The Professional Certification Department will be closed for professional development training on Monday, October 7, from 8 am to 5 pm. Normal office operations will resume at 9 am on Tuesday, October 8. For immediate assistance, please use our website or log into your E-Certification account. The Professional Certification Department's regular telephone hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 am to 4:30 pm and Tuesdays from 10 am to 4:30 pm. You can also reach us by email.

Nearly 200,000 educators are certified in Washington state, including classroom teachers, principals, paraeducators, school counselors, superintendents, and more. Most certifications must be renewed every five years. This page contains information about the certification and renewal processes, requirements for continuing education, emergency certifications, how military veterans and educators from out of state can teach in Washington, and more.

This week (9/30/2024), we are reviewing the following:
  • There are currently 2,845 total applications pending review.
  • If an employee's start date is approaching, districts can apply for a rush request through the E-Certification system to expedite an application by following the standard rush request process.
  • Depending on the type of application, the Professional Certification Department is currently reviewing applications submitted in July and August. 
  • Educators and school districts can review their current certificate or application status by logging into their E-Certification profile or by requesting an update from our department via email.
  • The customer service staff is responding to most emails within 6 business days and voicemails within 1 business day of being received.

For more information, see the Application Processing Status page.