Veterans, current service members, spouses of a veteran, and surviving spouses of veterans will receive expedited processing. The requirements for certification must still be submitted to earn a certificate. Please visit our
Routes to Certification page for more information.
If you are under contract with a Maryland public school district, State-operated school, or nonpublic special education program, please contact your employer to discuss your certification options. Everyone else should apply through
The Educator Application and Certification Hub (TEACH).
Please be prepared to provide the following documentation during the application process:
- Photocopy of military orders assigning duty station or DD form 214, with Discharge under Circumstances other than Dishonorable
- Photocopy of marriage certificate(spouse/surviving spouse)/death certificate (surviving spouse), if applicable
- If you are certified in another state, a photocopy of that state certificate and tests scores taken to obtain that certificate or
verification of satisfactory experience (minimum 2 years)
- If you are not certified in another state, qualifying scores on a Basic Skills assessment (or a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on the most recently earned degree), the appropriate Praxis and/or ACTFL assessments.
- Official transcript(s), which must show the degree and date of conferral, if applicable. Transcripts must be submitted in one of the following ways:
- Ordered from Parchment, which will be sent directly to TEACH; or
- Electronically sent to certificationtranscripts.msde@maryland.gov directly from an alternative e-transcript service; or
- Mailed to the MSDE office of certification directly from the Institution of Higher Education or in a sealed student mailer; or
- Sent directly to your employer if you are under contract with a Maryland local school district or state-operated school.
You may track your request status in TEACH. If you are employed with a Maryland local school district, a nonpublic special education program, or a state-operated school, please work directly with your employer if you have questions about the application process.