SD certification

South Dakota teacher certification

South Dakota reports 11 teaching credentials and 1 alternative route to Title II, and licensed 934 new teachers in the latest year.

Credential rules change. Confirm current requirements with South Dakota Department of Education.

Teaching credentials in South Dakota

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

South Dakota credentials
Credential	Initial	Years	Renewable	Grade levels
Advanced Student Teacher Permit	No	1	No	K-8, 5-12
Career and Technical Education Alternative Certification	Yes	1	Yes	5-12
Educator certificate	Yes	5	Yes	EC-8, 5-12
Five Year Educator Permit	Yes	5	Yes	K-12, 5-12
General Education alternative certificate	Yes	1	Yes	5-8, 5-12
Inactive Certificate	No	5	Yes	K-8, 5-12
International Teacher Exchange Permit	Yes	5	No	K-8, 5-12
One Year Performing Artist Educator Permit	Yes	1	Yes	K-8, 5-12
Provisional Certificate	Yes	1	Yes	EC-8, 5-12
Teach for America Alternative Certificate	Yes	1	Yes	K-8, 5-12
Temporary Certificate	No	1	No	EC-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
Advanced Student Teacher Permit	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Career and Technical Education Alternative Certification	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Educator certificate	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Five Year Educator Permit	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
General Education alternative certificate	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Inactive Certificate	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
International Teacher Exchange Permit	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
One Year Performing Artist Educator Permit	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Provisional Certificate	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Teach for America Alternative Certificate	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Temporary Certificate	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes

Verify a teaching license in South Dakota

Teaching licenses in South Dakota are verified on the lookup service run by South Dakota 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
Advanced Student Teacher Permit	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Career and Technical Education Alternative Certification	Yes	2	1	Submit documented evidence of progress toward meeting the requirements to complete alternative certification; • Submit a recommendation for renewal from the employing school/district • Complete one hour of Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training is required by state statute.
Educator certificate	Yes	99	5	* Completion of the equivalent of 6 credits within the past 5 years • Complete one hour of Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training is required by state statute.
Five Year Educator Permit	Yes	99	5	Complete three education-related credits including transcripted credits, specialized learning experience hours, or continuing education contact hours.
General Education alternative certificate	Yes	2	1	Submit documented evidence of progress toward meeting the requirements to complete alternative certification; • Submit a recommendation for renewal from the employing school/district; and • Complete one hour of Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training is required by state statute.
Inactive Certificate	Yes	10	5	fee and • Complete one hour of Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training is required by state statute.
International Teacher Exchange Permit	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
One Year Performing Artist Educator Permit	Yes	99	1	Requires a minimum of .5 continuing education credits which is equal to 8 clock hours of training to renew this certificate; and • Complete one hour of Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training is required by state statute. Complete a performing artist verification form which identifies the position to be held by the applicant and documentation the school is unable to hire a certified educator for the vacancy; recommend the applicant for renewal based on documented performance.
Provisional Certificate	Yes	1	1	must provide evidence of registration of required courses • Complete one hour of Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training is required by state statute.
Teach for America Alternative Certificate	Yes	2	1	• Submit verification of continued eligibility for the TFA program; • Submit a recommendation for renewal from the employing school/district; and • Complete one hour of Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training is required by state statute.
Temporary Certificate	No	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Emergency and temporary credentials

Emergency credentials
Credential	Initial	Years	Renewable	Grade levels
Advanced Student Teacher Permit	No	1	No	K-8, 5-12
Career and Technical Education Alternative Certification	Yes	1	Yes	5-12
International Teacher Exchange Permit	Yes	5	No	K-8, 5-12
Provisional Certificate	Yes	1	Yes	EC-8, 5-12
Teach for America Alternative Certificate	Yes	1	Yes	K-8, 5-12
Temporary Certificate	No	1	No	EC-8, 5-12

Out-of-state teachers

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

Newly licensed teachers prepared out of state: 318.

Alternative routes

State of South Dakota Alternative Route to Certification (teach while completing)

All alternative routes in South Dakota

About South Dakota certification

The SD Department of Education has a vision where the department 1) supports local educators, 2) invests in talent development, 3) fosters research and innovation, 4) supports the whole learner, and 5) reinvents

accountability.

To achieve our vision, we defined the four strategic directions we will move in. They are: Maximizing and Building

Relationships, Achieving Effectiveness, Championing Excellence, and Cultivating Our Professional Culture.

How to become a teacher in South Dakota South Dakota teacher preparation providers

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a teaching certificate in South Dakota?

South Dakota reports 11 credentials to Title II, 8 of them initial. 4 initial credentials require a bachelor's degree, 3 require a preparation program and 4 require tests. Apply through South Dakota Department of Education.

How do I verify a teaching license in South Dakota?

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

Can I renew a South Dakota teaching certificate?

8 of 11 South Dakota credentials are reported as renewable. Renewal details by credential are listed in the Renewal section.

Does South Dakota issue emergency or temporary teaching certificates?

Yes. Title II lists 6: Advanced Student Teacher Permit; Career and Technical Education Alternative Certification; International Teacher Exchange Permit; Provisional Certificate; Teach for America Alternative Certificate.

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

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

Is there alternative teacher certification in South Dakota?

Yes. South Dakota reports 1 alternative route to Title II.