Five-Year Substitute Teacher/Educator License

A 5-year substitute educator license may be granted to a person who has completed a state approved educator training program in any state.

The substitute license allows the holder to accept long-term substitute teaching positions (20 or more consecutive days in any one assignment) in the area in which the applicant has received institutional endorsement. The licensee may also accept short-term assignments (fewer than 20 days) in any other grade or subject area.

Unlike a regular teaching license, the substitute license does not have a continuing education/professional development requirement for issuance or renewal. Therefore, it may be granted to applicants who have not completed the 6 semester credits/equivalent professional development needed for a Wisconsin professional educator teaching license or to those applicants who have not held a teaching position in the immediate past 5 years. It may also be issued to applicants who graduated from a non-Wisconsin educator training program and do not qualify for a regular Wisconsin license due to course stipulations/deficiencies.

Requirements for DPI processing of a 5-year substitute license application.

1. Graduates of Wisconsin programs must complete a PI-1602-5R license application unless the applicant has never held a regular 5-year Wisconsin license (use PI-1602-IS - Initial). Graduates of non-Wisconsin educator training institutions must complete a PI-1602-OS license application. To renew a 5-year Substitute License, use the PI-1602-5R.
2. The applicant's degree information must be signed/endorsed by the Certifying Officer of the preparing institution of higher education unless the applicant was previously licensed in Wisconsin. (See Form PI-1612 - Institutional Endorsement) Graduates of state-approved non-Wisconsin programs must also include original transcripts verifying completion of a bachelor's degree. As an alternative to the institutional endorsement, graduates of non-Wisconsin programs may, instead, submit a copy of an educator license held in another state.
3. Fingerprint cards if required.
4. The processing fee is $100 for graduates of a Wisconsin educator training institution or $150 for graduates of non-Wisconsin educator training institutions. Applicants who paid the processing fee to apply for a regular license and are, instead, granted a substitute license are not charged any additional fee for the substitute license.

Also see Frequently Asked Questions - Substitute Teaching.

For questions about this information, contact David J. Peterson (608) 264-9549

Last updated on 7/1/2008 1:21:07 PM