The state of Florida has two types of Teaching Certificates. The standard or highest certificate is the Professional Certificate. Florida also issues a nonrenewable Temporary Certificate. The official process for determining eligibility is conducted by the Bureau of Education Certification through the application process. This identification process has been greatly streamlined in the graphic below addressing pathways for individuals holding existing degrees in education.

A Professional Certificate is valid for five school years and may be renewed. The Temporary Certificate is valid for three school years. There is a processing fee for each subject requested. You must hold an accredited or approved bachelor's degree to apply for a Florida certificate. All individuals must pass the Professional Educators test and specific subject area tests for each subject listed on their teaching certificate. For individuals seeking certification in Exception Student Education, that would require passing the General Knowledge Test (if applicable) as an exit test from an approved teacher preparation program, the Professional Educators test and the Exceptional Education subject area exam.

For more specific information please go to the Florida Department of Education web site (www.fldoe.org) and select certification and testing under the Educators column.


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View the certification process graphic in PDF file