Teacher Certification Reciprocity by State (2026 Data)

By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Published August 5, 2026 · Last verified August 5, 2026 · Dataset version 1.0

Every state and Washington, D.C. signed the current NASDTEC Interstate Agreement for Educator Licensure. That is 51 of 51 U.S. jurisdictions in this table. The agreement itself gives the clearest warning about what that does—and does not—mean:

“The term ‘reciprocity’ is often inappropriately applied to educator mobility between Member Jurisdictions.”

— NASDTEC Interstate Agreement for Educator Licensure, 2025–2030, Section II

That is the whole story in one sentence. Teacher certification reciprocity by state is not one national license-transfer system. The state you move to still decides which of its own licenses fits your record.

The newer Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact is different. The Council of State Governments lists 15 of 50 states, or 30.0%, as joined. But current Commission and state records do not support turning that into a simple claim that all 15 are working in the same way.

Teacher certification reciprocity by state: what do the 2026 data show?

All 50 states and D.C. signed the current NASDTEC agreement, but no one teaching certificate is accepted everywhere. CSG lists 15 compact states. Kentucky and Pennsylvania each name 13 partner states on their current compact application routes; adding the home state produces the same 14-jurisdiction set. Those figures count different things.

Visualization source: Council of State Governments compact database. Mississippi carries a separate Commission-status caveat explained below.

One important limit before you read further. Nothing here promises approval. The state you are moving to decides which of its own licenses fits your subject, grade level, training, experience, test record, and background review. This page is a research reference, not legal or licensing advice.

What does teacher certification reciprocity actually mean?

Teacher certification reciprocity means a state has a route for reviewing an out-of-state teacher’s record. It does not mean your old license becomes a license from the new state. You still apply, and the new state still issues its own credential.

“Reciprocity” sounds like an even trade. Teacher licensing usually works more like this:

1. You apply to the state where you want to teach.
2. That state checks your license, preparation program, subject, grade level, experience, tests, and background documents.
3. The state decides which of its own credentials fits your record.
4. The state tells you what must be done now or later.

The U.S. Department of Education says certification rules are set by state departments of education and that there is no certification program accepted in all states.

So when a job post or old article says a state “has reciprocity,” ask the question that matters: Which state license can I receive, and what will I still have to do?

Does the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement give me a license in another state?

No. The NASDTEC Interstate Agreement is a shared framework for showing state-specific rules. It does not issue a license, force a state to accept your license, or erase the receiving state’s requirements.

NASDTEC is the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification. Its members are the state officials and agencies that oversee educator licensing.

We read the current 2025–2030 agreement, accepted by the NASDTEC Board on October 18, 2024.

Section I states the purpose. The agreement provides a way to tell members and the public about each jurisdiction’s own licensing requirements.

Section II states the limit. It says “reciprocity” is often misapplied because one jurisdiction’s license is not automatically exchanged for another jurisdiction’s license.

Section IV states what signers agree to do. They agree to maintain program standards, publish approved-program information, apply their own extra requirements fairly, and take part in the educator discipline clearinghouse. Signing does not promise a license to an individual applicant.

The current NASDTEC signee list has 54 entries. It includes all 50 states, D.C., Guam, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and Ontario, Canada.

Older state comparisons may show smaller totals. The current NASDTEC list is the better source for the current agreement period.

Which states are in the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact?

CSG lists 15 states as joined to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. Kentucky and Pennsylvania each name 13 partner states on their current compact routes; adding the home state produces the same 14-jurisdiction set. Mississippi carries a separate Commission-status caveat.

The compact is not the same thing as the NASDTEC agreement. It creates a legal path for an eligible teacher license to be matched with an eligible license in another member state.

What the compact covers

The compact covers only licenses that a member state puts on its eligible-license list. The model law defines an eligible license as one that requires at least a bachelor’s degree and completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program, with a separate rule for some career and technical education licenses.

For most teachers, the license must also be current and unencumbered. That means it is not restricted, probationary, provisional, substitute, or temporary. The model gives a special path to eligible military spouses and active military members who hold certain licenses that are not unencumbered.

The receiving state still decides which of its own eligible licenses is the closest match. The model law also lets the receiving state decide that no eligible equivalent exists.

Why do official compact records show 15, 14, and 13?

Because the records were made for different jobs and on different dates. CSG’s database lists 15 joined states. Kentucky and Pennsylvania each publish a route covering the same 14 jurisdictions. The March 2026 Commission rule-vote record accounts for 13 states. None of those numbers should be used without its label.

Mississippi explains one part of the gap

The Commission’s June 14, 2025 record includes a motion to deny Mississippi as a full member state until remediation of its authorizing statute. CSG still lists Mississippi as joined in 2024. Kentucky and Pennsylvania do not include Mississippi on their current compact application routes.

We found no later posted Commission action seating Mississippi. On August 5, 2026, the Commission page still showed the June 8 meeting under “Upcoming Meetings” and published past minutes only through January 16, 2026.

Virginia explains the date change

The March rule vote happened before Virginia appears in later records. The Commission’s June 8 agenda scheduled a vote to admit Virginia. CSG now lists Virginia as joined in 2026, and the current Kentucky and Pennsylvania pages both include Virginia on their compact routes.

The Commission had not posted June meeting minutes when we checked. So this page reports the records as they stand instead of calling any one of them a complete national membership roll.

The careful conclusion

The source-backed statement is:

As of August 5, 2026, CSG listed 15 teacher-compact states. The current Kentucky and Pennsylvania application routes each covered the same 14 jurisdictions. Mississippi remained under a published Commission remediation caveat.

That is more exact than saying “14 operating states,” because the Commission itself has not published a current national operating total.

Does the teacher compact remove extra tests and classes?

The compact’s official FAQ says an eligible teacher can receive the first license without extra state-specific exams, coursework, or transcripts. But current state application pages do not always present the process that cleanly. Pennsylvania says compact review is automatic, while its Pathway 3 instructions still tell initial applicants to submit transcripts and meet testing rules unless an exception applies.

The national compact materials describe the intended licensing path:

• The official FAQ says an eligible teacher can receive the closest equivalent license without extra state-specific exams, coursework, or additional materials.
• The teacher still completes the receiving state’s background check.
• The model law lets the receiving state decide which license is equivalent and whether an equivalent license exists.
• State-specific requirements may return when the teacher renews or advances the new license.
• A state may ask for more records to set pay.

The current state pages show how the application can look in practice. Kentucky asks for the current out-of-state license, character-and-fitness review, and fees. It asks for transcripts only when the teacher wants review for a rank above Rank III. Pennsylvania says no extra compact step is needed because it reviews the application automatically under compact rules. On the same page, its Pathway 3 instructions tell initial applicants to submit official transcripts and meet Pennsylvania testing rules unless an exception applies. The page does not explain that tension.

So the careful answer is: the compact’s official design says those items are not required for the initial eligible license, but applicants should follow the receiving state’s current submission instructions.

How many teachers have used the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact?

There is no required national usage count. The Commission’s reporting rule says a member state may report how many applicants it licensed through the compact, so a complete public total is not guaranteed.

The Commission approved its Rule on Information Exchange System Reporting Requirements on March 17, 2026. The rule requires states to submit and update many data fields, including eligible license titles, degree rules, grade or subject bands, adverse actions, and application information.

The usage count is different. Section 1.1(H) says a state may report the compact’s impact by tracking how many applicants were licensed under it at the annual meeting.

We did not find a Commission-published national total as of August 5, 2026. That does not prove no state has its own count. It means there is no required national figure to quote as a complete total.

If I move, do I get a full license or a starter license?

It depends on the state and on your record. The official pages below show direct professional routes, time-limited licenses, transcript reviews, exam exemptions, and routes that leave some work for later. Signing the NASDTEC agreement does not predict which result you will get.

What these examples show

The same NASDTEC signature can lead to very different routes. Texas says it does not grant automatic reciprocity. Arizona says it reciprocates with all states for valid comparable certificates and exempts qualifying applicants from its educator exams.

The compact can simplify a first license while leaving other systems alone. Kentucky’s compact route is one example: the license path is streamlined, but salary rank and transcript review remain separate.

What extra requirements can survive teacher reciprocity?

The official pages we reviewed show that reciprocity can leave tests, state courses, background checks, credential matching, salary documents, or renewal work in place. The exact list depends on the receiving state and the license title.

Examples from the current sources:

• State-specific study: Arizona can issue the certificate with U.S. and Arizona Constitution deficiencies that must be cleared later.
• A new 2026 testing rule: Illinois says applications received on or after January 1, 2026 must pass the matching Illinois content test, even when the applicant has a valid comparable out-of-state license.
• Testing and language instruction: Massachusetts may still require MTEL tests and a Sheltered English Immersion endorsement.
• Background review: Florida issues its Temporary Certificate after employment and fingerprint clearance. The compact model also requires the receiving state’s background check.
• Course gaps: Iowa’s Regional Exchange license gives an applicant time to finish coursework found missing in the transcript review.
• License matching: Texas and Wyoming compare the out-of-state record with their own standards.
• Salary placement: Kentucky may ask for transcripts for a higher rank even after compact eligibility is established.
• License-category carve-outs: Massachusetts excludes three named licenses from its NASDTEC route.

The safest way to read a state page is by license title, not by a broad label such as “full reciprocity.” A rule for an elementary classroom license may not fit a school nurse, school psychologist, career and technical teacher, administrator, or other specialist.

Teacher certification reciprocity by state: full 51-jurisdiction table

The table below gives the licensing authority, the official out-of-state page or route, a current compact-status snapshot, and a direct official link for every state and D.C. Every row is dated August 5, 2026.

Download the machine-readable dataset: Teacher Certification Reciprocity by State, 2026 CSV.

How to cite this page

The details below give the page title, publisher, date, URL, and dataset version in one place. They are neutral attribution information for readers who need a formal reference.

Suggested page reference:

Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. “Teacher Certification Reciprocity by State (2026 Data).” Castleport Test Prep. Last verified August 5, 2026. https://castleporttestprep.com/research/teacher-certification-reciprocity-by-state/

Suggested dataset reference:

Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. “Teacher Certification Reciprocity by State, 2026.” Dataset version 1.0. Castleport Test Prep. Verified August 5, 2026. https://castleporttestprep.com/research/data/teacher-certification-reciprocity-by-state-2026.csv

Every national count on this page is tied to the document that produced it and the date checked.

How was this teacher certification reciprocity dataset built?

We read the current national agreement, counted its current signee list, compared the CSG, Commission, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania compact records, and assembled one official licensing source for every state and D.C. We kept source facts separate from Castleport’s own arithmetic and labels.

What we read

• The full NASDTEC Interstate Agreement for Educator Licensure, 2025–2030.
• The NASDTEC signee list dated December 22, 2025.
• The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact model legislation and official FAQ.
• The CSG compact database.
• The June 14, 2025 Commission record, 2026 annual-meeting packet and reporting rule, and Commission archive.
• Kentucky’s current compact application page.
• Pennsylvania’s current out-of-state educator page and compact route.
• One official licensing authority page for each of the 50 states and D.C.

How we counted

• 51 U.S. jurisdictions means the 50 states plus Washington, D.C.
• 54 NASDTEC signers is the full count on the Dec. 22, 2025 list. It adds Guam, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and Ontario, Canada to the 51 U.S. jurisdictions in the table.
• 30.0% compact membership is 15 divided by 50 states. D.C. is not on CSG’s compact list.
• 14 on the current Kentucky and Pennsylvania routes is the same set reached two ways: each state names 13 partners, and adding the home state produces 14. This is Castleport’s arithmetic from the two state pages, not a Commission-published national total.
• 13 in the March rule-vote record is 11 yes votes plus two states named as absent, as printed in the Commission packet.

How we classified claims

• A source fact is something an official document directly says, such as CSG listing 15 states or Florida listing a five-year Temporary Certificate.
• A dated current fact is true only as of the verification date, such as a state appearing on the current Kentucky and Pennsylvania compact routes.
• A Castleport calculation is shown with the math, such as 15 divided by 50 or 13 partner states plus Kentucky.
• A Castleport conclusion is labeled as a conclusion and is not presented as an official agency total.

Why we do not label states “full” or “partial” reciprocity

Those labels hide too much. A state may have a direct route for one classroom license and a different route for a school nurse, career and technical teacher, administrator, or support professional.

This dataset records what can be stated at the same level for all 51 rows: the authority, official page or route, NASDTEC status, compact snapshot, source URL, and verification date. The detailed table goes deeper only where we reviewed the current state page line by line.

What we would not publish

• A Commission-published “14 operating states” total, because the Commission has not posted one.
• A national compact usage total, because the rule does not require one and we did not find a Commission total.
• A blanket claim that every compact application is transcript-free or test-free, because Pennsylvania’s current instructions still direct initial applicants to submit transcripts and meet testing rules unless an exception applies.
• A dollar estimate for Kentucky’s Rank III versus a higher rank, because salary schedules vary and the compact page does not supply that number.
• The repeated claim that New York has “full reciprocity with four states,” because we did not verify that claim on a current NYSED source.
• Proposed compact bills as if they were joined states. The compact count follows CSG’s current list.

What does this data not show?

This is a dated map of written rules and official routes. It is not a promise about an individual application, a measure of processing time, or a count of how many teachers were approved.

The 51 rows are not all equally deep. Every row has an official authority, an official out-of-state source, NASDTEC status, compact status, and verification date. Ten states received a deeper credential-level review. A short row does not mean the state has no other rules.

The compact records are not one clean membership roll. CSG, the Commission, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania publish different records for different jobs. This page shows the differences instead of hiding them.

The Commission does not require a national usage count. A state may hold data that is not part of a complete public national total.

Rules can change fast. State agencies can change a route, form, test, or license title. Legislatures can add or change compact laws. Check the verification date and open the state source before relying on a row.

This is not legal or licensing advice. Before accepting a job or moving, ask the receiving licensing office about your exact license, subject, grade level, and experience. Keep the written answer with your application records.

Why does teacher certification reciprocity matter now?

Two national frameworks now sit on top of 51 state and D.C. licensing systems. They have similar names but do different jobs, so old summaries can give the wrong picture.

The NASDTEC agreement covers all 51 jurisdictions in this table. It helps show state-specific requirements but does not itself move a license.

The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact creates a legal route for eligible licenses between participating states. CSG lists 15 states, but Mississippi has a published Commission-status caveat and the Commission has not published a simple current operating total.

The clean national snapshot is:

As of August 5, 2026, all 50 states and D.C. had signed the current NASDTEC agreement, CSG listed 15 of 50 states in the newer teacher compact, and the compact’s reporting rule did not require a national count of teachers licensed through it.

That one sentence is accurate only with all three labels attached.

Common questions about teacher certification reciprocity

These answers cover the questions that follow from the 51-state table. Each answer separates the NASDTEC agreement from the newer compact.

What states have reciprocity for teacher certification?

All 50 states and D.C. signed the current NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, but the agreement itself says “reciprocity” is often misapplied. Each receiving state still applies its own rules and issues its own license. CSG separately lists 15 states as joined to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact.

Does a teaching license transfer from state to state?

Not by itself. You apply to the receiving state, and that state issues its own credential after using its own rules or an available compact route. The U.S. Department of Education says there is no certification program accepted in all states.

Which states are in the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact?

CSG lists Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Mississippi carries a Commission caveat: the June 14, 2025 record says full membership was denied until its authorizing statute is fixed.

Does the compact remove all tests and classes?

The compact’s official FAQ says an eligible teacher can receive the first license without extra state-specific exams, coursework, or transcripts. The receiving state still decides whether an equivalent license exists and runs its background check. Current application instructions can still ask for records or testing steps: Pennsylvania says compact review is automatic, but its Pathway 3 instructions also tell initial applicants to submit transcripts and meet testing rules unless an exception applies.

What is the difference between NASDTEC and the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact?

The NASDTEC agreement shares and organizes state-specific licensing rules. It does not issue a license or require an automatic exchange. The compact is a state-law pathway for eligible licenses between participating states.

Does the compact help military spouses?

Yes. Supporting eligible military spouses is a stated compact goal. The model law lets an eligible military spouse use certain licenses that are provisional or otherwise not unencumbered, but the receiving state still must have an equivalent license and both jurisdictions must take part in the compact route.

How often is this page updated?

The full table is scheduled for review in January, April, July, and October. Commission records are checked after posted meetings, and compact status is checked when CSG reports a change. The date at the top shows the last full verification.

Who made this page and why?

This page was researched and written by the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team for Castleport Test Prep Research, an independent research and reference resource. It has no sponsor, affiliate relationship, paid placement, or product offer.

We built it because the answer is spread across a national agreement, a compact database, Commission records, state application pages, and 51 licensing websites.

Where an official source states a number, we name the source. Where Castleport calculated a number, we show the math. Where the records do not support a clean answer, we say what is missing.

Related Castleport Test Prep Research: Social work license processing times by state · Medical assistant scope of practice by state · Praxis pass rates by college

Primary sources

The full 51-state table links to each licensing authority. These are the national and detailed state sources used for the findings above.

National agreements and compact records

1. NASDTEC, Interstate Agreement for Educator Licensure 2025–2030 — board accepted October 18, 2024.
2. NASDTEC, 2025–2030 Interstate Agreement Signees — dated December 22, 2025.
3. U.S. Department of Education, Teaching Initiatives and Resources FAQ.
4. Council of State Governments, Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact database.
5. Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, model legislation.
6. Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, official FAQ.
7. Compact Commission, June 14, 2025 record in the January 2026 meeting packet.
8. Compact Commission, 2026 annual-meeting packet and Information Exchange System rule.
9. Compact Commission, meeting, rule, and minutes archive.
10. Kentucky Department of Education / Go Teach KY, Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact application page — updated June 18, 2026.
11. Pennsylvania Department of Education, Out-of-State Educators and Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact route.

State sources used in the detailed comparison

1. Arizona Department of Education — Reciprocity Requirements.
2. California Commission on Teacher Credentialing — Prepared in Another State.
3. Connecticut State Department of Education — U.S. Educators.
4. Florida Department of Education — Reciprocity for Out-of-State Teachers and Administrators.
5. Florida Department of Education — Certificate Types and Requirements.
6. Iowa Department of Education — Regional Exchange Teaching License.
7. Massachusetts DESE — Out-of-State Applicants.
8. Texas Education Agency — Out-of-State Certified Educators.
9. Virginia Department of Education — Licensure Reciprocity.
10. Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board — Out-of-State Applicants.