Reinstatement of an Expired Credential

The following professional credentials may be reinstated if expired:

Professional Eligibility Certificate
​Standard Professional Certificate I
​Standard Professional Certificate II
​Advanced Professional Certificate
​​Initial Professional License
Professional License
​Advanced Professional License


Historical Certificates

Historical certificates that are no longer issued may be reinstated to a comparable license:

​Historical Certificate
 ​Comparable License
​Professional Eligibility Certificate
​Initial Professional License
​Standard Professional Certificate I
​Initial Professional License
​Standard Professional Certificate II
​Professional License
​Advanced Professional Certificate
 ​Advanced Professional License


Options for Reinstatement

Option 1. 

This option is only available to individuals who have an expired Professional Eligibility Certificate, Standard Professional Certificate, or Advanced Professional Certificate through June 30, 2025. 
 Present 6 semester hours of acceptable credit*

*​Acceptable credit is credit that is:

    • Earned or taught at a regionally accredited college/university or through Maryland-approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits​; and
    • Related to a school assignment; and
    • Earned within the past 5 years​​; and
    • Earned in required reading coursework if not already completed (teaching areas only).

Option 2. 

Present an active professional certificate issued by another state 

Option 3. 

Present an Individualized Professional Development Plan (IPDP) demonstrating completion of 90 Professional Development Points (PDPs) since the issuance of the expired credential. The professional development must include content in each of the following four areas:

  1. Content or pedagogy that is related to an area on your license
  2. English as a Second Language, Sheltered English, or Bilingual Education
  3. Strategies for teaching students with disabilities or differentiated instruction
  4. Culturally Responsive Teaching or diverse student identities in education

Certain areas of licensure require additional professional learning, which can be earned as a part of the 90 PDPs:

  • Blind/Visually Impaired- a minimum of 15 PDPs in braille maintenance

  • School Counselor- one semester hour of coursework, MSDE-approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit, or an equivalent number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that address all of the following:

    • Depression

    • Trauma

    • Violence

    • Youth suicide

    • Substance abuse

    • The identification of professional resources and best practices for distributing resources to parents or guardians to help students in crisis.

MSDE publishes a list of courses that meet the additional requirements for school counselors. Educators are not limited to the courses listed on the website to fulfill the requirement.

  • Administrator I/II- educators employed in a Maryland local school district, Maryland-operated school, or nonpublic special education program who hold the Administrator I or Administrator II area and are assigned to an administrator or supervisor position must complete professional learning that addresses:

    • Strategies for increasing teacher retention

    • Strategies for developing and facilitating teacher leadership

  • Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Generic Special Education (all grade bands), and ESOL- Beginning July 1, 2025, educators employed in a Maryland local school district, Maryland-operated school, or nonpublic special education program in a position that requires a license in one of these areas must demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and practices of scientific reading instruction at the time of renewal by presenting one of the following:


Historical Content Areas

A content area that is no longer issued may not be reinstated. If you held a historical area and let your credential lapse, you may not request it be reinstated. Please reference the list of content areas currently issued by MSDE.