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Alabama State Department of Education application documents

Which documents does Alabama require from an out-of-state teacher?

The state, institution, employer or testing provider may need to send some records directly.

Open Out-of-State Certificate
Official state guidance State makes the decision Checked 2026-08-01

Core application evidence

Requirement

Plan for the ACE application, the valid professional source credential, official degree records and Alabama fingerprint or background clearance, plus any comparability material the certification section requests.

Which application this evidence supports

Alabama's certificate-reciprocity route recognizes a valid professional out-of-state teaching certificate when Alabama offers a comparable area, grade span and degree level.

What can change this answer

The source credential—not merely completion of an out-of-state preparation program—must be a valid professional certificate; base teaching fields can transfer by comparability, while an in-field, supplemental, endorsement or add-on area can trigger Alabama's current Praxis requirement.

Conditions to resolve before sending records

  • Alabama does not use completion of a non-Alabama preparation program by itself as the basis for this route
  • The source certificate must be professional, valid and comparable in area, grade level and degree level
  • Speech-language pathology is outside this reciprocity approach
  • Testing may be prescribed for areas carried only as an in-field, supplemental, endorsement or add-on authorization

Send identity documents and background records only where the state agency instructs. TeachPassport does not receive them.

Official sources

Check again by 2026-11-01