Renew Your Five-Year Certificate

Washington educators must keep their certificates current by meeting renewal requirements before submitting a renewal application. Role-based requirements include completing clock hours and other expectations. Educators may also return to a renewal cycle if their certificate has expired by submitting a reinstatement application. Renewal requirements are broken down by role for teachers and CTE educators, administrators, educational staff associates (ESAs), and educational interpreters. Review the sections below for renewal requirements and next steps for your specific role. 

Step 1: Before You Apply

Choose the option that matches your situation

• My certificate is still valid:
  You are applying for renewal. Your clock hours must have been completed after the issue date of the certificate you are renewing. If the certificate was valid for less than five years, clock hours must have been completed within the five years before you apply.
• My certificate has expired:
  You are applying for reinstatement. You must submit documentation of completed clock hours or equivalent activities with your application for review by the Certification Department.
• My certificate says "First Issue (FI)" and is set to expire:
  Visit the Reissue Your Residency First Issue Certificate page to determine your next step.
• I do not meet the renewal requirements:
  If you hold a full, regular Teacher, CTE Educator, Administrator, ESA, or Educational Interpreter certificate subject to renewal that has lapsed and do not currently meet the requirements to renew your certificate, you may qualify for a Transitional certificate. 
• I hold one of the following certificates issued under previous standards:
  • Standard/Continuing Teacher or Administrator (issued without an expiration date)
  • Expired Initial Teacher (Non-CTE)
    Review Step 3 below to determine your next steps.

Step 2: Review General Renewal Requirements

Items Required for All Renewals

• For the first renewal, attest that you have completed a course or coursework on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students
  • Enter this requirement into your E-Certification account under Clock Hours or submit the Issues of Abuse Course Verification Form 4020G
• Submit fingerprints for a background check if you do not already have a valid Washington certificate on record

Clock Hour or Approved Equivalent Requirements for All Renewals

• Most five-year certificates require 100 clock hours or an approved equivalent for renewal.

Please Note: Some certificate types have additional professional development requirements or allow other credentials to satisfy the requirements. Select your certificate type below to review the specific requirements.

National Certificates Accepted in Place of Clock Hours

In place of 100 clock hours for certificate renewal, educators may submit verification of a valid national certificate from one of the following:

• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
• National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

Clock Hour Rule Exceptions by National Certificate

While a national certificate is accepted in place of clock hours, the national certificate is not accepted for ALL specific hour types. Please review the exceptions below. 

• NBPTS does NOT satisfy or waive the following renewal requirements:
  • Issues of Abuse Course 
  • Suicide Prevention Course
  • Professional Standards for Education Leaders
  • Government-to-Government
• NASP and ASHA do NOT satisfy or waive the following renewal requirements:
  • Issues of Abuse Course
  • Suicide Prevention Course
  • Equity-Based School Practices
  • Professional Standards for Education Leaders
  • STEM 
  • Government-to-Government

Step 3: Review Certificate-Specific Renewal Requirements

Teacher and CTE Teacher

Requirements

• Complete general requirements as listed above
• 100 clock hours or equivalents that include:
  • 15 Equity-Based School Practices
  • 15 STEM hours if the educator holds a STEM endorsement

Additional Renewal Requirements for Teacher and CTE Certificates

Please review your role below to see if additional requirements apply to you.

CTE Initial and Continuing Career Guidance Specialist

• For the Initial certificate, 15 continuing education credit hours out of the 100 must be related to the knowledge and skill areas listed in WAC 181-77-081.
• For the Continuing certificate, 30 continuing education credit hours out of the 100 must be related to the knowledge and skill areas listed in WAC 181-77-081.

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Expired Initial Teacher

This application is for educators renewing their Initial Teacher certification by completing the requirements listed below. Teachers may renew the Initial certificate only once after September 1, 2000.

Requirements

• Teachers who hold an Initial certificate and have met requirements for renewal before expiration can apply late with a $100 late fee
• Submit fingerprints for a background check if you do not already have a valid Washington certificate on record
• To renew, the educator must have completed one of the following:
• Option 1: The coursework requirement for the Continuing certificate
• Option 2: Completed 15 quarter college credits (10 semester college credits) since the issuance of the most recent Initial certificate

If the educator does not qualify for renewal of their Initial certificate, they may complete one of the following options:

• Upgrade Option: An educator may apply to move to the Continuing certificate if they completed all requirements for that certificate before the expiration date of their Initial certificate, with an additional $100 late fee.
• Convert Option: If an educator does not qualify to renew their Initial certificate or upgrade to the Continuing certificate, then they can apply to convert their certificate to the Residency First Issue certificate.

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Standard/Continuing Teacher (issued without an expiration date)

This certificate is unendorsed, valid for life, and enables the holder to serve at all levels, P–12, and in any classroom.

Please Note: Endorsements cannot be added to this certificate, nor can the certificate be renewed, as it is valid for all subjects, grade levels and issued for the educator's lifetime. Even if your certificate had lapsed at some time because you lacked experience for maintenance, its validity has been restored.

Requirements

There are no renewal requirements for this certificate.

Administrator and CTE Director

Requirements

• Complete general requirements as listed above
• 100 clock hours or equivalents that include:
  • 10 Equity-Based School Practices
  • 10 National Professional Standards for Education Leaders (PSEL)
  • 5 Government-to-Government

Additional Requirements for Administrator Certificates

Please review your role below to see if additional requirements apply to you.

Standard/Continuing Administrator (issued without an expiration date)

This certificate is unendorsed, valid for life, and enables the holder to serve at all levels, P–12, and in any classroom.

Please Note: Endorsements cannot be added to this certificate, nor can the certificate be renewed, as it is valid for all subjects, grade levels and issued for the educator's lifetime. Even if your certificate had lapsed at some time because you lacked experience for maintenance, its validity has been restored.

Requirements

There are no renewal requirements for this certificate.

Educational Staff Associate

Requirements

• Complete general requirements as listed above
• 100 clock hours or equivalents

Additional Requirements by ESA Role Type

Please review your role below to see if additional requirements apply to you.

School Behavior Analyst

• Must hold a valid Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certificate from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).

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School Counselor, School Psychologist, and School Social Worker

• Must confirm completion of a suicide prevention training approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) or Washington State Department of Health within the previous five years (Suicide Prevention Training Verification Form 4020S)

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School Nurse

• Must confirm completion of a suicide prevention training approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) or Washington State Department of Health within the previous five years (Suicide Prevention Training Verification Form 4020S)
• Hold a valid registered nurse license issued by the Washington State Department of Health or the Nurse Licensure Compact

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School Occupational Therapist

• Hold a valid occupational therapist license issued by the Washington State Department of Health or the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact

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ESA School Orientation and Mobility Specialist

• Must hold a valid Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) certificate from the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP), or a valid National Orientation and Mobility Certification (NOMC) from the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB).

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School Physical Therapist

• Hold a valid physical therapist license issued by the Washington State Department of Health or the Physical Therapy Compact Commission

Educational Interpreter

Requirements

• Complete general requirements as listed above 
• 100 clock hours or equivalents
• Must have one of the following:
  • Option 1: The Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) with a minimum score of 4.0 AND a passing score on the EIPA Written Test, if not already on file
  • Option 2: A valid National Interpreter Certification (NIC) from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) or an equivalent national certificate previously offered by RID AND a passing score on the EIPA Written Test, if not already on file. 

Step 4: Apply Now

• Complete the applicable renewal requirements
• Sign in to E-Certification (EDS)
• Select the appropriate application for your certificate
• Complete and submit your application and pay the required fee

Renewal Deadlines

Renewal certificates have two deadline dates to meet:

• On-Time Application Date - January 1
• Uniform Expiration Date - June 30

Renewal applications submitted after January 1 of the expiration year will be considered late and subject to an additional processing fee.

Please Note: These deadlines do not affect Limited, Paraeducator, or Residency Reissuance certificates, and late applications will not be charged a late fee until January 2030 (WAC 181-79A-117).