☰ In This Section

State Meets Licensure Requirements License Title Board/Agency Contact Last Reviewed
Alabama No Professional Educator Certificate, Collaborative Special Education (K-6 or 6-12) Alabama State Department of Education May 30, 2024
Alaska No Initial Teacher Certificate, Special Education (K-12) Alaska Department of Education & Early Development May 30, 2024
American Samoa N/A None found American Samoa Department of Education May 30, 2024
Arizona Yes Standard Professional Certificate, Special Education Mild/Moderate Disabilities (P-12) Arizona Department of Education May 30, 2024
Arkansas Yes Provisional (for up to 3 years if exams/courses not completed) or Standard License, Special Education (K-12) Arkansas Department of Education May 30, 2024
California Yes Preliminary Credential, Special Education (P-12) California Commission on Teacher Credentialing May 30, 2024
Colorado
Yes

Must be eligible for out-of-state license. Practically, students should earn the out-of-state license first.

Initial License, Special Education Generalist (Age 5-Age 21) Colorado Department of Education May 30, 2024
Connecticut Yes Initial Educator Certificate, Comprehensive Special Education (K-12) Connecticut State Department of Education May 30, 2024
Delaware No Initial License, Special Education Teacher of Students with Disabilities Standard Certificate (Must hold certificate in content area first) Delaware Department of Education May 30, 2024
District of Columbia
Yes

Yes, as long as a student obtains a Minnesota license in ABS.

Standard Teacher Credential, Non-Categorical Special Education (P-12) District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education May 30, 2024
Federated States of Micronesia N/A None found The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Teacher Certification Program May 30, 2024
Florida Yes Temporary Certificate (for 3 years to complete required FL exams) or Professional Certificate, Certification in Exceptional Student Education--Academic Class (K-12) Florida Department of Education May 30, 2024
Georgia Yes 5-Year Induction Certificate, Special Education General Curriculum (P-12) Georgia Professional Standards Commission May 30, 2024
Guam No Initial Educator Certification, Special Education (PreK-12) Guam Commission for Educator Certification May 30, 2024
Hawaii Yes Provisional License, Special Education: Mild/Moderate (P-12or P-3 or K-6 or 6-8 or 6-12) Hawaii Teachers Standards Board May 30, 2024
Idaho No Standard Instructional Certificate or Interim Certificate (if ID coursework or exams needs to be completed), Exceptional Child Generalist (K-8 or 6-12 or K-12) Idaho State Department of Education May 30, 2024
Illinois
Yes

Yes, as long as a student obtains a Minnesota license in ABS.

Professional Educator License, Learning Behavior Specialist I (P-12) Illinois State Board of Education May 30, 2024
Indiana Yes Initial Practitioner License, Exceptional Needs: Mild Intervention (PreK-12) Indiana Department of Education May 30, 2024
Iowa
Yes

If the student obtains a Minnesota license or have an application in progress, they can apply for an equivalent license in Iowa.

Initial Teaching License, Instructional Strategis I: Mild/Moderate (K-8 or 5-12) Iowa Board of Education Examiners May 30, 2024
Kansas Yes Initial Teacher License, Low Incidence Special Education (Functional Special Education) (K-6 or 5-8 or 6-12 or PreK-12) Kansas State Department of Education May 30, 2024
Kentucky Yes Provisional Certificate or Statement of Eligibility (if not employed), Exceptional Children-Learning and Behavior Disorders (Primary-12) Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board May 30, 2024
Louisiana Yes Out-of-state Certificate, Mild to Moderate Disabilities (1-5 or 4-8 or 6-12) Louisiana Department of Education May 30, 2024
Maine Yes Professional Teacher Certificate, Children with Disabilities (Birth-Age 5 or K-8 or 7-12) Maine Department of Education May 30, 2024
Maryland Yes Initial Professional License (IPL), Special Education (Infant-Grade 3 or 1-8 or 6-Adult ) Maryland State Department of Education May 30, 2024
Massachusetts Yes Initial Teaching License (if SEI and MTLE exams completed) or Provisional Teaching License (if SEI not completed), Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12) Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education May 30, 2024
Michigan N/A None found Michigan Department of Education May 30, 2024
Minnesota Yes Teacher License, Special Education: Academic and Behavioral Strategist (K-Age 21) Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board May 30, 2024
Mississippi Yes Five Year Educator License, Special Education: Mild/Moderate Disability (K-12) Mississippi Department of Education May 30, 2024
Missouri Yes Initital Teacher Certificate, Special Education-Mild/Moderate Cross-Categorical Disabilities (K-12) Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education May 30, 2024
Montana Yes Standard Teacher License, Special Education (P-12) Montana Office of Public Instruction May 30, 2024
Nebraska No Initial Teaching Certificate, Special Education Generalist (K-6 or 7-12 or K-12) Nebraska Department of Education May 30, 2024
Nevada Yes Standard Teacher License or Non-Renewable/Provisional (if testing or coursework deficencies), Exceptional Pupils- Generalist/Mild to Moderate (K-12) State of Nevada Department of Education May 30, 2024
New Hampshire No Initial Certification, Special Education (K-12) New Hampshire Department of Education May 30, 2024
New Jersey No Instructional Certificate of Eligiblity, Students with Disabilities (P-12) State of New Jersey Department of Education May 30, 2024
New Mexico No Initial Teaching License, Special Education (PK-12) New Mexico Public Education Department May 30, 2024
New York Yes Conditional Initial (1 year) (if hold out-of-state license, edTPA not required) or Initial, Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2 or 1-6 or 7-12) New York Office of Teaching Intiatives May 30, 2024
North Carolina Yes Initial Professional Educator License, Special Education: Cross Categorical (Mildly/Moderately Disabled) (K-12) North Carolina Department of Public Instruction May 30, 2024
North Dakota Yes Out-of-State Reciprocal or Other State Educator, Special Education: Strategist (K-12) North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board May 30, 2024
Northern Mariana Islands Yes Initial Educator, Basic I, Special Education - Mild to Moderate (K-12) Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands State Board of Education May 30, 2024
Ohio Yes Four Year Resident Educator, Intervention Specialist: Mild/Moderate Need (K-12) Ohio Department of Education May 30, 2024
Oklahoma Yes Standard Teaching Certificate, Special Education: Mild/Moderate Disabilities (PK-12) Oklahoma State Department of Education May 30, 2024
Oregon Yes Preliminary Teaching or Reciprocal Teaching (if OR exam requirements are not fulfilled), Special Education: Generalist (PreK-12) Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission May 30, 2024
Pennsylvania No Instructional Certificate, Special Education (PK-12) Pennsylvania Department of Education May 30, 2024
Puerto Rico Yes Teacher Certificate, Special Education (K-12) Puerto Rico Department of Education May 30, 2024
Republic of Palau N/A None found Republic of Palau Ministry of Education Division of Instructional Implementation and Teacher Training May 30, 2024
Republic of the Marshall Islands N/A None found Marshall Islands Public School System May 30, 2024
Rhode Island Yes Initial Certificate, Special Education (PK-12) Rhode Island Department of Education May 30, 2024
South Carolina Yes Initial Educator Certificate, Special Education: Multi-categorical (PK-12) South Carolina Department of Education May 30, 2024
South Dakota Yes Initial Certificate, Special Education (K-12) South Dakota Department of Education May 30, 2024
Tennessee Yes Practitioner License, Special Education Comprehensive (K-12) Tennessee Department of Education May 30, 2024
Texas
Yes

candidate must obtain a Minnesota ABS license first.

Out-of-State One Year Certificate (to complete exams) or Standard Certificate (if exams satisfied), Special Education (EC-12) Texas Education Agency May 30, 2024
U.S. Virgin Islands No Standard Certificate, Special Education (K-12 or K-8 or 7-12) U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Education May 30, 2024
Utah
Yes

candidate must obtain a Minnesota ABS license first.

Professional License, Special Education (K-12) Utah State Board of Education May 30, 2024
Vermont No Professional Educator License, Special Educator (K-8 or 7-Age 21) State of Vermont Agency of Education May 30, 2024
Virginia No Initial Teacher License, Special Education - General Curriculum (K-12) Virginia Department of Education May 30, 2024
Washington Yes Residency Teacher, Special Education (Preschool-12) Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction May 30, 2024
West Virginia Yes Professional Teaching Certificate, Multi-categorical Special Education (K-6 or 5-Adult) West Virginia Department of Education May 30, 2024
Wisconsin Yes Provisional Educator License, Cross--categorical special education (K-12) Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction May 30, 2024
Wyoming Yes Standard Educator License, Exceptional Specialist – Generalist (K-6 or 5-8 or 6-12 or K-12) Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board May 30, 2024