The usual steps
- Choose the Residency or Professional teacher pathway
- Create an E-Certification account
- Arrange official degree transcripts and program or experience verification
- Document accepted basic-skills and content tests
- Complete fingerprint and background-check requirements
- Submit the E-Certification application
What can change your path
- • The experience alternative requires a full regular out-of-state certificate and three years of verified out-of-state or out-of-country teaching
- • Washington may accept qualifying out-of-state test scores, but subject, version and score comparability matter
- • Professional certification requires an approved advanced out-of-state certificate, National Board certification or ProTeach in addition to Residency requirements
What the state says
These facts come from official sources. The state agency still makes the final licensing decision.
Certificate tiers
Residency is Washington's first-tier full teacher certificate; Professional is the second tier for applicants with an approved comparable advanced certificate, National Board certification or ProTeach completion.
Basic skills and content tests
Washington requires basic-skills and endorsement content testing, but qualifying out-of-state scores or National Board status may satisfy specific requirements; an out-of-state educator may receive a one-year window to complete testing in some cases.
Core evidence
Official degree transcripts, program-completion verification or a full regular out-of-state certificate plus experience verification, test evidence and fingerprints are core materials for the out-of-state route.
Why your details matter
State websites describe the possible routes. The right one for you can depend on your license, preparation, experience, subjects, grades, tests, National Board status and compact eligibility. TeachPassport uses those details to build your checklist and keeps checking the state’s rules.
One thing to know: A state-approved preparation program or a full regular out-of-state certificate plus three years of teaching can support the Residency route; only a comparable advanced certificate, National Board certification or ProTeach can support the Professional tier.