Become a Teacher in Florida

Initial Teaching Certifications

Florida issues two classroom teaching certificates. The Temporary Certificate is valid for five school years, is nonrenewable, and gives you time to complete all Professional Certificate requirements while teaching full time. The Professional Certificate is Florida's highest educator certificate; it is valid for five school years and renewable. You do not have to hold a Temporary Certificate first: if you already meet every Professional Certificate requirement, for example as a Florida state-approved program graduate who has passed all three portions of the FTCE or as a qualifying out-of-state or NBPTS certificate holder, you can qualify for the Professional Certificate directly. Visit the Florida Department of Education Educator Certification page for more information.

Learn more about getting your teaching credential on Teach.com.

Alternative Certification in Florida

If you hold a bachelor's degree in a field other than education, Florida's alternative routes let you meet the professional preparation requirement without a teacher education degree, and some let you do so while teaching on a Temporary Certificate. These routes address professional preparation only: you must still satisfy the subject area knowledge and general knowledge requirements for the Professional Certificate, through the FTCE or an accepted alternative, and most of the listed professional preparation options include a passing score on the Professional Education Test. FLDOE lists its current options on the Certificate Pathways & Routes page.

Educator Preparation Institutes (EPIs). EPIs are offered by Florida postsecondary institutions or qualified private providers for people who already hold a non-education bachelor's or higher degree. Completing an approved EPI and passing the Professional Education Test satisfies the professional preparation requirement.

Professional Learning Certification Programs. Formerly called Professional Development Certification Programs, these programs are run by approved school districts, charter schools and charter management organizations for their instructional staff. Under Florida law, participants must hold a state-issued temporary certificate, and because a Temporary Certificate is issued only after you are employed, you would secure a teaching job with a participating district or charter organization first. Start with FLDOE's certification steps.

Teacher apprenticeship and internship pathways. Florida also offers Temporary Teacher Apprenticeship and Internship Certificates for candidates who do not yet hold a bachelor's degree, with requirements that include a minimum 2.5 GPA and, for apprentices, selection by a participating employer.

Military veterans. The Military Veterans Certification Pathway leads to a five-year Temporary Certificate and does not require a bachelor's degree. To be eligible, you need at least 48 months of active duty with an honorable or medical discharge, at least 60 college credits with a 2.5 GPA, and a passing score on a Florida subject area exam for a bachelor's-level subject, which excludes Exceptional Student Education K–12. The certificate is issued only after you are employed in a Florida school district with an assigned mentor and your background screening has cleared.

American Board (ABCTE). FLDOE accepts a valid American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence certificate to show subject area knowledge and general knowledge. To meet the professional preparation requirement, it must be paired with an approved professional education competence demonstration program.

Florida Teacher Certification Information & Links

• Florida Department of Education
• Required Coursework by Subject Area
• Florida Retirement System
• FLDOE Recruitment Programs
• Florida Department of Education – Educator Certification
• FLDOE Online Licensing Service (apply for certification)
• Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) testing site

Transferring Your Certification

Certification Reciprocity in Florida

Florida offers a direct route for teachers certified elsewhere. If you hold a valid standard educator certificate from another state that is comparable to Florida's Professional Certificate, in a comparable subject, and required the same or higher level of training, you can qualify for a Florida Professional Certificate. A currently valid certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) can also qualify you, with your Florida certificate reflecting the comparable subject. Your out-of-state certificate must be current, not expired or revoked.

For an overview of how reciprocity works across states, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page. Or, for more specific questions about your situation, contact the Florida Department of Education.

What You May Still Need

Even with an out-of-state certificate, you must submit the initial application package with the $75-per-subject fee and official transcripts, and complete fingerprinting and background screening. If your certificate does not meet the comparability conditions, your Official Statement of Status of Eligibility lists the remaining Florida requirements, which may include FTCE exams.

Teaching While You Complete Requirements

A valid standard certificate from another state counts toward the subject specialization needed for a Temporary Certificate. Once you are employed in a Florida public school, or in a nonpublic school with a state-approved program for demonstrating professional education competence, and your fingerprints clear, the Temporary Certificate lets you teach full time for up to five school years while you finish the Professional Certificate requirements.

Career Advancement

Professional Development for Florida Teachers

Florida's Professional Certificate must be renewed every five years. To renew, you must earn six semester hours of college credit, including at least one semester hour in teaching students with disabilities, during the validity period of your certificate. Inservice points also count: 20 inservice points equal one semester hour. If your certificate's validity began on or after July 1, 2020, renewing certain coverages also requires at least two college credits or 40 inservice points, or a combination, in evidence-based reading instruction grounded in the science of reading. The covered list includes elementary, primary and prekindergarten/primary coverages; English and Middle Grades English; Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum (5–9); Reading (K–12) and the Reading endorsement; ESOL (K–12); and Exceptional Student Education (K–12) for renewals beginning with a validity date of July 1, 2025. The renewal fee is $75, or $105 for a late renewal.

Benefits of a Master's Degree in Florida

A master's degree is not required for Florida's Temporary or Professional Certificate in most subjects; on the standard route, both require at least a bachelor's degree. A master's or higher degree from an accredited institution does satisfy Florida's general knowledge requirement, and a few certificate subjects, such as Reading (K–12), require a master's degree. On pay, Florida law allows a district school board to use advanced degrees in setting a salary schedule when the degree is in the teacher's area of certification, so check your district's schedule.

Learn more about the benefits of a Master of Arts in Teaching vs. Master of Education on Teach.com.