Frequently Asked Questions

How and When to Apply for Educator License Renewal

Note:Requirements for license renewal differ depending upon whether an educator was licensed under PI 34 (completed an approved educator preparation program after August 31, 2004 for the first time in a particular license category (teacher, pupil services, administrator)) or under previous rules (completed an approved program prior to September 1, 2004). PI 34 licenses require completion of a Professional Development Plan (PDP) for renewal.

Will DPI contact me when my license is about to expire?

No. We expect that since it is your professional license, you will keep track of the date when it expires. If you are unsure and have lost your license certificate, you can easily view your license history using our license look-up function.

I completed my educator preparation program in May of 2004 and my five-year license expires on June 30, 2009. How do I renew the license?

In order to renew your license you need to send in the PI-1602-5R application and evidence of completing the professional growth requirement. (Exception: Special Education Aides and School Occupational or Physical Therapists/Assistants are exempt from the professional growth requirement and should renew using a PI-1602-PA and PI-1602-NP application respectively.) Submit the application, fee, notarized conduct and competency review form, and original transcripts or grade reports (on the original paper) and/or 1681 clock hour forms to our Milwaukee processing center: DPI-Teacher Licensing, Drawer 794, Milwaukee, WI 53293-0794.

My five-year teaching license is expiring soon. What do I have to do to have the license renewed?

The answer depends upon the date that you completed your educator preparation program for the teaching license.

If you completed your approved program prior to 9/1/2004, you must provide evidence of completing the professional growth requirement of six semester credits or the equivalent. The course work you use to meet the requirement must be completed by 6/30/09 and you will submit the PI 1602-5R application form with original transcripts or grade reports attached to document completed course work.

If, however, you completed the approved program in teaching for the first time after 8/31/04, the requirements are very different and you must use a different application form. See the Initial Educator page for complete information on requirements and process for advancing an Initial Educator license to a Professional Educator license.

I currently hold a five-year teaching license that is valid until 2009. I also recently finished a new certification program. Do I have to renew my license now to have the new area added?

No, you can wait until 2009 to submit the renewal application for your existing license. To be licensed in the new teaching or pupil services area, submit an application and fee for an Initial Wisconsin license, either a PI-1602-IS form for graduates of Wisconsin programs or a PI-1602-OS form for graduates of non-Wisconsin programs. Then in 2009 when your existing licenses expire, you will need to submit a separate PI-1602-5R - five-year renewal application and fee. However, if you would rather have all licenses on the same renewal cycle, you may renew your existing license early (at the same time that you submit the Initial Wisconsin application). If you are not working in the new area of licensure, you could choose to wait until 2009 to apply for the initial license at the same time as you renew your existing licenses. This would also keep all your licenses on the same renewal cycle. For more information, see FAQ - Adding a New License

Is there a deadline by which I must submit my application for renewal?

Yes, we hope that you will apply for renewal of your five-year license no later than September 1st of the year it expires, but we will accept applications that arrive later IF the professional growth requirement was completed within the last licensing period (by June 30th). Technically you will be unlicensed until the new license is issued, but the law states that once we receive the application you are covered if you made a "timely and sufficient application for renewal of a license" as "the existing license does not expire until the application has been finally acted upon" by DPI [Chap 227.51 (2), Wis. Stats.] However, we will NOT backdate the license if the application arrives over one year after the June 30th license expiration date.

I have always renewed my five-year teaching license in June of the year it expires, but for this renewal period I completed the required semester credits much earler than usual. My license doesn't expire until June of 2009 but I would like to renew it in 2008. Can I do that?

No, we do not allow people to renew their license(s) early UNLESS they are also adding an initial license in another area. However, you may apply for your renewal as early as January 1st of the year your license expires but no later than September 1st.

My last five-year teaching license expired a number of years ago and I let it lapse. How do I renew that license?

You will need to reapply for another five-year license (using the PI-1602-5R form) with evidence of completing six credits (or the equivalent) in the five years preceding the start date of the new license. If you don't have the renewal credits finished AND you have not been out of teaching for five or more years, you may request a one-year extension while you complete the credits necessary for another five year license. If you don't have the renewal credits and you have been out of teaching for more than five-years, a school district will have to request (on school letterhead from a principal, superintendent, district administrator or the human resources office) a one-year license on your behalf. Include that letter when you mail your completed application materials to DPI.

I had a life license that was issued in 1976, but I have been out of teaching since 1999. Is my life license still valid?

No, your life license becomes invalid if for five or more years you are not working in the teaching profession. You can revalidate that license with the completion of six semester credits (or the equivalent) of refresher work (course work in your content area or related to education in general). Submit a PI 1602-DUP Duplicate License Request along with the processing fee and original transcripts or grade reports verifying successful completion of six semester credits. Until you have completed the six credits, you could apply for a substitute license without any credits that would allow you to do long-term substitute teaching in the area(s) in which you were licensed and short-term substitute teaching in everything else. If you have already been hired and do not have the six credits of refresher work done, your school district could request a one-year non-renewable license on your behalf so that you can get the credits done (note: credits must be done by the end of that one-year license period - June 30th).

I have been teaching since I completed my approved program in spring of 2004 (prior to PI 34 rules) and my five-year teaching license expires on June 30, 2009. I will be finishing a program for licensure as a principal in 2008. I want both licenses on the same renewal cycle. How does the professional growth requirement factor in and what form(s) do I submit?

If you are adding a new license you can use the credits completed for the new license to also renew your five-year teaching license (one-year early). Both licenses would then start in 2008. If you aren't planning on working as an administrator right away, it may be in your best interest to wait until 2009 (when the teaching license expires) to apply for both the initial and renewal at the same time. In either case two applications and two fees will be required. You must send in both the PI-1602-5R - five-year renewal application and fee (be sure to attach original transcripts or grade reports for course work earned since this license was last issued) and a separate application and fee for the initial principal license (PI-1602-AD for graduates of Wisconsin programs or PI 1602-OS for graduates of non-Wisconsin programs). The same process and application forms would be used if you were adding a different type of administrative license (superintendent, director of pupil services, etc) OR a reading teacher/reading specialist license. Also, note that because the administrator program was completed under PI 34 rules (after 8/31/04), a Professional Development Plan will be required for future renewals.

Related Resources

FAQs - Licensing Topic
Initial Educators' Page - Programs completed after 8/31/2004
Professional Development Plans (PDP)

Other questions about license renewal may be directed to Educator Licensing.

Last updated on 7/22/2008 12:33:01 PM