South Dakota Teacher Certification Renewal
South Dakota teachers renew a Professional Teacher Certificate online through the Department of Education every five years by completing six education-related credits, at least three of which must come from a college or university unless you hold a graduate degree or National Board Certification. The renewal window opens January 1, and the certificate becomes invalid if requirements aren’t met by October 1 of the expiration year. Certificates that go invalid can still be renewed by meeting the same requirements plus an added fine.
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Every South Dakota teaching certificate runs on a five-year clock, and letting it lapse without a plan can mean losing your ability to lead your own classroom. The state Department of Education spells out exactly what keeps a Professional Teacher Certificate active, and what to do if yours has already become invalid. Here’s how renewal and reinstatement work, credit by credit. If you haven’t started the certification process yet, our South Dakota teacher certification guide covers initial licensure, reciprocity, and other certificate types.
Use the links below to jump to renewal requirements or reinstatement steps.
Teaching Certification Renewal
All South Dakota teaching certificates are valid through June 30 of their expiration year, five years after issuance. Beginning January 1st of that year, you may renew your certificate online. If you haven’t renewed by July 1, your certificate shows as “expired” on your record, but that status alone doesn’t mean you’ve lost your certification. You have until October 1 to complete every requirement and submit your application. Miss that date and the certificate becomes invalid, a harsher status that adds a fine on top of the standard renewal fee.
You must have taken at least six renewal credits based upon the degree you hold:
- If you hold a bachelor’s degree, three credits must be taken from a college/university and verified via transcript; the other three may be continuing education/professional development courses (one credit=15 continuing education contact hours)
- If you hold a graduate degree or National Board certification, the six credits may consist of a combination of college courses and continuing education hours
- If you’d rather not accumulate credits at all, two years of mentoring in a state-approved mentor program, either as a mentor or a mentee, satisfies the renewal requirement on its own
- Completing or renewing National Board Certification within the past five years also satisfies the renewal requirement without any additional credits
Submit your official transcripts and continuing education certificates with your application, or your mentor program completion certificate if you’re using that path instead. The Department of Education reviews documentation before issuing the renewed certificate, so upload clean scans rather than photos of paperwork if you’re applying through the online portal.
The mentor program alternative works differently from the credit-based paths. Instead of coursework, you commit to two of the past five years as a mentor or mentee inside a district’s state-approved mentoring structure, with a completion certificate confirming participation. It’s a common route for veteran teachers who’d rather invest time in a new colleague than sit through continuing education hours, and it satisfies the entire renewal requirement on its own, no credits needed alongside it.
If you’re adding an endorsement at the same time you renew, keep the two processes separate. Renewal credits don’t automatically count toward a new endorsement area, and endorsements typically require either a state-designated Praxis test or a set number of content-specific credits, reviewed independently by the Department of Education
Reinstatement of Certification
Has your South Dakota teaching certificate become invalid? You reinstate it through the same online renewal system, not a separate application. You’ll need to complete one of the same renewal options that apply to a standard renewal:
- Six education-related credits, following the same bachelor’s or graduate degree split described above
- Two years as a mentor or mentee in a state-approved mentor program
- National Board Certification or recertification completed within the past five years
The difference is the fee. An invalid certificate carries a fine in addition to the standard renewal fee, and you may be issued a one-year temporary certificate to finish the requirements while your paperwork is under review. That temporary certificate can’t be renewed again, so it’s meant to bridge you to a fully renewed certificate, not to substitute for a long-term one.
Teachers moving to South Dakota from another state face a related but separate process. A lapsed out-of-state certificate doesn’t reinstate through this system. Instead, you’d apply for South Dakota certification based on your out-of-state preparation and any reciprocity agreements in place, a different track from renewing or reinstating a certificate already issued by South Dakota.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I miss the October 1 renewal deadline?
Your certificate becomes invalid once October 1 passes without a completed application. An invalid certificate can still be renewed, but it carries an added fine on top of the standard renewal fee.
Can I renew my certificate without taking college courses?
Yes. Two years of mentoring in a state-approved mentor program, as either a mentor or mentee, satisfies the renewal requirement in place of the six credits. Completing National Board Certification or recertification within the past five years works the same way, and teachers with a graduate degree or National Board Certification can mix college courses and continuing education hours freely.
Does my certificate stop counting as certified the moment it expires?
No. A certificate that’s “expired” (past July 1 but before October 1) still shows as certified on your record while you finish renewal requirements. It only becomes invalid, a more serious status, if requirements aren’t met by October 1.
How do I reinstate an invalid South Dakota teaching certificate?
Apply through the same online renewal system and complete one of the standard renewal options: six education-related credits, two years in a mentor program, or National Board Certification or recertification within the past five years. You’ll pay an added fine on top of the standard renewal fee, and you may receive a one-year temporary certificate to finish the requirements.
- Renewal runs on a fixed calendar, the window opens on January 1, “expired” status starts on July 1, and the certificate becomes invalid if requirements aren’t met by October 1.
- Six credits, split by degree level, bachelor’s degree holders need three transcripted credits plus three continuing education credits, while graduate degree or National Board holders can mix freely.
- Two credit-free paths exist, two years in a state-approved mentor program or National Board Certification/recertification within the past five years; each satisfies renewal on its own.
- Expired isn’t the same as invalid, a certificate past July 1 but before October 1 still counts as certified while you finish requirements.
- Reinstatement uses the same system, the same renewal options apply, plus an added fine and a possible one-year temporary certificate while you catch up.
Find accredited teacher certification programs in South Dakota, including application requirements and licensing timelines for your certification path.
