First check
Search the record the way Pennsylvania Department of Education expects
- 01Open Pennsylvania's TIMS page and choose Search TIMS in the Search section.
- 02Search for the educator in the public certification site and open the matching record.
- 03Review the certificate status and any application information separately; an application in progress is not an issued certificate.
What this public record includes
Pennsylvania Department of Education
- 01
Pennsylvania educator certification information maintained in TIMS
- 02
The validity and active status of an issued Pennsylvania certificate
- 03
Pending application information when PDE includes it in the public record
Record timing
PDE separates a submitted application from one that is ready for evaluation. Statuses can include school or work-experience verification, pending documentation and awaiting evaluation, so read Track Progress before estimating the remaining wait.
If the result is still missing
Use the right next record
- Check the educator's name and make sure you opened the public Search TIMS link from Pennsylvania's current page.
- If you are the educator, sign in to your personal TIMS dashboard and review Applications in Process.
- Use Track Progress in TIMS to see whether PDE is waiting for school verification, documents or an evaluator.
Pending application
A pending file may not belong in the public lookup
Pennsylvania tells applicants to use Applications in Process on the TIMS dashboard, then open Track Progress for the exact follow-up. The state also says its public certification website can show application status, but the private dashboard is where the applicant can see what PDE still needs.
Open official certification guidanceOfficial sources
Check again by 2026-11-02