Licensure Reciprocity
Educators coming into Virginia from any state may qualify for a Virginia teaching license. Educators who have completed a state approved EPP through an accredited four-year college or university, or who hold a valid out-of-state educator credential, and are licensed in a comparable area may be able to apply for a Virginia license through reciprocity.
Educator Licensure State Comparison Tool
The Educator Licensure State Comparison Tool serves as a comparison table for Virginia educators on licensure requirements across states. The comparison tool includes education/experience and testing requirements as well as links to each state’s department of education and Regulations/Code. As required by House Bill 632 and Senate Bill 352, the Virginia Department of Education compiled the teacher licensure standards and requirements for each state to facilitate licensure determinations and increase transparency.
Virginia Chapter 642 establishes universal licensure by reciprocity for teachers holding valid out-of-state licenses with full credentials and at least three years of teaching experience in non-virtual classroom settings. Now with two approaches to reciprocity, divisions can choose to follow the traditional pathway or through the new universal licensure by reciprocity.
Traditional Pathway to Reciprocity
Under the traditional pathway, divisions can verify the license type of an out-of-state license by accessing the Educator Licensure State Comparison Tool, specifically the link for each State Education Agency. Applicants interested in obtaining a license in Virginia can compare the license type in their current state with the requirements in Virginia. For questions related to license by reciprocity, please reach out to the VDOE’s Office of Licensure.
Universal Licensure by Reciprocity
School divisions utilizing the universal licensure by reciprocity approach in hiring out-of-state license applicants must support applicants in completing the required Virginia licensure application. School divisions that utilize the universal licensure by reciprocity will need to check that the applicant has a current and valid out-of-state license, and the school division will need to verify that the license has been in effect for at least the prior three years without deficiencies. When applying for the license, the school division may note in the comments section that they are requesting the license through universal reciprocity on the Licensure Request Form (LRF) that they submit to the Virginia Department of Education’s Licensure Office. Applicants not connected to a division should note in Part V: Out-of-State Educational License on their application that they are requesting universal reciprocity. The Office of Licensure will process the license request accordingly.