Indiana Teacher License Renewal and Professionalization

License Renewal FAQ’s

NOTE: The information below pertains to Bulletin 192, Bulletin 400, and Rules 46-47 licenses ONLY.
If you require the renewal of a Rules 2002 license, please visit the Indiana Department of Education’s Office of Educator Licensing and Development (OELD) website (http://www.doe.state.in.us/dps) for details.

• What are Indiana’s requirements for renewing a teaching, administration, or school services license?
  Individuals renew by completing six (6) semester hours of approved college courses within five (5) years of the time that the renewal will take place. (For example: If Jill is renewing in the summer of 2010 she will need to have taken 6 semester hours of courses for renewal between the summer of 2005 and 2010.)


• How do I renew my Bulletin 192, Bulletin 400, and Rules 46-47 license?
  You can download the instructions for the renewal of your Bulletin 400 or Rules 46-47 license by going to our website at http://caps.indwes.edu/electives/graduate/education/license_inst.htm. The state of Indiana recently moved to an ONLINE version of license renewal. As of January 1, 2009, IWU has also adopted the ONLINE renewal process as its primary mode of renewal.


• If I do not have the ability to complete my renewal online and must submit via paper version, can I send my renewal materials directly to the State (OELD) to renew my license?
  No, if you have taken at least three of your six semester hours of renewal coursework from an Indiana institution and you send your renewal materials directly to the State, the materials will be returned to you with a note requiring you to obtain a Licensing Advisor Recommendation from the institution where you completed that course. To receive that recommendation, you would then be required to submit your paperwork to that institution for processing.


• My license is already expired. Do I have to complete any extra work or testing to renew it?
  No, there are no penalties for a license expiring. As long as you have earned the required 6 credit hours within five (5) years of the renewal taking place, you can still renew your teacher’s license.


• Do I have to pay 2 separate fees to renew my license? One to IWU and another to the State of Indiana?
  You will submit a payment of $36.72 (via credit/debit card) to the state at that time that you complete the online application process. If you are not a graduate or currently enrolled student at our university are simply completed six hours of coursework for renewal of your license, you will be required to pay a $30 processing fee (via personal check/money order payable to IWU) to Indiana Wesleyan University.


• It is time to renew my license and I would like to professionalize it too. When completing “Action Requested” section of the online application, do I check ‘Renewal’ or ‘Conversion to Professional’ or both?
  Check ‘Conversion to Professional’ because when you professionalize your license it will automatically be renewed at the same time. Please keep in mind that in order to have your license professionalized, you work with the university where you received your Master of Education degree.


• I have lost my current license. What do I need to do to renew it?
  If you (or your employer) have a copy of your license, that is acceptable to use for renewal. If you do not have a copy of the license, you will need to complete a “Proof of License” form and submit it to the licensing advisor with the other requested materials.


• How long does the license renewal process take?
  The online process usually takes 3-4 weeks. However, during the summer it could possibly take up to 6 weeks. The summer is an extremely busy time of the year for teacher licensing. It is best to plan ahead! The State requires that teachers wait until at least 60 days prior to their license expiration date to apply for renewal.


• What are Indiana’s requirements for renewing a Professional teaching, school administration, or school services license?
  The professional license is initially valid for 10 years. After the initial term, the professional license must be renewed every five years. A professional license may be renewed by completing six semester hours of approved college courses or 90 Certification Renewal Units (CRU’s) every five years.
  
  It is important to note that the coursework used to renew that professional license must be less than five (5) years old at the time that the renewal takes place. Another words, you will not want to take any coursework in the first five years of that ten (10) year license but rather complete your coursework for renewal in the second five year period.


• What happens if my license expires in the middle of the school year?
  The OELD general guideline says that if your license is valid on the first day of your school contract, it is valid for the entire school year without penalty. School systems are not required to follow that guideline and might have stricter regulations. Please contact your school administration office to discuss their policy on expiring licenses if you fit this scenario.