OK certification

Oklahoma teacher certification

Oklahoma reports 4 teaching credentials and 3 alternative routes to Title II, and licensed 4,499 new teachers in the latest year.

Credential rules change. Confirm current requirements with Office of Educational Quality and Accountability.

Teaching credentials in Oklahoma

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

Oklahoma credentials
Credential	Initial	Years	Renewable	Grade levels
Alternative Certificate	Yes	3	No	5-8, 5-12
Emergency	Yes	2	Yes	PK-8, 5-8, 5-12
Provisional Certificate	Yes	2	No	1-8, 5-8, 5-12
Standard Certificate	Yes	5	Yes	1-8, 5-8, 5-12

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 Certificate	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Emergency	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Provisional Certificate	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Standard Certificate	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes

Verify a teaching license in Oklahoma

Teaching licenses in Oklahoma are verified on the lookup service run by Office of Educational Quality and Accountability. 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 Certificate	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Emergency	Yes	1	1	Not reported
Provisional Certificate	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Standard Certificate	Yes	10	5	Certificate can be renewed indefinitely for five year periods if current renewal requirements are met.

Emergency and temporary credentials

Emergency credentials
Credential	Initial	Years	Renewable	Grade levels
Emergency	Yes	2	Yes	PK-8, 5-8, 5-12
Provisional Certificate	Yes	2	No	1-8, 5-8, 5-12

Out-of-state teachers

Title II lists no separate out-of-state credential for Oklahoma. Ask Office of Educational Quality and Accountability how it reviews licenses from other states.

Newly licensed teachers prepared out of state: 676.

Alternative routes

Career Development Program for Paraprofessionals (teach while completing)
Non-Traditional Route to Special Education Certifiction (teach while completing)
Oklahoma Alternative Placement Program (teach while completing)

All alternative routes in Oklahoma

About Oklahoma certification

The Office of Educational Quality and Accountability, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, and the state legislature work together in developing and sustaining a well-prepared professional teacher workforce. This collaboration works to ensure Oklahoma student success through quality teaching.

A competency-based teacher preparation system was created in 1995 with the goal of ensuring a competent and qualified teachers in every classroom. This system includes the accreditation of teacher preparation programs, the assessment of teacher candidates, and the ongoing growth and development of classroom teachers across the State.

Oklahoma's teacher preparation system consists of 22 approved teacher preparation programs from both public and private institutions of higher education. Each preparation unit in Oklahoma is evaluated for accreditation purposes based on the Oklahoma accreditation requirements and the standards of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). These standards ensure educator preparation providers impart future teachers with the knowledge and skills to support the development of all students. This process advances excellent educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.

How to become a teacher in Oklahoma Oklahoma teacher preparation providers

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a teaching certificate in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma reports 4 credentials to Title II, 4 of them initial. 4 initial credentials require a bachelor's degree, 2 require a preparation program and 3 require tests. Apply through Office of Educational Quality and Accountability.

How do I verify a teaching license in Oklahoma?

Licenses are verified on the lookup service run by Office of Educational Quality and Accountability. PT3 does not verify licenses.

Can I renew a Oklahoma teaching certificate?

2 of 4 Oklahoma credentials are reported as renewable. Renewal details by credential are listed in the Renewal section.

Does Oklahoma issue emergency or temporary teaching certificates?

Yes. Title II lists 2: Emergency; Provisional Certificate.

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

Title II lists no separate out-of-state credential for Oklahoma. Ask Office of Educational Quality and Accountability how it reviews licenses from other states.

Is there alternative teacher certification in Oklahoma?

Yes. Oklahoma reports 3 alternative routes to Title II.