The quickest and easiest way to apply for Massachusetts licensure is via our Educator Licensure And Renewal (ELAR) portal. Please note: first-time users of the ELAR portal will need to create a profile prior to submitting an electronic application via ELAR.
Applicants who experience difficulties applying or submitting a payment for a license/endorsement in ELAR, have the option to download, print, and mail in (do not upload a licensure application into your ELAR account) a hard-copy of the form to the Office of Educator Licensure via standard mail methods. Please note that this submission method can involve a substantially longer processing time.
There is a $100 application fee for the first license. The fee for each additional application is $25.
Licensure applications undergo an initial evaluation once the following items have been received by the Office of Educator Licensure:
If a license is not approved after a first evaluation is conducted by our evaluator team, you will receive a detailed evaluation letter. This letter can be accessed via your ELAR account. To view the letter, log into ELAR, click on the Check license status and history, make a payment link on your ELAR Welcome page. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the correspondence history button. There you should see your previous and most recent correspondence, notifying you of outstanding requirements and how you may satisfy those requirements.
Once you have applied for a license you can log into your ELAR account at any time to check the status of a license application, upload additional documents, and even view submitted documentation and correspondence.
Once you have applied for a license, you will need to upload (fastest method), mail, or fax all required supporting documentation to our office.
Applicants seeking a Provisional, Initial, or Professional license, who have not already done so, should upload or send in:
Official copies of all college transcripts (*Official copies do not need to be in a sealed envelope. An official transcript/copy of official transcript must show the registrar's signature, degree conferred, and date degree is conferred (if applicable).
Please note: when uploading official copies of transcripts;
Applicants who have worked under a MA Initial license for three or more years and are now seeking a MA Professional license; as well as any other applicant who needs to verify employment under a license, should send in:
Employment/Induction and Mentoring Verification Form
For Out of State Applicants seeking a Temporary license please send in the following:
For Out of State Applicants seeking an Initial license through reciprocity (NASDTEC Interstate Agreement) please send in one the following:
Out-of-State Approved Program Verification Form (original copy should be mailed and not uploaded) or
If you are seeking licensure on the basis of foreign (non-U.S.) coursework and/or diploma(s), you will be required to provide the Office of Educator Licensure with a detailed equivalency report of all college-level coursework completed. Please note that independent evaluations must be conducted by a nationally recognized agency.
Supporting documentation should be:
You will receive a confirmation email upon our receipt of your supporting documentation. However, if you would like to verify that we have received all requested documentation, please log into your ELAR account and select the Check license status and history, make payment link on your Welcome to ELAR homepage. Scroll to the bottom of the Inquiry - Activity Summary page to find the View Documents button in order to view your submitted documentation.
Sending in Required Documents FAQs
You can log-in to your ELAR account to check the status of your licensure application at any time. The most common licensure statuses that you will see there include:
Last Updated: August 14, 2024
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.