License and Permit Information

It is your responsibility to keep your contact and personal information up to date with the Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board. You must update your personal information within 30 calendar days from the date the change took effect. This ensures you receive accurate and timely communication from the HTSB regarding important licensure and/or permit information. Failure to update your personal information can result in missed renewal notifications, delayed application processing, inability to receive critical updates, and, in some cases, employment issues.

Please note that personal information may include, but is not limited to, your name, date of birth, social security number, non-school-issued email, mailing address, as well as any other personal identifying information required on your HTSB profile.

Hawaiʻi License/Permit Requirements

All Hawaiʻi Department of Education and Hawaiʻi Public Charter School teachers, librarians, and counselors must hold a valid license or permit from HTSB prior to employment. (Read the HRS & HAR requiring licenses.)
A valid out-of-state license cannot be used to teach in a Hawaiʻi public or charter school. An HTSB licensing specialist will review all required documents and determine the Hawaiʻi license equivalency (if applicable) to the out-of-state license.
If no licensed teacher is available, the Hawaiʻi public or charter school may hire an emergency hire teacher. (Read the HAR for emergency hires and the federal IDEA law for emergency hires in special education.)
There is a penalty for both the teacher and the school administrator if an individual is teaching without a valid license or permit from HTSB. (Read the HAR requiring penalties for teaching without a license or permit.)

Available License Fields & Grade Levels

Teaching Licenses Offered

You must meet all requirements that pertain to academic preparation, student teaching, and competency testing for the specific licensure and permit areas for which you are applying. Failing to meet one or more requirements can delay the processing of your application and/or result in a denial.

Only contracted full-time teaching experience in a P-12 contracted position in Hawaiʻi or another U.S. state or U.S. territory will count toward licensure, permit, and/or certificate. This requirement applies to all applications, verification options, and HTSB forms, whether explicitly stated or not.

Reciprocity does not guarantee that an educator's license issued from another U.S. state or jurisdiction will be recognized in Hawaiʻi.

Provisional License

A Provisional License may be issued to individuals who have completed a state-approved teacher education program (SATEP) in Hawaiʻi or another U.S. state and have less than three (3) years of full-time teaching experience within the last five (5) years. This license is a NASDTEC Stage 2 License.

Term of Validity: 3 years, non-renewable

Requirements: [⇩ PDF] Checklist Guide for Provisional License (ver. 01/2025)

Standard License

A Standard License may be issued to teachers who have three (3) or more years of full-time teaching experience within the last five (5) years in a P-12 contracted position from a school in Hawaiʻi or another U.S. state. This license is a NASDTEC Stage 3 License.

Term of Validity: 5 years, renewable

Requirements: [⇩ PDF] Checklist Guide for Standard License (ver. 01/2025)

Standard Limited License in Computer Science

A Standard Limited License restricts teaching to the field on the license, and additional fields may not be added. Three (3) years of industry experience in the license field are required. A Standard Limited Computer Science License holder may not teach other subjects.

Term of Validity: 5 years, renewable

Requirements: [⇩ PDF] Checklist Guide for Standard Limited License in Computer Science (ver. 10/2024)

Standard Limited License in Career Technology and Education (CTE)

A Standard Limited License restricts teaching to the field on the license, and additional fields may not be added. Three (3) years of industry experience in the license field are required. A Standard Limited Career and Technical Education (CTE) License holder may not teach other subjects.

Term of Validity: 5 years, renewable

Requirements: [⇩ PDF] Checklist Guide for Standard Limited License in CTE (ver. 10/2024)

Advanced License

An Advanced License may be issued to teachers who have five (5) years of full-time teaching experience within the last eight (8) years in a P-12 contracted position from a school in Hawaiʻi or another U.S. state. This license is a NASDTEC Stage 4 License.

Term of Validity: 10 years, renewable

Requirements: [⇩ PDF] Checklist Guide for Advanced License (ver. 01/2025)

Teaching Permits Offered

You must meet all requirements listed for the specific permit for which you are applying. Failing to meet one or more requirements can delay the processing of your application and/or result in a denial.

Emergency Hire Permit

An Emergency Hire Permit may be issued to an unlicensed individual who wishes to teach in a Hawaiʻi Department of Education or Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School in a shortage area or hard-to-fill position when no licensed teacher is available.

Term of Validity: 1 year, may be reissued twice for a maximum of 3 years

Requirements: [⇩ PDF] Checklist Guide for Emergency Hire Permit (ver. 08/2025)

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Permit

A Career and Technical Education (CTE) Permit may be issued to an unlicensed individual employed by a Hawaiʻi Department of Education or Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School in a CTE classroom when no licensed teacher is available.

Term of Validity: 5 years, may be renewed once

Requirements: [⇩ PDF] Checklist Guide for CTE Permit (ver. 01/2023)

Hawaiian Permit

A Hawaiian Permit may be issued to an unlicensed individual employed by a Hawaiʻi Department of Education or Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School in Kaiaʻōlelo‐Kaiapuni Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Language Immersion, or Hawaiian Knowledge classrooms when no licensed teacher is available. Applicants must be recommended by the Office of Hawaiian Education (OHE) for this permit.

Term of Validity: 1 year, may be reissued four times for a term of 5 years. A second term of 5 years may be renewed once, valid for 1 year at a time.

Requirements: [⇩ PDF] Checklist Guide for Hawaiian Permit (ver. 10/2025)

Student Teacher Permit

A Student Teacher Permit may be issued to an unlicensed individual recommended by a Hawaiʻi state-approved teacher education program (SATEP) to serve as a student-teacher. An Emergency Hire Permit holder should not apply for a Student Teacher Permit.

Term of Validity: 1 year limited duty, may be renewed as many times as a Hawaiʻi preparation program recommends the individual.

Requirements: [⇩ PDF] Checklist Guide for Student Teacher Permit (ver. 10/2025)

Status of Submitted Application

All applications must be submitted through your Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) portal. Please note that the processing time for your application may vary depending on the type of application submitted. It can take up to six weeks or more to complete the review process. This can be due to, but is not limited to, waiting for additional information from external agencies or schools.

Applicants will receive a notification through their HTSB account once their application is approved or if the HTSB staff needs additional information. If applicants are currently enrolled in or have recently completed a Hawaiʻi SATEP, the application will be processed after HTSB receives the list of completers from the Hawaiʻi SATEP.