How to Get a Teaching Certificate in Idaho: Praxis, Routes, and Renewal

To get a teaching certificate in Idaho, you need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program, passing scores on the Praxis Subject Assessments for your endorsement area, a clean criminal background check through the Idaho State Police and FBI, and a complete mailed application with a $75 fee to the Idaho State Department of Education. Idaho Code §33-1202 sets the baseline, and the State Board of Education’s rules under IDAPA 08.02.02 fill in the detail.¹ The steps below walk through the standard route and the alternative paths that exist if you are coming in from a non-education background or from another state.

Who Qualifies Under Idaho Law

Four baseline requirements sit in Idaho Code §33-1202. You must be at least 18 years old, have completed the college training the State Board of Education specifies, have a criminal history check on file with the department, and be free from contagious disease. That last requirement is still on the books, and it gives school boards authority to require a physician’s examination when there is probable cause to believe an employee is affected.¹

The State Board can also refuse a certificate to anyone whose record would justify revoking one. If something in your history would be grounds for revocation under Idaho Code §33-1208, it can block you from being certified in the first place. Those grounds are broad and include controlled substance offenses, false statements on an application, and convictions for crimes against minors, among others. Out-of-state and federal convictions count, and a certificate revoked or surrendered in another state can independently stop your Idaho application.²

Degree and Teacher Preparation Program

The traditional route runs through a bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by an entity the State Board of Education recognizes, combined with a state-approved teacher preparation program. The program covers classroom management, instructional methods, and supervised student teaching, and it has to align with the endorsement area you plan to teach. Elementary preparation looks different from secondary math or English preparation, and coursework from a program the state does not recognize will not count toward certification.³

Verify alignment early. The Idaho SDE publishes a list of approved programs, and your program’s certification officer can confirm that your coursework matches IDAPA requirements for the endorsement you want. Discovering a mismatch after you graduate is expensive to fix.

Praxis Subject Assessments

Idaho requires passing scores on ETS Praxis Subject Assessments for each endorsement you seek.⁴ ETS retired the “Praxis II” label; the current name is Praxis Subject Assessments. Every endorsement has its own test and its own qualifying score. A few examples:

Elementary Education: Teaching Reading (7002), qualifying score 143
Elementary Education: Mathematics (7003), qualifying score 157
English Language Arts: Content Knowledge, 6–12 (5038), qualifying score 167
Mathematics, 6–12 (5165), qualifying score 159
Special Education: Foundational Knowledge (5355), qualifying score 145

The complete list of required tests and scores lives on the ETS Praxis Idaho page.⁵ Some tests are being phased out on specific dates, so confirm your test is still accepted before you register.

One logistical point catches candidates off guard. The Idaho Department of Education cannot receive Praxis scores electronically. You must download and print your score report from your ETS account and mail it with the rest of your application packet.⁵

Praxis Fee Waivers

If you are still enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and receiving financial aid, you may qualify for a Praxis fee waiver. ETS requires a FAFSA Submission Summary showing an Expected Family Contribution of $3,000 or less, a current enrollment verification certificate from your institution, and a completed Fee Waiver Request Form emailed to PraxisFeeWaiver@ets.org. Waivers are limited per test date and per institution, processed first-come first-served, and available once per testing year. Candidates who already hold a master’s or doctoral degree are not eligible.⁶

Criminal Background Check

Every applicant must submit fingerprints for a criminal history check run through the Idaho State Police and the FBI. This is not a formality. Section 33-1202 is explicit that a conviction for any felony listed in §33-1208 prevents the department from issuing a certificate.¹ The SDE provides the fingerprint card you must use; it goes in your application packet.

Assembling and Mailing Your Application

Idaho still processes initial certification applications by mail. Electronic submission is not available for first-time applicants, so build postal timelines into your plan. The packet goes to the Idaho Department of Education, Teacher Certification, PO Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0027.⁷

Include every piece in a single packet, because the department will not begin processing until the file is complete:

The signed Idaho Educator Certification Application form from the SDE website
An Institutional Recommendation form signed by the certification officer at the college where you completed your preparation program
Official transcripts from every post-secondary institution you attended, showing your conferred degree
Printed Praxis score reports downloaded from your ETS account
The fingerprint card provided by the SDE
A $75 application fee by check or money order payable to the Idaho Department of Education; credit cards are not accepted for initial applications, and the fee is nonrefundable

Walk-in applicants near Boise can pay in exact cash. Once your application is approved, the credential is issued in digital format, and you are authorized to accept a contracted teaching position in Idaho.⁷

Alternative Routes if You Didn’t Complete a Traditional Program

Idaho recognizes several pathways for candidates who do not come through a traditional preparation program. These routes lead to an interim certificate that gives you the same classroom authority as a standard certificate but is limited in duration and generally not renewable.⁸ The main options:

Non-traditional programs accepted by Idaho, including Teach For America, the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, the College of Southern Idaho non-traditional pathway, and the Lewis-Clark State College non-traditional pathway.⁹
Alternative Authorization — Content Specialist, for candidates with deep subject-matter expertise but no education degree. You need a bachelor’s degree (or all requirements complete except student teaching), a passing score on the relevant Praxis assessment, and a plan developed by a consortium of a preparation program, the hiring district, and you.¹⁰
Alternative Authorization — Teacher to New Certificate or Endorsement, for already-certified Idaho teachers adding a subject area or moving to a different certificate type.
Emergency Provisional, a one-year certificate issued by the State Board of Education without requiring enrollment in a preparation program, used when districts face critical staffing shortages.

Candidates on any interim certificate must complete all remaining requirements within the validity period, which runs one year for emergency provisionals and up to three years for other routes. A second interim certificate is only issued under extenuating circumstances approved by the department.⁸

Required Idaho Coursework for Interim Holders

Interim certificate holders coming through any alternative route, through reinstatement, or from out of state must complete two Idaho-specific courses before converting to a standard certificate. The Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Course (or a board-approved assessment equivalent) is a one-time requirement for all interim holders. The Teaching for Mathematical Thinking course applies to holders with an All Subjects (K–8) endorsement, any mathematics endorsement, an Exceptional Child Education endorsement, a Blended Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education endorsement, or an Administrator certificate. Both courses must come from providers approved by the State Board of Education.⁸

If You Are Already Certified in Another State

Idaho can issue a three-year interim certificate to a teacher holding a valid certificate from another state when the home state participates in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement.⁸ The NASDTEC agreement does not create automatic reciprocity. It is an information-sharing framework, not a license exchange. Idaho holds you to Idaho’s requirements.

During the three-year window, you must complete the Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Course (or assessment) and, if your endorsement triggers it, the Teaching for Mathematical Thinking course. You also need a criminal background check through Idaho’s process and Praxis scores meeting Idaho’s qualifying thresholds, which may differ from your home state’s. If you do not finish inside three years, a second interim certificate is unlikely.

Keeping Your Certificate Active

A standard Idaho instructional certificate is valid for five years.¹¹ To renew, you earn six semester credits of professional development during the five-year period. At least three of those credits must come from an accredited college or university and appear on an official transcript. The remaining three can come from district in-service hours or Continuing Education Units, with 15 in-service hours counting as one semester credit.

The renewal application window opens January 1 of your expiration year and closes August 31. The department does not grant extensions. If you miss August 31, your certificate expires and you must apply for reinstatement, which puts you back on an interim certificate with additional requirements. The renewal fee is $75. Renewal applicants holding a five-year renewable certificate who do not need changes to personal information or credentials can submit online for a $3.25 convenience fee, paid by credit or debit card.¹²

1
Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 33-1202 – Eligibility for Certificate
2
Idaho State Legislature. Idaho Code 33-1208 – Revocation, Suspension, Denial, or Place Reasonable Conditions on Certificate – Grounds
3
Legal Information Institute. Idaho Administrative Code Title 08 – Rule 08.02.02 – Rules Governing Uniformity
4
ETS Praxis. Idaho Overview
5
ETS Praxis. Idaho Required Tests
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ETS Praxis. Teacher Certification Test Fee Waivers and Eligibility
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Idaho Department of Education. Initial Certificate for Idaho Graduates
8
Legal Information Institute. Idaho Admin Code r 08.02.02.016 – Idaho Interim Certificate
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Idaho Department of Education. Alternative Authorizations Issued
10
Legal Information Institute. Idaho Admin Code r 08.02.02.042 – Alternative Authorization
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Legal Information Institute. Idaho Admin Code r 08.02.02.015 – Standard Instructional Certificate
12
Idaho Department of Education. Renewal of an Idaho Certificate