Washington Teacher Certification Renewal
Washington teachers renew a Residency or Professional Certificate by completing 100 clock hours, or an equivalent Professional Growth Plan, and submitting the application through OSPI’s E-Certification system before the certificate’s expiration date. Teachers with a lapsed certificate apply for reinstatement instead, which carries its own clock-hour and service requirements.
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Washington teachers no longer need the ProTeach Assessment to renew their certification. That portfolio-based exam stopped accepting candidates in June 2019, and today’s renewal process runs almost entirely through OSPI’s online E-Certification system, built around clock hours and growth plans instead of a formal assessment. This guide covers how to renew a Residency or Professional Certificate that’s still valid, what changes once a certificate has already lapsed, and where National Board certification and a comparable advanced certificate from another state still fit into an upgrade. If you haven’t earned a Washington certificate yet, start with our guide to getting certified in Washington for the first time instead. And if you have a bachelor’s degree but haven’t completed a teacher prep program, Washington’s alternative certification routes cover that path.
Teaching Certification Renewal
Washington issues two certificate tiers for classroom teachers: the Residency Certificate and the Professional Certificate. Both renew on a five-year cycle. Since a 2017 policy change, a Residency Certificate no longer forces a one-time renewal followed by a mandatory upgrade. You can renew a Residency Certificate repeatedly as long as you keep meeting the requirements.
To renew either certificate, you’ll need 100 clock hours of approved continuing education, or the equivalent through a Professional Growth Plan (PGP) submitted to your school district, completed since the date your current certificate was issued. Those hours also have to satisfy any state-required professional learning categories that apply to your role, currently including Equity-Based School Practices and Government-to-Government Relations for teachers, and Educational Leadership for administrators. Teachers whose endorsement falls under one of Washington’s designated STEM endorsement areas must also complete the state’s STEM renewal requirement, currently 15 clock hours or an equivalent PGP goal. For your first renewal, you’ll also attest to completing a course on Issues of Abuse, entered directly into your E-Certification account or submitted on Form 4020G.
Renewal applications go through OSPI’s E-Certification (eCert) system inside the state’s Education Data System, not a paper form mailed to your local Educational Service District. Two dates matter here: the On-Time Application Date of January 1, and the Uniform Expiration Date of June 30. Applications submitted after January 1 in your expiration year are considered late. OSPI currently indicates late fees won’t be assessed until January 2030 under the renewal implementation schedule, though you should verify current fee policies before applying. The OSPI Professional Certification Fee Schedule lists the standard processing fee separately from the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) certification fee, so confirm the exact total before you submit.
If you’d rather move to a Professional Certificate instead of continuing to renew a Residency Certificate, Washington offers three paths. Hold an advanced certificate from another state that PESB has approved as comparable to Washington’s standards. Hold a current National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certificate. Or, if you already completed the Washington ProTeach Portfolio before ETS stopped administering it in 2019, use that. Each path still requires the Issues of Abuse attestation, plus fingerprints for a background check if a valid certificate isn’t already on file.
Reinstatement of Certification
Reinstatement applies once a certificate has actually lapsed, not before. If your certificate is still valid, you’re looking at renewal, not reinstatement, even if the paperwork feels similar.
If your certificate title still carries “First Issue (FI)” and you’ve met the 1.5 to 2 years of service Washington requires in your role, reported by your district on the annual S275 report, you apply for reissuance rather than reinstatement. That path doesn’t require clock hours or continuing education credits.
For a certificate that reached its five-year expiration date and lapsed, reinstatement asks for 100 clock hours, or the credit equivalent, completed within the five years before you apply, or up to four annual Professional Growth Plans covering that same period. Submit the reinstatement application through E-Certification along with fingerprints for a background check if a valid certificate isn’t already on file. Teachers who aren’t yet eligible to reinstate may qualify for a Transitional Certificate instead, which covers two years while you finish the requirements. A Transitional Certificate can’t be renewed or reissued a second time, so it’s a bridge, not a long-term option.
Contact OSPI’s Professional Certification office directly if you’re unsure which category applies to your certificate. The distinction between renewal, reissuance, and reinstatement determines which requirements and fees apply, and applying under the wrong one can delay the whole process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between renewing and reinstating a Washington teaching certificate?
Renewal applies to a certificate that hasn’t expired yet. Reinstatement applies once a certificate has lapsed and you need to reenter the renewal cycle; it carries its own clock-hour and background check requirements.
Is the ProTeach Assessment still required to renew a Washington certificate?
No. ETS stopped administering the ProTeach Portfolio after June 2019. Renewal today runs on completed clock hours or an equivalent Professional Growth Plan submitted through E-Certification, not a portfolio assessment.
How many clock hours do I need to renew my Washington teacher certification?
Most renewals require 100 clock hours of approved continuing education, or the credit equivalent, plus any state-required professional learning categories that apply to your role, such as Equity-Based School Practices or Government-to-Government Relations. Teachers whose endorsement falls under Washington’s designated STEM endorsement areas must also complete the state’s STEM renewal requirement, currently 15 clock hours or an equivalent PGP goal, and your first renewal requires an Issues of Abuse course attestation.
What happens if I miss the certificate renewal deadline?
Applications submitted after the January 1 On-Time Application Date in your expiration year are considered late. OSPI currently indicates late fees won’t be assessed until January 2030 under the implementation schedule, so verify current policy before applying. If your certificate expires before you submit, you’ll need to apply for reinstatement instead of renewal.
Do I need a Professional Certificate to keep teaching in Washington?
No. Since 2017, a Residency Certificate can be renewed repeatedly in five-year cycles as long as you meet the clock-hour requirements. Upgrading to a Professional Certificate is optional, available through NBPTS certification, an approved out-of-state advanced certificate, or a previously completed ProTeach Portfolio.
- Residency Certificates renew through clock hours, not an exam — 100 clock hours or an equivalent Professional Growth Plan, plus any state-required professional learning categories that apply, not the discontinued ProTeach Assessment.
- ProTeach ended in June 2019 — teachers who already completed it can still use it to upgrade to a Professional Certificate, but it’s no longer an active option for new candidates.
- Two deadlines apply to every renewal — the On-Time Application Date of January 1, and the Uniform Expiration Date of June 30.
- A lapsed certificate needs reinstatement, not renewal — and reinstatement has its own clock-hour and background check requirements.
- Professional Certificate upgrades are optional — available through NBPTS certification, an approved comparable advanced certificate from another state, or a completed ProTeach Portfolio.
If you’re working toward National Board Certification, an advanced degree, or additional endorsements to support a Professional Certificate upgrade, explore accredited teacher preparation programs below.
