North Carolina Teacher License Renewal Requirements
Renewing your license in North Carolina can only happen after you complete some prerequisites during your teaching career. Find out how long you must teach and how to fulfill continuing education requirements before you can renew your credentials.
Renewal Information for Licensed North Carolina Teachers
Teachers who carry a Professional Educator's Continuing License can renew their credentials every five years after taking courses in continuing education. Those working under a Professional Educator's Initial License will not have the option to renew, as they need to upgrade to the continuing license to keep their positions as licensed teachers.
<table border="1"><tr><td>License Validity</td><td>Three years for Professional Educator's Initial License</td></tr>
<tr><td>License Extension</td><td>No renewals for initial license; must be upgraded to Professional Educator's Continuing License</td></tr>
<tr><td>Renewal Requirements</td><td>8 credits of continuing education in subject relevant to teaching area</td></tr>
<tr><td>Average North Carolina Salary (2018)</td><td>$47,580 for high school, $47,050 for middle school, and $46,500 for elementary school teachers*</td></tr>
<tr><td>National Job Growth (2016-2026)</td><td>8% for middle and high school, 7% for kindergarten and elementary school teachers*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---RenewalRequirementsForNorthCarolinaTeachers">Renewal Requirements for North Carolina Teachers</h3><p>You are required by North Carolina to renew your Professional Educator's Continuing License as it expires every five years. Teachers can send in their applications for renewal from April 15 to June 30 in the expiring year. If you send a request before this period, it will be returned to you. Be sure that you send in your application during this allotted time or you could face disqualification from employment as a teacher. You can submit your renewal through the North Carolina Department of Education's website. The fee to renew your license in North Carolina is $35.
</p><h3 id="section---ContinuingEducationCreditsForNorthCarolinaTeachers">Continuing Education Credits for North Carolina Teachers</h3><p>Several methods are available for you to earn credit toward renewing your Professional Educator's Continuing License. You can take courses at an accredited college or university, attend in-service workshops, or participate in other events that have been approved by your employing school district. You need a total of eight credits to renew your license, which must be in specific areas related to your teaching grades. For example, if you are a teacher for grades 6-12, you need three credits in your subject area, two credits in digital learning, and another three credits in a general area. The requirements for grades K-5 are similar, although you need to take some courses in literacy instead of another general subject.
</p><h3 id="section---InitialLicenseForNorthCarolinaTeachers">Initial License for North Carolina Teachers</h3><p>Before you need to renew a Professional Educator's Continuing License, you will apply for a Professional Educator's Initial License. You can earn this first credential after earning a bachelor's degree in education and passing all of the appropriate exams listed in the requirements of your subject area. You can find bachelor's degrees in several areas of education, including elementary education, which gives you the background you need to teach grades K-6. If you choose this major, you can find several different subjects included in the curriculum, as you will be teaching students several subjects throughout a given school day. A student teaching experience is also included in a bachelor's program, which gives you the chance to instruct a class under the supervision of a licensed teacher. Once you complete your degree and pass your exams, you can submit your application for the initial license.</p>