Licensure

Types of Colorado teaching and special services licenses 

1. Initial License: Issued to those who have a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited college/university; approved program verification form completed by your preparation program; and demonstrate content knowledge by passing the state-approved content exam (PLACE exam or PRAXIS II exam). It is valid for three years. For information, visit the CDE Content Exam website.

   • Teacher License (and Authorization) requirements

   • Special Services Provider License requirements
      

2. Interim Authorization: Issued to an out-of-state applicant (teacher, principal, and administrator) who does not have 3 years of full-time out-of-state K-12 work experience or has not passed the required Colorado content area exam. The Interim Authorization is issued for one year and is renewable once. For information on the PLACE and PRAXIS exams, visit the CDE Content Exam website.
    

3. Professional Teaching License: Issued to an initial license holder who has completed an approved induction program, is valid for five years and is renewable through documentation of either six semester hours of credit or 90 clock hours of activities or a combination thereof. Professional licenses are also issued to out-of-state educators who can demonstrate three or more years of continuous, successful evaluated teaching experience.
    

4. Alternative Teacher License:  Issued to an individual who has earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and possesses subject matter knowledge appropriate for teaching in public schools; agrees to participate in an on-the-job, one-year, alternative teacher preparation program; is valid for one year and is not renewable. Visit TEACH Colorado for more info.
    

5. Type III Emergency Authorization: Requested by a District when a licensed person with appropriate endorsements cannot be found. The license is issued to the individual, but is specific to the district, it is valid for one school year only, and is renewable only once at the requesting district's discretion.
    

6. Temporary Educator Eligibility (TEE) Authorization: Allows individuals who hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college/university and are participating in a traditional preparation program for special education OR a special services endorsement (except speech-language assistant and orientation and mobility specialists) or completing additional that will meet Colorado's requirement for a full license/endorsement and employed by a CO school district, BOCES, or charter/facility school to serve in that area before program completion.