Kansas Teacher Certification Renewal
Kansas teacher certification renewal runs on two different timelines: an Initial License renews every two years, and a Professional License renews every five years, both through the Kansas Licensure Application System (KLAS). Initial License holders without finished mentoring use Form 20. Professional License holders use Form 3a, most often through professional development points, though KSDE also accepts accredited experience, approved coursework, or National Board Certification.
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Kansas teaching licenses don’t renew themselves, and missing a deadline means your license lapses before your next contract starts. This guide walks through Kansas teacher certification renewal and reinstatement only. If you’re still working toward your first Kansas license, see Kansas Teaching Certification for the initial certification process instead. The requirements below differ depending on whether you hold an Initial License or a Professional License, and a separate process applies if your license has already expired.
Teaching Certification Renewal
An Initial Teaching License in Kansas is valid for two years. During that time, you’re expected to complete the state’s Induction and Mentoring Program, usually through the Kansas public school where you teach. Your school administrator verifies this on the Application for Kansas Upgrade to a Professional License. KSDE may also require updated fingerprinting or background check documentation depending on your licensure record and current requirements.
Renewing an Initial License
If you finish the mentoring program and your one-year teaching requirement on schedule, you upgrade to a Professional License through KLAS using KSDE Form 21 rather than renewing the Initial License itself. If you haven’t completed mentoring when your Initial License is about to expire, you renew it instead using KSDE Form 20 through your KLAS account. That renewal requires one of the following: passing scores on the relevant content assessment taken within the past year, eight semester hours of recent credit tied to your endorsement completed within the past four years, or one year of recent accredited teaching experience in your endorsement area completed within that same window.
Renewing a Professional License
Once you hold a Professional Teaching License, it’s valid for five years. Renewal is submitted through KLAS using Form 3a, and the professional development point route is the most common path, but it isn’t the only one KSDE lists on that form. The point-based route works like this:
- If you do not hold a graduate degree: earn 160 professional development points through an approved local development council under an individual professional development plan, with at least 80 points consisting of college credit
- If you hold a graduate degree: earn 120 professional development points through an approved local development council under an individual professional development plan
Form 3a also lists other KSDE-approved ways to satisfy renewal, including accredited teaching experience for eligible educators with graduate degrees, completion of approved college coursework or programs, and National Board Certification. Check the current Form 3a options in your KLAS account to see which route fits your situation.
If you’re adding another endorsement to your license, eight semester hours of the coursework for that endorsement can count toward your renewal credits.
Renewing vs. Upgrading Your License
Once you’re eligible to upgrade, most educators apply for a Professional License rather than seeking another Initial License renewal. A Professional License runs on a five-year cycle instead of two, which means fewer renewal cycles to track, and many districts treat it as a marker that you’re no longer a first-year hire. If you’re not sure which route applies to you, your school’s licensure contact or KSDE can confirm your mentoring completion status before you file either form.
Reinstatement of Certification
If your Kansas teaching license has expired, call the Licensure Review Committee at 785-296-2280 for information on setting up an individual professional development plan to bring your license current. The committee primarily serves educators who aren’t working through a local Professional Development Council, including those living out of state or not currently employed by a Kansas district. If you worked in an out-of-state school under a valid license or certificate for at least three of the past six years and have achieved a professional-level license in that state, you may be eligible for immediate renewal of your expired Kansas license rather than starting the reinstatement process from scratch. If you’re licensed elsewhere and considering a permanent move, Kansas’s teacher reciprocity agreements cover the broader out-of-state licensing path in more detail.
Reinstatement requests, like renewals, are handled through your KLAS account, so it’s worth creating or confirming access to that account before you call KSDE. Having your out-of-state license and employment history on hand speeds up the eligibility review.
Before you call, check your current license status through KSDE’s Educator License Look-Up tool. KSDE no longer mails physical license cards, so this lookup is the official record of whether your license shows as expired, active, or under review, and it can save you a call if the record hasn’t caught up with a renewal you already submitted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do I need to renew my Kansas teaching license?
An Initial License renews every two years. A Professional License renews every five years. Both renewals go through your KLAS account before the license expiration date.
What happens if my Kansas teaching license has already expired?
Contact the Licensure Review Committee at 785-296-2280 to set up an individual professional development plan. If you held a valid out-of-state license for at least three of the past six years at a professional level, you may qualify for immediate renewal instead.
Do I need a graduate degree to renew a Professional License in Kansas?
No. The most common route is professional development points: 160 (including at least 80 from college credit) without a graduate degree, or 120 with one. Form 3a also lists accredited experience, approved coursework, and National Board Certification as alternatives.
Should I renew or upgrade my Initial License?
If you’ve completed the mentoring program and your one-year teaching requirement, upgrading to a Professional License through KSDE Form 21 gives you a longer, five-year renewal cycle. If mentoring isn’t finished yet, you renew the Initial License itself with Form 20.
Can I add a new endorsement while renewing my license?
Yes. If you’re completing a program for a new endorsement, eight semester hours from that program can count toward your renewal credit requirement.
- Initial Licenses renew every two years — through KLAS Form 20, unless you’ve completed mentoring and upgraded to a Professional License with Form 21 instead.
- Professional Licenses renew every five years — through KLAS Form 3a, requiring 120 points with a graduate degree or 160 points without one.
- Expired licenses go through the Licensure Review Committee — call 785-296-2280, and check whether out-of-state experience qualifies you for immediate renewal instead of starting over.
- New endorsements can offset renewal requirements — eight semester hours from an endorsement program count toward your renewal credits.
Find accredited teacher certification programs in Kansas, including coursework that can count toward your license renewal or endorsement requirements.
