Texas Teacher Certification Lookup

Enter the educator’s first and last name exactly as recorded in the Texas Education Agency database. TEA recommends Google Chrome to view a certificate. After opening the record, check that the official record date at the bottom is today’s date.

Read the certificate’s exact status and any notation together. SBEC defines Valid as qualifying the holder for employment in Texas public schools, without expiration, inactivity or an active suspension, surrender, cancellation or revocation. Some labels need more context: Pending refers to a suspension whose stated term has run but which remains in effect because reinstatement steps are incomplete; Clear means a suspension has been cleared and the certificate is valid again. A reprimand does not itself affect validity. The notation that a person is under review by TEA Educator Investigations means an allegation is being investigated; SBEC says the certificate remains valid because no formal determination has been made.

TEA does not prepare individual letters of professional standing or certification-status verification. If another state supplies a fillable PDF verification form, submit it through TEA’s help desk with a valid email address for that licensing agency. TEA can complete only fillable PDF forms. It cannot complete educator preparation program details; those requests belong with the Texas preparation program. Allow several weeks, with longer processing during the April–October peak season.

If the certificate’s official record date is not today, TEA recommends clearing the browser cache and cookies and refreshing the page in Google Chrome. Search names must match the TEA database. Educators checking their own record can sign in to TEAL, open ECOS, update their profile information and select View Certificates. TEA stopped mailing paper certificates in January 2011.

A standard educator certificate from another U.S. state or territory does not automatically become a Texas standard certificate. TEA requires a Review of Credentials for educators seeking Texas certification. The certificate submitted for review must be valid and active when the complete application is received. TEA defines a standard certificate as one issued after all requirements for the relevant certification class have been met. Texas has no automatic reciprocity with another state: TEA reviews the applicant’s certification, teaching experience and examinations against Texas requirements. An educator who holds a valid standard credential elsewhere must still apply for Texas certification and may need additional examinations unless eligible for a test exemption. A public lookup confirming an out-of-state credential therefore provides evidence about that credential; it does not replace the Texas review or establish an exemption from Texas requirements.