District of Columbia → Pennsylvania
Transferring your teaching license from District of Columbia to Pennsylvania
Both District of Columbia and Pennsylvania participate in the NASDTEC interstate agreement, which standardizes how states evaluate out-of-state teaching credentials. Educators relocating from District of Columbia can generally expect a streamlined review process, though state-specific content exams or coursework may still be required.
See 803 open teaching jobs in Pennsylvania →Your current credential (District of Columbia)
- Issuing authority
- Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
- License type
- Initial Teaching License (4 years)
- Reciprocity policy
- DC evaluates out-of-state teaching credentials individually. OSSE generally honors valid licenses from NASDTEC-participating states; additional Praxis content-area exams may be required to upgrade from an Initial to a Standard license.
Pennsylvania certification
- Issuing authority
- Pennsylvania Department of Education
- License you'll earn
- Instructional I Certificate (6 years)
- Typical timeline
- 12–18 months for a traditional university program; Intern Certificate allows earlier classroom entry
- Pennsylvania reciprocity policy
- Pennsylvania participates in NASDTEC. The state evaluates out-of-state certificates and typically requires the Praxis subject assessment for the certification area.
Exams typically required in Pennsylvania
Out-of-state applicants are usually asked to demonstrate content-area knowledge on Pennsylvania's preferred exams, even when basic-skills testing is waived through reciprocity. Plan for one or more of the following:
- Praxis Core Academic Skills (or qualifying SAT/GRE scores)Basic academic skills
- Praxis Subject Assessments (PA-approved tests)Content knowledge for your certification area
Steps to transfer your license
- Verify your District of Columbia credential is current. Pennsylvania will request a verification of your active Initial Teaching License from Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
- Apply through Pennsylvania Department of Education. The application packet typically includes official transcripts, prior teaching service verification, and a fingerprint-based background check.
- Sit for any Pennsylvania-specific exams. Most states honor out-of-state content-area exams when scores meet their cutoff, but Pennsylvania may require an additional jurisprudence or state-specific assessment.
- Apply to Pennsylvania districts that match your endorsement. We're currently tracking 803 active openings — browse Pennsylvania teaching jobs to start identifying districts.