Obtaining an initial teacher license

State law requires that every teacher in Hawaii hold a valid teaching license. People seeking to teach in Hawaii should download, complete and submit the following documents. You will need ALL of these documents to complete the licensing process. (Please note that you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents.)

If you currently have a valid, professional teaching license from another state, please use the link below to explore whether you qualify for licensing under a new law.
Out of state teaching license

Please be sure to download and read the instructions before completing the application.

Instructions on documents and filing for a license

Initial license application

Verification of experience document

Institutional recommendation

List of Hawaii State Approved Teacher Education Programs

Information about online degree programs

The Praxis Examination

To be licensed to teach in Hawaii, persons must take and pass the PRAXIS test.

Information on PRAXIS test passing scores

Download PRAXIS test taking information (Acrobat Reader required)

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download)