Licensure and Qualifications

Advancing the profession

The Colorado Department of Education issues initial and professional teacher and administrator licenses, alternative licenses, substitute authorizations, content area endorsements and other professional authorizations.

CDE’s educator licensure system keeps record of more than 130,000 licensed educators — with more than 40,000 new and renewing licensure applications processed each year.

Colorado strives to advance the education profession by ensuring that individual educators and paraprofessionals are professionally licensed and highly qualified according to federal requirements. CDE also provides incentives to encourage educators to pursue national board certification.

• Getting licensed in Colorado
  More about the licensure process, applying for a license and tracking the status of your application.
• Earning “highly qualified” status
  The federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act requires all core content and special education teachers as well as Title I instructional paraprofessionals to meet “highly qualified” requirements.
• Achieving National Board Certification
  CDE provides scholarships and stipends to support teachers in earning National Board Certification.