Substitute Certificates

Substitute teachers in Washington state must qualify for the certificate by having held, or currently holding, a regular state of Washington Teacher, Administrator, or Educational Staff Associate (ESA) certificate or by being requested for an emergency or intern substitute certificate issued by a school district. Review the role types below for requirements and next steps. 

Substitute Teacher

This Substitute Teacher certificate requires the same level of preparation as the regular Teacher certificate and is for individuals who qualify, have held, or currently hold a regular state of Washington Teacher certificate. 

Please Note: If you recently graduated from a Washington state college or university preparation program and have not been issued a certificate, please contact your institution for assistance.

First-Time Requirements

• Completion of a bachelor's degree or higher (must submit official transcripts)
• Completion of ONE of the options below:
  • Option 1: Completion of any state's approved teacher preparation program through
    • Traditional preparation program (Form 4020E-Program Completion Verification)
      OR
    • Approved alternate route program (4020E-1-Alternative Program Completion Verification)
  • Option 2: Submit a copy of a full, regular teaching certificate issued by another state (valid or expired) AND three years of out-of-state teaching experience (Form 4020F-1-Experience Verification)
• Submission of fingerprints for a background check is required if a valid Washington certificate is not already on record
• For applicants outside the country, visit the Internationally Trained Teacher page for additional requirements for substitute teachers.

 Emergency Substitute Teacher

This application is for educators whose employer has requested an Emergency Substitute Teacher certificate, or for those reissuing an expiring Emergency Substitute certificate with an employer’s support. The certificate is limited, valid for up to two school years, and not available to full certificate holders.

First-Time Requirements

• Application initiated by an employing school district and completed by the educator. Once the district request has been submitted, log in to your E-Certification account to apply.
• Submission of fingerprints for a background check is required if a valid Washington certificate is not already on record

Reissue Requirements

• The Emergency Substitute Teacher certificate may be reissued upon request by an employing school district, approved private school, or educational service district.

Substitute Administrator 

This Substitute Administrator certificate requires the same level of preparation as the regular Administration certificate and is for individuals who qualify, have held, or currently hold a regular state of Washington Administrator certificate. 

Please Note: If you recently graduated from a Washington state college or university preparation program and have not been issued a certificate, please contact your institution for assistance.

First-Time Requirements

• Completion of a master's degree (must submit official transcripts)
• Completion of ONE of the options below:
  • Option 1: Completion of any state's approved administrator preparation program through an accredited institution
    • Traditional preparation program (Form 4001E-Administrator Program Completion Verification)
      OR
    • Approved alternate route program (Form 4001E-Administrator Program Completion Verification)
  • Option 2: Submit a copy of a full, regular teaching certificate issued by another state (valid or expired) AND Three years of out-of-state administrator experience (Form 4020F-1-Experience Verification)
  • Submission of fingerprints for a background check is required if a valid Washington certificate is not already on record

Substitute Educational Staff Associate (ESA)

This Substitute ESA certificate requires the same level of preparation as the regular ESA certificate and is for individuals who qualify, have held, or currently hold a regular state of Washington ESA certificate. 

First-Time Requirements

• Completion of ONE of the options below:
  • Option 1: Hold, have held a regular state of Washington ESA certificate for the role
  • Option 2: Meet all requirements for the full ESA certificate in the role
• Submission of fingerprints for a background check is required if a valid Washington certificate is not already on record

Intern Substitute Teacher

This application is for educators completing their student teaching who need to substitute for their mentoring teacher in the mentor's absence. This limited certificate is not available for full certificate holders and is valid up to two school years.

First-Time Requirements

• Program Approval of Candidate (Form 4028E-Approval of Candidate for Intern Substitute Teacher)
  • Please Note: The institution and the sponsoring school must approve this certificate. In-state candidates, please contact your program's certification officer to initiate the approval process before applying.
• Submission of fingerprints for a background check is required if a valid Washington certificate is not already on record

Reissue Requirements

• The Intern Substitute certificate may be reissued upon request by an employing school district.