(s) of the certificate at any regionally accredited college or university; 3) One hundred and fifty (150) clock hours of State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) in approved professional development activities appropriate to the grade level and content endorsement(s) of the certificate; 4) One hundred and fifty (150) annual District Provided Professional Development (DPPD) hours in accordance with Michigan School Code Section 380.1527; 5) Completion of Education Related Professional Learning in the form of college credits, SCECHs and DPP, equivalent to 150 clock hours. |
| Temporary Teacher Certificate | No | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
Emergency and temporary credentials
| Credential | Initial | Years | Renewable | Grade levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interim Teaching Certificate | Yes | 5 | No | PK-6, 5-9, 7-12 |
| Temporary Teacher Certificate | No | 1 | No | PK-6, 5-9, 7-12 |
Out-of-state teachers
Title II lists no separate out-of-state credential for Michigan. Ask Michigan Department of Education how it reviews licenses from other states.
Newly licensed teachers prepared out of state: 691.
Alternative routes
- Michigan Alternative Route to Teacher Certification (teach while completing)
About Michigan certification
The following background information on Michigan’s teacher certification system may be helpful for understanding the information provided in the Title II report card. Michigan’s State School Aid Act (MCL 388.1763) requires that a person employed in an elementary or secondary school with instructional responsibilities hold a certificate, permit, or occupational authorization valid for the position to which they are assigned. The Michigan Department of Education’s (MDE) Top 10 Strategic Education Plan is founded on the Guiding Principles that “all students have access to high quality instruction” and “all educators have the resources, support, and training needed to educate students.” Within MDE, the Office of Educator Excellence (OEE) is the organizational unit primarily responsible for the implementation of initiatives stemming from these two principles. As of October 1, 2025, Michigan has twenty-nine (29) approved traditional route and nine (9) alternative route providers of preparation programs for initial teacher certification. In addition, Michigan has three approved (3) consortia of multiple approved traditional route providers to prepare teachers for initial certification. Requirements pertinent to the preparation of teachers and the issuance of a teaching certificate are compiled in Michigan’s Teacher Certification Code. MDE and Evaluation Systems group of Pearson, Inc. administer the Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC) testing program designed to meet the unique educational needs of the State of Michigan. The tests are developed and revised to ensure the information they provide is an accurate measure of the content knowledge for teaching and pedagogical content knowledge appropriate for a well-prepared beginning teacher as defined in State Board of Education-approved teacher preparation standards. All tests have been validated by Michigan educators throughout their development and have sufficient consistency to assure the Michigan public that licensure decisions are being made on reasonable grounds. Prior to being issued a certificate, an MTTC content area test must be passed. As of October 1, 2025, there were 63 individual MTTC content area exams available. An MDE priority is to support excellence in teacher preparation. To identify and support programs not performing satisfactorily, MDE calculates an annual educator preparation institution performance score (EPIPS). The EPIPS system utilizes MTTC pass rate data at the institutional aggregate and subject group (e.g., science, social studies, special education) level; surveys of teacher candidates, candidate supervisors, cooperating teachers, and employers; and educator effectiveness data. Additional metrics, including the diversity of the schools in which candidates are placed during their internship, will be incorporated into the score in future years.
How to become a teacher in MichiganMichigan teacher preparation providers
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a teaching certificate in Michigan?
Michigan reports 7 credentials to Title II, 3 of them initial. 3 initial credentials require a bachelor's degree, 2 require a preparation program and 2 require tests. Apply through Michigan Department of Education.
How do I verify a teaching license in Michigan?
Licenses are verified on the lookup service run by Michigan Department of Education. PT3 does not verify licenses.
Can I renew a Michigan teaching certificate?
5 of 7 Michigan credentials are reported as renewable. Renewal details by credential are listed in the Renewal section.
Does Michigan issue emergency or temporary teaching certificates?
Yes. Title II lists 2: Interim Teaching Certificate; Temporary Teacher Certificate.
Can I teach in Michigan with an out-of-state license?
Title II lists no separate out-of-state credential for Michigan. Ask Michigan Department of Education how it reviews licenses from other states.
Is there alternative teacher certification in Michigan?
Yes. Michigan reports 1 alternative route to Title II.