Permit to Teach is a one-year, non-renewable teaching license. 

People who apply for this license have a bachelor's degree in any area except in the content they would like to teach and have not completed any testing requirements.

You must have been recommended for a teaching position to be eligible for this license and will work with the CCS Licensure Specialist to apply for this license.

To be rehired at the end of the school year, you must complete 18 semester hours in the content area you are teaching.

The Emergency license is a one-year non-renewable teaching license. People who apply for this license have a bachelor’s degree in the content area they want to teach but have not taken any of the required testing. An emergency license holder is also eligible to receive years of experience credit toward their salary based on relevant work experience.

You must have been recommended for a teaching position to be eligible for this license and will work with the CCS Licensure Specialist to apply for this license.

To be rehired at the end of the school year, you must: 

• Complete the required testing for the area in which you are licensed 

• Enroll with an Education Preparation Provider

A Residency license is a one-year license that may be renewed twice. People who apply for this license have completed all content coursework and passed all required tests for the area in which they would like to teach. To qualify for a Residency license, the individual must be employed by a school district and enrolled in an Education Preparation Provider.

To be rehired at the end of the school year, you must have: 

• Completed ten days of pre-service training

• Have taught for six calendar months

• Continued enrollment with an Education Preparation Provider

• Continued employment with a school district

A CTE-Restricted license is available for those who have related work experience as well as a relevant degree. The Trade and Industrial CTE-Restricted license may require only a high school diploma and related work experience. People who apply for this three-year license must complete the required coursework within the three years and any testing within two years.

If you hold a teaching license in another state or completed an out-of-state teacher education program, you are eligible for an initial North Carolina teaching license in an equivalent area. You may have to pass the North Carolina required testing. 

If you have taught three or more years in another state, you may qualify for a continuing license based on evidence of effectiveness. You will need to provide a copy of your last evaluation, including student growth.

You may start the application for your North Carolina teaching license here. 

You will need the following documentation when applying for your license:

• Out of state license
• Form V, which verifies your completion of an out-of-state educator preparation program
• Official transcripts
• Evidence of effectiveness from the state in which the current license is held
• Test scores
• Experience forms
• Statement of Applicant
• Required fee of $100

For more information about transferring out of state teaching licensure, please contact the Licensure Section of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction at  (919) 716-1800.

The traditional route to becoming a teacher is to earn an undergraduate degree in education. You can choose from several programs at North Carolina colleges and universities that will prepare you to become a teacher. However, you can also become a teacher if you have previously earned a bachelor’s degree in education and apply to the North Carolina Department of  Public Instruction for teacher certification.

Click the link below to access online licensure tutorials. 

ONline licensure tutorials