Florida Teacher Certification Renewal
Florida teacher certification renewal requires six semester hours of college credit every five years, including one hour in teaching students with disabilities, or the equivalent in in-service points, submitted through your school district or the Bureau of Educator Certification before your Professional Certificate expires.
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Each state sets its own renewal rules for certified teachers, and Florida ties its cycle to specific credit hours, not just time served. If the Florida Bureau of Educator Certification issues you a Temporary Certificate, it’s valid for three school years and isn’t renewable, so the clock to finish your Professional Certificate requirements starts right away. Once you hold a Professional Certificate, renewal runs on a five-year cycle built around college credit, in-service points, or a passing FTCE subject area score.
This page covers renewal and reinstatement only. If you still need to become a teacher in Florida for the first time, or you’re relocating with a valid certificate from another state, out-of-state reciprocity agreements may get you certified faster than starting over.
Teaching Certification Renewal
During your three-year Temporary Certificate, you must complete all of the required FTCE tests while teaching full-time under that certificate. Tests in General Knowledge, Professional Knowledge, and your Subject Area(s) must all be passed since the Temporary Certificate can’t be renewed or extended.
Once you’ve passed the required exams and hold a Professional Certificate, it’s valid for five school years. When renewal time comes, request a district application form from your school district’s certification office. You’ll need six semester hours of college credit, or the equivalent, for each subject area on your certificate, and at least one of those hours must cover teaching students with disabilities (SWD).
If your certificate includes a Reading endorsement or covers certain elementary and English coverages, Florida also requires two credits (or 40 in-service points) in evidence-based reading instruction under Rule 6A-6.053, F.A.C., aimed at recognizing and supporting students with characteristics of dyslexia.
Sixty in-service points in an approved Florida master in-service program count as three semester hours of college credit. A passing score on the FTCE subject test in your certified area also counts for three semester hours toward renewal. A valid certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards will renew your Florida certificate in that subject as well.
If you miss your expiration date, you can still file a Late Renewal Application with a $30 late fee added to the standard $75 processing fee, but it must reach the Bureau of Educator Certification before July 1 of the year following your certificate’s expiration. Renewal applications for public school teachers typically go through the district certification office rather than directly to the state.
Reinstatement of Certification
If your Florida teaching certificate has already expired, you can apply for reinstatement. Along with the renewal application and processing fee, you must submit documentation showing at least six semester hours of credit in each area you’re certified in, completed during the past five years, plus passing scores on the subject area tests for those same certifications during that period.
Mail this documentation to the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Educator Certification, Room 201, Turlington Building, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400.
If your certificate expired more than one year ago, you’ll also need to resubmit to fingerprinting and a criminal history background check before reinstatement can be processed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many credits do I need to renew a Florida teaching certificate?
You need six semester hours of college credit, or the equivalent in in-service points, for each subject area on your Professional Certificate. At least one of those hours must be in teaching students with disabilities, and reading-endorsed educators need two additional reading credits under Rule 6A-6.053.
What happens if my Florida certificate expires before I renew it?
You can still file a Late Renewal Application with the standard $75 fee plus a $30 late fee, as long as it reaches the Bureau of Educator Certification before July 1 of the year after your certificate expired. Wait longer than that, and you’ll need to apply for reinstatement instead.
Do National Board-certified teachers still need to renew separately?
No. A valid certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards renews your Florida certificate in that same subject area, so you don’t need separate college credit or in-service points for that coverage.
How much does it cost to renew a Florida educator certificate?
The standard renewal application fee is $75. A late renewal adds a $30 fee on top of that, and both must be submitted with your completed application form.
Can in-service points replace college credit for renewal?
Yes. Sixty in-service points earned through an approved Florida master in-service program count as three semester hours of college credit, so a combination of points and credits can satisfy your six-hour renewal requirement.
- Temporary Certificates don’t renew. You have three school years to finish Professional Certificate requirements while teaching full-time.
- Professional Certificates run for five years and renew with six semester hours of credit (or the equivalent), including one hour in SWD instruction.
- Late doesn’t mean lost. A Late Renewal Application with the added $30 fee is accepted up until July 1 of the following year. After that, reinstatement is the path back.
Select your state below to find accredited teacher certification programs, application links, and licensing requirements for your jurisdiction.
