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ND ESPB: What North Dakota's Teacher Licensing Board Does

ESPB licenses North Dakota educators, runs NDTeach applications, and sets renewal rules. Office hours, staff roles, and how to reach licensure help.

Sources checked November 2026

Sections11

• What ESPB oversees
• Licensure review tasks
• Program approval and ethics
• NDTeach: where applications happen
• Public lookup vs NDTeach login
• Transcripts, fingerprints, and testing
• How to reach licensure staff
• Professional Practices and program approval
• Fee policy and board meetings
• When NDTeach or staff follow-up stalls
• Sources checked November 2026

ND ESPB is the shorthand teachers use for the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board. The board licenses educators, approves teacher preparation programs, and oversees ethics investigations.

What ESPB oversees

ESPB’s statutory work lives under Century Code chapter 15.1-13. Licensure rules also sit in administrative code chapter 67.1-02-02.

Licensure review tasks

Day-to-day tasks include issuing initial, renewal, substitute, reciprocal, and specialty licenses (types of licenses). ESPB also reviews transcripts, Praxis scores, and background checks for applicants.

Program approval and ethics

The board approves in-state teacher preparation programs and monitors program quality. The Professional Practices section handles Code of Ethics complaints.

The board funds operations through license fees, not state tax dollars, as ESPB explains on its licensing fees page.

NDTeach: where applications happen

NDTeach is North Dakota’s online licensing portal. ESPB links to the production login at apps.nd.gov/dpi/ndteach/login.aspx from its home page.

Common NDTeach tasks:

After submission, watch the To Do Items list. ESPB staff manually review many packets, so status may sit in “pending” until documents arrive by email or mail.

Public lookup vs NDTeach login

Employers and teachers verify credentials through the Public Lookup search at apps.nd.gov/dpi/ndteach/schoolstaff/publicSearch.aspx, linked from the ESPB homepage. That search is different from logging into your personal NDTeach account. Our license lookup page explains what the public screen shows.

Transcripts, fingerprints, and testing

Licensing specialists do not retype every college course you took. You or your university send transcripts as described on ESPB transcripts. Initial applicants must complete fingerprinting processed by ESPB (background checks); mail the completed packet to the Bismarck office.

Testing information, including Praxis qualifying scores, is maintained on testing information. Save PDF score reports from your ETS account and upload or email them when ESPB requests proof.

How to reach licensure staff

ESPB publishes direct lines on staff and contact information:

Visit 2718 Gateway Ave, Suite 204, Bismarck, ND 58503 during office hours: Monday through Thursday 8 am to 5 pm, Friday 8 am to 4 pm.

For printable forms, see Resources and ESPB initial licensure forms.

Professional Practices and program approval

Licensure staff are only one part of ESPB. The Professional Practices team handles ethics complaints under the Code of Ethics. That work is separate from transcript reviews but can affect whether a license stays active.

The Program Approval unit maintains the list of state-approved teacher preparation programs. Universities seeking accreditation submit reports through PAAC committees described on ESPB’s site. Candidates should confirm their college still appears on the approved list before senior year.

Fee policy and board meetings

Because ESPB relies on educator fees, rule changes often appear first in board agendas. Watch the board schedule when legislature sessions update statutes such as the 25-year life license (HB 1238 news post). Dollar amounts on this page follow the published ESPB fee table checked November 2026.

When NDTeach or staff follow-up stalls

Accounts tied to married-name changes, duplicate records from out-of-state moves, or missing Praxis rows often show a To Do item long after you uploaded a file. ESPB staff review many packets by hand, so status can sit in pending until the right specialist receives your transcript or test score. Keep PDFs named clearly and reply to deficiency emails from the address on file in NDTeach.

If payment posts but the license date does not refresh, contact the accounting line ESPB lists for licensure payments before you assume the renewal failed. Employers verifying your credential should use the public lookup URL from the ESPB home page rather than your private login screen.

Sources checked November 2026

• ESPB home
• ESPB staff and contact information
• ESPB renewing a license
• N.D. Admin. Code 67.1-02-02

Quick answers

Who should I email for transcript questions?

ESPB lists Mari Riehl (701-328-9645, mbriehl@nd.gov) for endorsements, transcript analysis, and out-of-state licensure.