Florida Teacher Certification 2026: Temporary vs Professional

What do you need for Florida teacher certification?

Section 1012.56 of the Florida Statutes sets the basic requirements. To be eligible you must:

Be at least 18
Sign an affidavit to uphold the US and Florida constitutions
Hold a bachelor’s or higher degree, with at least a 2.5 grade point average in your major for initial certification
Be fingerprinted and pass background screening
Be of good moral character and able to do the job
Show mastery of general knowledge, subject area knowledge and, for classroom teachers and school administrators, professional preparation

You apply to the FLDOE with a fee. If you qualify, it issues a professional certificate within 90 days of a complete application. If you don’t yet qualify for either certificate, it sends an official statement of status of eligibility listing every way to finish, valid for five years.

Florida Statutes: s. 1012.56 ↗

How do you apply, and what does it cost?

You apply to the Bureau of Educator Certification on Form CG-10, the Educator Certification Application, online through the FLDOE’s Educator Certification website. Rule 6A-4.0012 points applicants to the FLDOE’s online application and status lookup page for these forms.

You can also apply by mail to the Bureau of Educator Certification, Room 201, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399‑0400.

Renewals and reinstatements use Form CG-10R. If you work for a Florida school district, you send renewals and subject additions through your district on Form CG-10D.

Item	Fee
Application, per subject	$75
Adding a subject	$75
Renewal	$75
Late renewal	$105
Reinstatement, per subject	$75

Every application fee is nonrefundable, and late renewal is the $75 fee plus a $30 late fee. If the documents needed to finish your application don’t arrive within 12 months, it expires and the fee is forfeited. The fee waivers for military families, retired first responders and some ESE and K-6 teachers cover first-time certification fees too.

FLDOE: Online application and status lookup ↗

Temporary vs professional certificate

	Temporary	Professional
Valid for	5 school fiscal years	Up to 5 years
Renewable	No, issued once	Yes, every 5 years
What to show	Subject coursework or knowledge	General knowledge, subject area and professional preparation

The table follows s. 1012.56(7). For a temporary certificate you meet the basic eligibility rules and either finish the subject area coursework set in State Board rule or show subject area knowledge, for example by passing your subject area test, so the General Knowledge Test and the Professional Education Test (PEd) can come later.

Your employer must assign you a teacher mentor for at least two school years after you start work. For the professional certificate you need all three areas, each by a test or one of the other ways the law allows.

When you hold a temporary certificate, the FLDOE has to notify you electronically at least a year before it runs out, with the ways left to qualify.

FTCE subject area exams →FTCE General Knowledge Test and its alternatives →FTCE Professional Education Test →

Alternative teacher certification in Florida

If you don’t have an education degree, Florida’s Professional Learning Certification Program (PLCP) lets you complete professional preparation on the job while you teach on a temporary certificate. School districts, charter schools and charter management organizations can offer it under s. 1012.56(8), with mentoring and induction, an assessment of your teaching and professional education content. The program requires passing scores on your subject area test and the PEd, and you still have to show general knowledge. Until June 30, 2029, a completer of this program or of an educator preparation institute who is rated highly effective doesn’t need the PEd pass for a professional certificate.

Other routes in the law include an educator preparation institute, a school district’s professional education competence program, and a route for 6‑12 teachers with a master’s degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) who teach it in high school and are rated highly effective, which still needs a PEd pass.

Florida’s Professional Learning Certification Program ↗

Florida teacher certification renewal

Your school district renews your professional certificate if you work for one; otherwise the FLDOE does. Each renewal needs at least 6 college credits or 120 inservice points, or a mix, including at least 3 credits or the equivalent points in each subject you want to keep. Instead of credits, you can renew a subject by passing its Florida subject area test again. If you miss the expiry date, you can still renew before July 1 of the next year with a late fee.

Florida Statutes: s. 1012.585, renewal of professional certificates ↗

Changes coming in 2027 and 2029

January 1, 2027: five FTCE tests move to revised competencies under the 29th Edition.
August 1, 2027: every state-approved teacher preparation program must teach a uniform core curriculum set by the State Board of Education.
July 1, 2029: approved introduction to education and classroom management courses replace the GRE, SAT, ACT and Classic Learning Test (CLT) route to general knowledge.
July 1, 2029: candidates from programs that meet the new core rules no longer need the PEd.
July 1, 2029: the PEd exemption for highly effective program and institute completers ends.
July 1, 2029: a new Coaching for Educator Readiness and Teaching Certification Program becomes a route to professional preparation.

Florida law says you’re governed by the rules in force when you apply for your first certificate, as long as you keep your certificates continuous. To confirm how this applies to you, check the BEC’s pages on fldoe.org or call it on (800) 445-6739.

Florida Statutes: s. 1012.551, teacher preparation core principles ↗FLDOE: Educator Certification ↗

Sources: Florida Statutes · Florida Administrative Code · FTCE/FELE program and 4 more. Checked October 2026.