Renewal of Teaching Certification

Initial teacher licenses in Colorado are good for 3 years. After that time, they can be renewed or transferred to a Professional License.

Throughout the 3-year duration of your initial teacher license, you are expected to complete a sanctioned induction program. This program, provided by Colorado schools and sanctioned agencies, involves ongoing PD and training, ethics training, supervision by mentor teachers, and performance evaluations. Induction programs have to meet specified rules to be sanctioned. For more info on induction programs, contact the CDOE Office of Professional Services at (303) 866-6816.

Once the induction program is finished, you have to submit proof of completion via a copy of a completion license or the program’s induction coordinator’s signature. As long as you have passed the  PLACE and/or Praxis II assessments, you are eligible to apply online for a Professional License, which is good for 5 years.

To renew your Professional License, you have to prove completing 6 credit hours of college credit or 90 hours of PD during the past 5 years. Accepted renewal activities can be found here. You can apply online for the renewal of your Professional License within 6 months of its expiration date.

Reinstatement of Colorado Teaching Certification

Suppose your Colorado professional teaching license has lapsed, and you would like it to be reinstated. In that case, you have to follow the same procedure for license renewal as described above, providing proof of your PD or college credit during the past 5 years. No penalty, additional fees, or additional testing is required to reinstate a lapsed license.