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. Public Schools of North Carolina . . State Board of Education . . Department Of Public Instruction .

UPDATE OR RENEW YOUR LICENSE

LICENSURE RENEWAL PROCESS

North Carolina Standard Professional 2 licenses must be renewed every five years. The renewal process ensures that licensed school personnel continually update their professional knowledge and technical competency. Each license holder is responsible for knowing and satisfying license renewal requirements. Failure to renew your North Carolina Standard Professional 2 license makes one ineligible for employment unless a validation of your expired license is requested by an employing school system.

Renewal and Reinstatement Guidelines

Credit required to renew license:

  • 10 semester hours or 15 units of renewal credit. Course work must be directly related to an individual's professional responsibilities as a public school educator or to his or her area(s) of licensure. Teachers of grades K-12 must complete three renewal credits in their academic subject areas, including strategies to teach those subjects, during each five-year renewal cycle effective July 1, 2009.
  • A unit of renewal credit is equivalent to one quarter hour or one in-service credit from a North Carolina public school system. Generally, a unit reflects ten contact hours.
  • The DPI Licensure Section does not accept renewal credits of less than one unit.
  • One semester hour is equivalent to 1.5 units of credit.
  • Individuals teaching in grades K-8 in a NC public school system or a NC school that has an approved license renewal plan must earn 3 units of renewal credit in reading methods during each five-year renewal cycle.
  • Effective July 1, 2007, principals and assistant principals in a NC public school system or other NC school that has an approved license renewal plan must earn 5 units of renewal credit during each five-year cycle focused on the principal's role in teacher effectiveness, teacher evaluations, teacher support programs, teacher leadership, teacher empowerment, and teacher retention.
  • For a license to remain current, all credit must be earned by the expiration date of the existing license.
  • To renew an expired license, 10 semester hours or 15 units of renewal credit must be earned within the most recent five-year period.

Activities accepted for renewal credit:

  • College or university courses
    • Transcripts are required as documentation; grade reports are not accepted.
  • Local in-service courses or workshops
    • The administrative unit certifies credits.
  • Classes and workshops approved by an LEA
    • Documentation of completion is provided by the agency sponsoring the activity.
  • Teaching experience
    • One renewal credit is awarded for each year of full-time teaching completed during the 5-year renewal cycle. Part-time experience can be considered for renewal credit if it amounts to be equivalent of one year of full-time teaching.

Keeping records of renewal credit:

  • Individuals employed in a public school unit (or a nonpublic school authorized to administer staff development programs) should contact the superintendent, headmaster, or designated staff development coordinator about all renewal questions and recording of credits earned.
  • Individuals not currently employed in a public school unit (or a nonpublic school authorized to administer staff development programs) should maintain their own records of renewal credit until it is time to renew their licenses.

How to Apply for Renewal of a License

Step 1: Complete Form U - License Update Form (pdf, 39kb or doc, 51kb)

Step 2: Collect the supporting materials to accompany Form U

Transcripts (originals) or certificates of credit (Note: Grade reports are not accepted in place of transcripts.)

Form E - Verification of K-12 Educator Experience (pdf, 27kb or doc, 69kb) if you have teaching experience that has not been filed with the Licensure Section.

Step 3: Mailing Instructions

Mail the completed License Update, supporting materials, and processing fee of $55.00 to:

Department of Public Instruction
Licensure Section
6365 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-6365

You may pay by personal check, money order, or certified check made payable to the Department of Public Instruction. You may also pay by Visa or MasterCard. If you wish to pay by credit card, fill out the credit card payment form (pdf, 56kb).

DO NOT USE HIGHLIGHTERS OF ANY COLOR ON YOUR DOCUMENTS. HIGHLIGHTED INFORMATION IS BLACKED OUT AND UNREADABLE BY OUR DIGITAL SCANNING SYSTEM. HIGHLIGHTED DOCUMENTS MAY BE RETURNED TO YOU.

 

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