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ND Teacher Certification and Licensure Guide

See which North Dakota teaching license fits your situation, from first-time in-state and reciprocity routes to substitutes, renewals, and ESPB applications.

Sources checked November 2026

Sections6

• License types at a glance
• Who needs which license
• First-time checklist (in-state)
• Praxis, endorsements, and program routes
• Guides in this section
• Sources checked November 2026

North Dakota teacher certification is handled by the Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB), not by school districts or universities. You might need a first license, a move from another state, or substitute work. The license type on your NDTeach record tells you which transcripts, tests, and fees ESPB will ask for before you teach under contract.

License types at a glance

ESPB groups licenses into initial credentials, renewals, and specialty paths.

The board’s Types of Licenses page is the plain-language catalog. N.D. Admin. Code ch. 67.1-02-02 carries the enforceable detail.

An Initial In-State License (Two-Year) goes to first-time applicants who met North Dakota preparation and testing requirements (types of licenses). After 18 months (full-time equivalent) of successful contracted teaching in North Dakota, ESPB expects you to qualify for a First Five Year License (Five-Year). Teachers with less North Dakota contract time may stay on a Two Year Renewal until they reach the five-year threshold.

Long-service teachers may later qualify for a 25-Year Life License with no expiration. ESPB notes that lifetime holders must report to the board every five years beginning August 1, 2025 (lifetime updates).

Who needs which license

Classroom teachers under contract need a regular educator license. That means initial, reciprocal, OSEL, or re-entry, not a substitute-only credential. Districts still run hiring screens, but state law routes credentialing through ESPB.

Substitutes usually hold an Interim Substitute License. They need at least 48 semester hours of college coursework, a board-processed background check, and an NDTeach application (substitute requirements). ESPB also describes a Frontline training path for applicants with fewer than 48 credits (see our substitute license guide).

Career changers without a teaching degree may hear about an Alternate Access License (One-Year) in documented shortage areas. ESPB requires a bachelor’s degree in the content area, an administrator request, and a written plan of study with a university (types of licenses). That route is not the national “alternative certification” ads you see online. Only programs ESPB recognizes count.

Teachers moving from other states should see whether they fit OSEL or Out-of-State Reciprocal. OSEL fits a valid license from another state’s approved program. Out-of-State Reciprocal fits a degree but no license elsewhere. Our reciprocity guide walks through those branches.

First-time checklist (in-state)

For a standard North Dakota graduate, ESPB typically expects:

1. Approved preparation program completion, including student teaching (see state-approved teacher preparation programs).
2. Praxis or other tests required for your endorsement area, with scores sent to ESPB (testing information).
3. Fingerprint background check processed by ESPB before an initial license (background checks).
4. NDTeach application with unofficial or official transcripts per ESPB transcript rules.
5. Payment of ESPB fees. The licensing fees page lists the $30 initial application fee and $44.50 fingerprinting, plus a $5 maintenance charge on new applications since June 2019.

Mandated reporter training became a first-time requirement effective August 1, 2025 (mandated reporter training). Step-by-step detail lives in how to become a teacher in North Dakota.

Praxis, endorsements, and program routes

North Dakota ties many endorsements to Praxis tests from ETS. ESPB publishes qualifying scores for Core Academic Skills for Educators. Examples on its testing information page include Reading 5713 at 156, Writing 5723 at 160, and Math 5733 at 150, plus composite rules. Content tests and North Dakota passing scores for your major sit on the ETS North Dakota requirements page. Use the site Praxis requirements finder to match an endorsement before you register.

Adding an endorsement after licensure is a separate NDTeach application with its own $80 endorsement fee (licensing fees). Endorsement coursework must still flow through ESPB transcript review.

Guides in this section

If you already hold a North Dakota license and need semester credit or renewal fees, use the Renew section instead. North Dakota PD summarizes public rules. ESPB makes the final credential decision.

Sources checked November 2026

• ESPB types of licenses
• ESPB licensing fees
• N.D. Admin. Code 67.1-02-02
• N.D.C.C. ch. 15.1-13

Quick answers

Who issues a North Dakota teaching license?

ESPB issues educator licenses. Applications and renewals are filed in NDTeach; ESPB staff at 701-328-9641 answer case-specific questions.

Do I renew on this page?

No. Active teachers renewing a five-year or two-year license should start on the Renew section, which covers six semester hours, contracted days, and the $140 five-year renewal fee.