New OSPI Certification Rules for 2025 and beyond.

This is a courtesy announcement from the OSPI Professional Certification Department to inform school district Human Resource (HR) staff and Administrators that educators must now apply to renew their certificates on or before January 1, 2025, if those educators have a certificate expiring on June 30, 2025.

Your district may have educators who have certificates expiring at the end of this current school year. Due to a change in renewal processes, adopted by the Professional Educator Standards Board, educators must now apply to renew their certificate six months prior to the expiration date listed on their certificate. Any application to renew a certificate submitted on January 2 or after, will be considered late.

Due to the significance of this process change, PESB and OSPI’s Certification Department have decided to not begin charging late fees for applications until January 2, 2030, so that all educators who hold a current certificate will not be charged a late fee for this first renewal cycle, even if they apply late.

Applying late will still have an impact on the educator however, as those educators will not be able to start counting clock hours for their next renewal until after their next certificate is issued. With this being the case, the Certification Department strongly advises all educators to apply to renew on time, if at all possible.

How Districts Can Support:

1. Run the certificate expiration report for your district to identify your educators’ certificate status using 6-30-2025 as the expiration date. This report will show all certificates with an expiration date of 6-30-2025.  

  • Check for those with no application submission noted to determine if an application is needed. Disregard those educators who already have a renewal application on file or who have already been issued another certificate.

2. Notify educators who have a valid certificate and have yet to apply to renew their certificate. 

  • Instruct these educators to submit an application to renew as soon as they have completed all certificate renewal requirements.

  • Inform these educators that if they do not submit their renewal application on or before January 1, 2025, then their application will be considered late and they will begin to receive late notices from OSPI.

  • Late applications WILL NOT be charged a late fee until January 2, 2030.

Please Note:

  • This process change will allow educators and districts significantly greater time to plan for staffing needs, as well as allowing OSPI’s Certification Department more time to work with educators and districts to resolve challenges that occur during an educator’s renewal process.

  • The goal of this process change is to eliminate the chance that an educator will have a gap in their certificate’s validity or that an educator might be in danger of starting the school year without their certificate being renewed.

  • Washington state school districts must still verify that educators hold a valid and current Washington state certificate issued by the Superintendent of Public Instruction for positions in which a certificate is needed (RCW 28A.410.070). 

  • Certificates will not be issued to any educator who has not applied for a certificate or certificate renewal.

Refunds will not be granted or issued to individuals who submit incorrect applications or who apply when it is not necessary for them to do. Refund information is located in WAC 392-194-002.

Our office is working diligently to respond to the influx of emails, phone calls, and applications. Please assist us in contacting your educators to help ensure this process change is communicated as clearly as possible. The OSPI Professional Certification Department thanks you for your collaboration in support of Washington state educators!

ALL STUDENTS PREPARED FOR POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS, CAREERS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

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