Resources
North Dakota Teacher Resources and Official Forms
Official ESPB forms, NDTeach, transcript steps, background checks, board news and rule PDFs for North Dakota teachers, each with a plain-language label.
| Online renewal portal | apps.nd.gov/dpi/ndteach/login.aspx |
|---|---|
| Five-year renewal fee | $140 per N.D. Admin. Code 67.1-02-02-04(2)(a)(1) |
| Board phone context | ESPB licensure unit on nd.gov/espb |
Sources checked November 2026
Sections5
Teachers renewing or upgrading a North Dakota credential spend most of their time on three official channels: the Education Standards and Practices Board website, the NDTeach portal, and transcript vendors. This page groups those destinations with short notes on what each link is for so you can open the right tab before a deadline. Dollar amounts and credit rules below come from ESPB pages and the administrative code, not from third-party course sellers.
ESPB licensure links
The board's home page at nd.gov/espb is the root for every public form, news item and licensure subsection. Bookmark it once, then drill into the topic you need rather than searching the wider nd.gov tree.
| Page | Use it when |
|---|---|
| License information overview | You need definitions of license types, renewal windows or contact paths |
| Types of licenses | You are comparing two-year, five-year, substitute or re-entry tracks |
| Renewing a license | You are planning NDTeach steps, the six-month early renewal window, or late fees |
| Applications and forms index | You need a downloadable PDF or an instruction sheet tied to a specific pathway |
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When you quote a fee on your own checklist, pair the ESPB page with N.D. Admin. Code 67.1-02-02. Subsection 67.1-02-02-04(2)(a)(1) sets the $140 five-year renewal application fee, and subsection 67.1-02-02-04(1)(a) sets the $65 two-year renewal fee in the rule text ESPB implements.
NDTeach and renewal
NDTeach is North Dakota's online licensing portal linked from nd.gov/espb. Most teachers start an online renewal there after they gather semester-hour and contract-day documentation. ESPB's renewing guidance tells you to sign in, choose Renew License, and attach evidence before paying.
Timing matters. The same ESPB page states you may begin a renewal application about six months before your expiration date when your paperwork is ready. If requirements are incomplete when the license expires, ESPB describes a $100 late fee on top of ordinary renewal charges.
For semester-hour totals, 67.1-02-02-05(2) requires six semester hours of re-education credit earned within the dates of the five-year license; see graduate credits that count.
Pair NDTeach with the site how to renew guide and fees and deadlines table so your payment matches the license type selected in the portal.
Transcripts and degrees
ESPB transcripts guidance explains how to send evidence of college credit. For most renewals an unofficial transcript suffices when it clearly shows semester hours and dates. ESPB instructs you to order an official transcript when you are adding a new degree level to your file.
North Dakota University System campuses usually route orders through Campus Connection or Parchment as described on the same ESPB page. Out-of-state graduates may use the National Student Clearinghouse, Parchment, or the registrar's office at the issuing institution.
Keep titles aligned with rule 67.1-02-02-05(2)(a), which limits qualifying credit to undergraduate or graduate hours in professional education or subjects tied to your endorsement. A transcript that posts only continuing-education units without semester hours may not satisfy the six-hour rule even when a vendor markets the class toward "recertification."
When you update a degree, complete the NDTeach prompts and watch for ESPB email requests for additional verification. The transcript page is also where you confirm mailing addresses if you must ship paper documents.
Background checks
ESPB background checks covers fingerprinting for candidates who need a new screening. Administrative rule 67.1-02-02-02(6) requires fingerprint submission for applicants seeking licensure after August 1997, and re-entry sections such as 67.1-02-02-09 describe new screenings when a license lapsed for extended periods.
Read the ESPB page for the current vendor, card code and mailing steps before you visit a print shop. District HR offices sometimes coordinate fingerprinting for new hires, but ESPB must receive the result through its process for licensure credit.
If you are only renewing an unexpired five-year license with continuous ESPB status, you may not need a new check, but verify on the background page before you assume prior results still apply after a long leave.
Board news and statutes
ESPB publishes policy updates on nd.gov/espb/news. Recent items include lifetime license changes described on the lifetime teaching license updates (HB 1238) page, which explains the shift toward a 25-year lifetime pathway while older administrative PDF text may still mention 30 years. Cite statute N.D.C.C. 15.1-13-12.1 alongside ESPB news when you discuss lifetime eligibility.
Keep these statute and rule PDFs beside the web pages:
- N.D. Admin. Code 67.1-02-02 for renewal fees, semester hours, contracted-day expectations and probationary options
- N.D.C.C. chapter 15.1-13 for statutory license terms, including lifetime provisions
- N.D. Admin. Code 67.1-02-05 for endorsement and program-approval language when you add a new subject
For Praxis planning, use the ETS North Dakota requirements page for test codes and registration links, then return to ESPB endorsement instructions to confirm which scores North Dakota still accepts.
North Dakota PD is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the State of North Dakota.
Sources checked November 2026: nd.gov/espb, NDTeach login, ESPB transcripts, ESPB background checks, ESPB renewing a license, N.D. Admin. Code 67.1-02-02 PDF, N.D.C.C. 15.1-13 PDF, ETS North Dakota.
Quick answers
Where do I upload transcripts for renewal?
Log into NDTeach and follow the Renew License workflow described on ESPB's renewing a license page. Attach unofficial transcripts unless ESPB asks for official copies when you add a degree.
Do I need a new background check every renewal?
Standard five-year renewals typically continue with the record ESPB already holds. Re-entry and some pathway changes require a new fingerprint screening under board rules; read ESPB background checks before you assume reuse.
Which PDF has renewal semester-hour language?
Chapter 67.1-02-02 on ndlegis.gov. Section 67.1-02-02-05 sets the six semester-hour rule for each five-year cycle.