Renew or Update Your Professional Educator's License
Professional Educator's License Renewal
The renewal process ensures that North Carolina Continuing Professional License (CPL) educators engage in on-going updates of their professional knowledge and technical competence. The CPL must be renewed every five years on or after April 15th of the year that a license expires.
If your license expired in previous years, the renewal request can be submitted at any time.
Tracking and Recording Your Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
- A valid current out-of-state license cannot be used to renew your North Carolina license.
- Each educator is responsible for knowing and satisfying their license renewal requirements.
- On or after April 15th of the year that a license expires, renew by submitting credits, official final transcripts, professional development certificates, etc. to the NCDPI Licensure Section for renewal as part of a complete application in the NCDPI Online Licensure System.
- Experience verification forms should be included in the renewal request
Renewal and Reinstatement Requirements Total 8 CEUs or 80 Clock Hours of Professional Development
*As a condition of employment per NC State Board of Education Policy LICN-005 employing school systems reserve the right to assign literacy requirements for any educator.
*Renewal requirements are subject to change based on NC State Board of Education policy updates.
Credits Required for Licensure Renewal | |
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Grades K-5
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Student Services Personnel
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Grades 6-12
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Administrators
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North Carolina Retired Teachers A Lifetime License is issued to a teacher who holds a current license after 30 or more years of classroom teaching as a licensed teacher in North Carolina PreK-12 public schools. Renewal of the Lifetime License is not required (per SL 2019 -71). |
Renewal Criteria
- A unit of renewal credit (CEU) is equal to 10 clock hours of professional development
- 8 units of renewal credit are required to renew both a current and expired CPL
- For a CPL to remain current, all renewal credit must be earned by the expiration date of the license
Activities Accepted for Renewal Credit:
- College or university courses
- Official transcripts are required as documentation; grade reports are not accepted.
- Local in-service courses or workshops
- The administrative unit certifies credits.
- Classes and workshops approved by an LEA
- Documentation of completion is provided by the agency sponsoring the activity.
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