Teacher Licensure

General Guidelines for Mississippi Educator Licensure

All Mississippi educators must meet licensure guideline requirements as certified teacher and administrators and to be highly qualified.

Validity Periods

Licenses will be valid from the day the completed application packet is received and validated by the Office of Educator Licensure. All licenses expire on June 30 of the year of expiration. A five year license issued at any time during the school year shall be valid for five (5) school years including the school year in which it is granted. A school year is from July 1 to June 30.

  • For example, a standard license issued October 2004 (2004-2005 school year) would be valid from the date the completed packet is received until June 30, 2009. The remainder of the 2004-2005 school year is considered a full year.

Renewal of License

Renewal requirements apply only to educators with a standard license. The requirements do not apply to administrators or to educators with a special non-renewable license.

When Can I Renew?

A license may be renewed for one five-year period beyond the present validity dates. All credits earned for renewal must be earned between the validity dates printed on the license. If, for example, the current validity dates show that the license is valid from 01/01/1997 and valid to 06/30/2002, only credits earned between those dates may be used for renewal. A license may be renewed at anytime within the validity dates. If the license in this example is renewed on 03/01/2000, new validity dates will be added to the current license to show (5) additional years, valid from 07/01/2002, valid to 06/39/2007.

How Can I Renew?

A license may be renewed using semester hours and/or CEUs. Semester hour credit with a grade of "C" or higher may be completed on the undergraduate or graduate level at regionally/nationally accredited senior colleges, universities, or community colleges. Coursework must be in content or job/skill-related area, which includes pedagogy and skills for effective teaching and leadership (e.g., courses specific to endorsement area, computer technology, cooperative learning, learning styles, methodology, etc.).

Requirements for renewal of a Class A license are:

  • ten (10) CEUs; OR
  • five (5) CEUs and Three (3) semester hours; OR
  • six (6) semester hours.

Requirements for renewal of a Class AA, AAA, or AAAA license are:

  • five (5) CEUs; OR
  • three (3) semester hours.

The Office of Educator Licensure does not accept CEU certificates for less than .5 CEUs or five contact hours.

A license may be renewed by completion of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards if completed during the validity period. A license may be renewed for one five-year period beyond the present validity dates.

What Do I submit for Renewal?

  1. Download MDE Educator Licensure Application Packet
  2. Read Licensure Instructions and Checklist to locate the license for which you are applying.
  3. Collect documents required for your license and check off correlating boxes on Licensure Checklist
  4. Complete Licensure Application
  5. Send Licensure Application Packet and all ORIGINAL documents required in your license category in a single, complete packet to the:

Mississippi Department of Education
Office of Educator Licensure
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS
39205-0771

Incomplete packets will be returned to the applicant with no action taken.

Name or Address Change

It is the responsibility of the educator to notify the Office of Educator Licensure in writing of any name or address changes. If a copy of the updated license is desired, the applicant shall submit a completed Licensure Application and a $5 money order (Personal checks not accepted) to the Mississippi Department of Education; Office of Educator Licensure; P.O. Box 771; Jackson, MS 39205-0771.

Duplicate License

An individual may request a duplicate copy of a license by submitting a completed Licensure Application and a $5 money order (Personal checks not accepted) to the Mississippi Department of Education; Office of Educator Licensure; P.O. Box 771; Jackson, MS 39205.

For more information go to MDE's Licensure Website

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