Teacher of Record License Checklist

Preparing to Apply

Am I in the Right Place?

This checklist is for applicants who, along with their employing school district and Colorado college/university teacher preparation program, have received CDE's approval on their proposed Teacher of Record program. ( Learn more about the Teacher of Record pathway to licensure )

If you have ever held a Colorado teacher license or have not been approved to participate in a Teacher of Record program, please review the other checklists and make the appropriate selection.

Plan Ahead

You will need electronic copies of all requested documentation.
( Get Help with Document Scanning )
Allow ample time to request transcripts or other documentation.

Application Fee:

$90.00

License Expires:

2 years from date of issue

Checklist

Identification

Submit fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). ( View Fingerprinting Instructions )
- If you already hold a valid, CDE-issued educational credential and have consistently maintained an active credential (authorization or license) since you submitted your fingerprints, you can skip this step. We reserve the right to evaluate your application for adherence to the fingerprint requirements and will notify you by email should any follow-up be needed.
- If you have submitted fingerprints for CDE credentialing in the past, but allowed all credentials to lapse and have held no active credential for a period exceeding one (1) year, you must submit a new set of fingerprints to CBI.
- Be sure to select the "CDE licensing" icon to ensure your fingerprints are submitted for licensure purposes.
Confirm you have a valid and proper form of government-issued identification. ( View List of Valid IDs )

Education

Within the application, you will be asked to include the following:
- Copies of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. ( View Transcript Requirements )
  Note: Unofficial transcripts are never accepted. Please do not include them in your application.
  - Transcripts from institutions outside the US must be in English or include an authentic English translation and have been evaluated by a NACES member organization for course-by-course equivalency.
- A copy of your official content exam score report.
  - Obtain the results for any CDE-accepted Praxis exams you have passed.
    ( View accepted Praxis content exams )
- A copy of your program plan.
- A copy of the program approval letter provided you by CDE.

Employment

Employment history for at least the past five (5) years.
- Include employer/business name, dates of employment, reason for leaving, work addresses, supervisor names and contact information.

Self-Disclosure

If applicable, obtain supporting documentation on the following:
- Past criminal history
- Disciplinary actions
- Any issues related to licensure or employment
( View Self-Disclosure Requirements )

Register and Apply

Have all the information mentioned above? To complete and submit the online application, you first will need to register an account in the COOL system. If you've already registered, simply log in. Select the TEACHER application.

Register or Log In

For questions, email CDELicensing@cde.state.co.us or call 303-866-6628.

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