Louisiana Teacher Certification Renewal
Louisiana teachers renew certificates through the Louisiana Educator Portal (LEP), not by mail. A Level 1 certificate extends in one-year increments up to two times, while Level 2 and Level 3 certificates renew every five years after earning effective evaluations in at least three of those years. Certificates that lapse for five years require six semester hours of coursework to reinstate.
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Louisiana handles certificate renewal differently depending on the certificate level you hold, and the process now runs through an online portal rather than a mailed application. Here’s how to renew a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 Professional Teaching Certificate, and what to do if your certificate has already lapsed. If you haven’t earned your initial credential yet, start with how to become a certified teacher in Louisiana instead.
Use the links below to jump to renewal or reinstatement information.
Teaching Certification Renewal
Louisiana’s certificate renewal process runs through the Louisiana Educator Portal (LEP), the state’s online educator certification portal, where certification applications are submitted and routed to employing school systems for verification. What you need to do depends on your certificate level.
A Level 1 certificate is valid for three years. Your employing school system can request up to two one-year extensions through LEP, bringing the maximum time on a Level 1 credential to five years. There’s no coursework or evaluation requirement to extend a Level 1, only verification that you’re still employed as a teacher of record.
Level 2 and Level 3 certificates are valid for five years and can be renewed for another five-year term at your employing school system’s request. To renew, you need effective evaluation ratings for at least three of the five years in your current validity period, verified through the state’s educator evaluation records as maintained by the Louisiana Department of Education.
Moving from a Level 1 to a Level 2, or a Level 2 to a Level 3, is a separate action from renewal. A Level 2 certificate requires three years of effective evaluations and three years of teaching experience. A Level 3 certificate requires a graduate degree from an accredited institution, three years of effective evaluations, and five years of teaching experience.
To submit any of these requests, log into LEP and file the Renewal or Higher Level Teaching Certificate application. Your employing Louisiana school system must verify your employment and sign off before the request moves forward. Teachers coming from another state should check Louisiana teacher reciprocity rules instead, since transferring an out-of-state certificate works differently from renewing one already issued in Louisiana.
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Reinstatement of Certification
A Louisiana teaching certificate lapses if you go five consecutive calendar years without serving as a teacher of record for at least one semester, or 90 consecutive days. If that happens, you’ll need six semester hours of education or content-related coursework from an accredited college or university recognized under current federal accreditation standards, completed within the five years before you request reinstatement. A list of approved courses for reinstatement is available through the Louisiana Department of Education’s Teacher Certification Help Center.
Reinstatement also requires a $25 certification processing fee. If the coursework isn’t completed by the applicable deadline, you may, if eligible, request a one-year reactivation while you complete the requirements.
To reinstate your certificate, submit your official transcripts along with a reinstatement application through the Louisiana Educator Portal (LEP), and have your employing Louisiana school system verify and sign off on your request.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I renew my Louisiana teaching certificate?
Log in to the Louisiana Educator Portal (LEP) and file the Renewal or Higher Level Teaching Certificate application. Your employing school system verifies your employment and signs off before the renewal goes through. A Level 1certificate extends in one-year increments, while Level 2 and Level 3 certificates renew for a full five-year term.
How long is a Level 1 certificate valid before it needs to be renewed?
A Level 1 certificate is valid for three years. Your employing school system can request up to two one-year extensions through LEP, for a maximum of five years total on a Level 1 credential.
Does advancing from a Level 1 to a Level 2 certificate count as a renewal?
No. Advancing to a Level 2 or Level 3 certificate is a separate action from renewing your current level. Advancing to Level 2 requires three years of effective evaluations and three years of teaching experience.
What happens if my Louisiana teaching certificate lapses?
A certificate lapses after five consecutive calendar years without serving as a teacher of record for at least one semester. Reinstating it requires six semester hours of approved coursework completed within the prior five years, along with a $25 processing fee.
Is there a fee to reinstate a lapsed Louisiana teaching certificate?
Yes. Reinstating a lapsed certificate requires a $25 certification processing fee in addition to the six semester hours of required coursework.
- Renewal now runs through LEP — the Louisiana Educator Portal — not a mailed paper application; renewal, advancement, and reinstatement requests are filed there.
- Level 1 and Level 2/3 renew differently — a Level 1 gets up to two one-year extensions with no added requirements, while Level 2 and Level 3 renew every five years after three years of effective evaluations.
- Advancing levels isn’t the same as renewing — moving from Level 1 to Level 2, or Level 2 to Level 3, requires its own combination of evaluations, experience, and (for Level 3) a graduate degree.
- Lapsed certificates have a one-year fix window — six semester hours of coursework and a $25 feeto reinstate a certificate that’s lapsed after five years of disuse.
Find accredited teacher certification programs in Louisiana, including support for renewing, advancing, or reinstating your teaching certificate.
