Renew
North Dakota Teaching License Renewal Guide
North Dakota five-year licenses need six transcripted semester hours, 30 contracted days, and a timely NDTeach renewal. Fees, credit rules, and step guides live here.
| Re-education credit | 6 semester hours within current license dates (NDAC 67.1-02-02-05(2)) |
|---|---|
| Contracted days (five-year) | At least 30 days under contract during the renewal period |
| Standard five-year fee | $140 when requirements are complete before expiry (67.1-02-02-04(2)(a)(1)) |
Sources checked November 2026
Sections5
North Dakota teachers approaching a five-year or two-year renewal cycle need semester credit on a college transcript, contracted-day documentation where the rule applies, and an on-time application in ND Teach. This overview maps who renews on which cycle, what six semester hours mean under NDAC ch. 67.1-02-02, and where to find fees, deadlines, and credit shopping guides on this site.
Who renews on this cycle
The ESPB Types of Licenses page describes the license ladder most classroom teachers follow after an initial two-year in-state license and eighteen months of North Dakota contracted experience. A first five-year license is the usual destination once that experience threshold is met. Each five-year period ends with a renewal that can issue another five-year license when re-education, contracted days, and fees are complete.
Teachers with less than eighteen months of North Dakota contracted experience during the period use a two-year renewal license instead. NDAC 67.1-02-02-04(1)(a) sets a $65 application fee for that two-year path. The $140 five-year renewal fee is in 67.1-02-02-04(2)(a)(1) when a complete application is filed under the timing rules in 67.1-02-02-04(2)(a).
Special cases sit beside the main five-year track. A probationary license applies when a five-year applicant has not finished the six required semester hours: NDAC 67.1-02-02-04(2)(c) calls for eight semester hours of re-education credit on that probationary license. Teachers who let a license lapse for more than five years may need a re-entry two-year license with fingerprint screening and different credit totals under 67.1-02-02-09. Lifetime holders report on a five-year reporting schedule under N.D.C.C. 15.1-13-12.1 rather than stacking another six semester hours each cycle.
Out-of-state reciprocal licenses follow ESPB reciprocal instructions on the same renewing a license page, including transcript uploads tied to an individualized reciprocal plan.
Six semester hours rule
For a standard five-year renewal, NDAC 67.1-02-02-05(2) requires six semester hours of re-education credit earned within the dates of the license you are renewing, documented on college or state-approved alternative program transcripts per 67.1-02-02-04(2)(a)(2). The credit must be undergraduate or graduate and in professional education or a subject applicable to your licensed major, minor, or endorsement per 67.1-02-02-05(2)(a). Succeeding five-year renewals also require thirty teaching days of contracted service under 67.1-02-02-04(2)(a)(2).
ESPB repeats the six-hour expectation on its renewing a license page and asks that courses relate to education and/or what you are licensed to teach. Documentation must appear on college or state-approved alternative program transcripts per 67.1-02-02-04(2)(a)(2). National Board certification may satisfy re-education in some cases per ch. 67.1-02-05; confirm with ESPB before you rely on it.
Clock-hour in-service, vendor PDF certificates, or labels such as CEU that are not backed by transcripted semester hours are outside what 67.1-02-02-05 names for renewal. If you are unsure whether a provider will post semester credit on a transcript ESPB will accept, contact ESPB before you pay.
Our graduate credits that count guide explains transcript rules in plain language. The inexpensive graduate credits comparison lists sellers that market university transcript credit, with prices taken from each seller's own site in November 2026.
Calculator and fees
Use the renewal calculator to compare semester hours and contracted days against the five-year constants in NDAC and ESPB guidance before you open NDTeach. The tool mirrors the six hour, thirty day, $140 fee, $100 late fee, and six-month application window described on ESPB's renewing page.
The fees and deadlines table lists dollar amounts with section citations, late-fee triggers, probationary credit totals, and contract-day minimums so you can print one sheet for your records. ESPB states that a licensee who does not file a completed renewal application, supporting documents, and the renewal fee before expiration is assessed a $100 late fee that must be paid before the license can be renewed.
If your license is already expired, read expired license renewal before you assume the standard fee schedule still applies.
More renewal guides on this site
| If you need | Start here |
|---|---|
| NDTeach clicks and transcript uploads | How to renew a North Dakota teaching license |
| Fees and deadlines | Renewal fees and deadlines |
| Which semester credit counts | Graduate credits that count |
| Low-cost transcript credit sellers | Inexpensive graduate credits |
| Online PD catalogs | Online PD courses |
| CEU marketing versus transcript credit | CEUs for teachers |
| Free training options | Free credits for teachers |
| Lifetime reporting | Lifetime teaching license |
Scroll for more →
Training directories and ESPB forms also live under events and resources.
ESPB sources
- Primary renewal authority is NDAC ch. 67.1-02-02, with license types and statutory cross-references in N.D.C.C. ch. 15.1-13.
- Step-by-step renewal wording and the NDTeach entry point are on ESPB's renewing a license page.
- Transcript submission norms are summarized on ESPB transcripts.
North Dakota PD is an independent educator guide. ESPB makes the final decision on every application.
Sources checked November 2026
- https://www.nd.gov/espb/licensure/license-information/renewing-license
- https://www.nd.gov/espb/licensure/license-information/types-licenses
- https://www.nd.gov/espb/licensure/transcripts
- https://ndlegis.gov/api/acdata/pdf/67.1-02-02.pdf
- https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t15-1c13.pdf
Quick answers
When can I start a North Dakota renewal application?
ESPB says you may begin about six months before your license expires, once you have transcripted credit and supporting documents ready.
Do clock-hour certificates satisfy North Dakota renewal by themselves?
Administrative rules name semester hours on college or state-approved alternative program transcripts. A certificate that is not backed by transcripted semester credit does not meet the rule on its own.
Who issues my teaching license?
The Education Standards and Practices Board issues licenses. North Dakota PD is an independent guide and is not part of ESPB.