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Office of Educator Licensure

About the Office of Educator Licensure

On behalf of our entire staff — as well as every student, school, and school district in Massachusetts, thank you for all that you do and for seeking out the Office of Educator Licensure. We very much look forward to assisting with all of your licensure needs here in our great Commonwealth!

Our Full-Service Website offers a wide-range of resources. ELAR — Educator Licensure And Renewal is our comprehensive online application system that provides customized access to your personal profile, a correspondence review section, and up-to-the-minute checks on the status of submitted applications.

The following information provides a quick snapshot of our current processing times. Last Updated 12/23/24

Licensure Applications:

With a combination of a new ELAR system, recent college graduates, emergency extensions and the increased volume of applications at this time of year, most applications will take about four weeks to be processed. This includes applications in a submitted or pending review status.

Please note that we are working expeditiously to decrease your wait time for a review. If you feel your application should have been reviewed based upon the above noted date, please contact the Licensure Call Center at 781-338-6600 (Monday–Friday from 9–12 and 2–5) to request that your application be expedited.

If your application status is not on a submitted or pending review status, the Office of Educator Licensure is awaiting additional information/documentation (for example: MTEL test results, official copies of your transcripts, verification of employment, etc.) in support of your application. If you have received a licensure evaluation, all correspondence sent to you by the Office of Educator Licensure can be viewed in your Educator Licensure and Renewal (ELAR) account.

Licensure Renewals:

The quickest method of renewing your Professional license is through ELAR. You can submit both your application and payment electronically using the ELAR portal. Please note that submitting a paper/hardcopy application or paying by check can take a minimum of two weeks to process.

Document Scanning:

Please note that most documents can be uploaded directly into your ELAR account enabling your application to be processed more quickly. For more information on how to upload documents, please visit our Uploading Documents to Your ELAR Account Page.

The Office of Educator Licensure is currently scanning all documents received as of the following date: Approximately the week of December 23.

Call Center:

Processing Times For this Past week of: 12/23/24

Calls Received: 611

% Answered: 98%

Average Wait Time: 43 sec.

Max Wait Time: 7 min. 56 sec.

Licensure Call Center staff are working hard to ensure you receive thorough, accurate answers to all your licensure questions. Recent feedback from surveys indicate we are making great strides towards that goal:

  • The person was lovely, very well knowledgeable, and very helpful. As a local union president, I recommended all my members with questions to call the DOE. Several did and said they had a wonderful experience as well so Thank You

Helpful Tips:

  • For the ELAR login as well as guidance on how to use / navigate the services offered within the ELAR portal, please visit our How to Use the ELAR portal webpage.
  • For additional "How To" guides and supporting documentation/forms please visit our Academic PreK-12 Forms, Guidelines, and Licensure Regulations webpage.
  • For answers to more in-depth applicant questions and concerns, you can visit our Licensure Welcome Center walk up counter, located at 135 Santilli Highway, Everett on the third floor of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's administrative building or you can call our Customer Service Call Center at 781-338-6600 (open Monday – Friday from 9–12 and 2–5).

Last Updated: December 24, 2024

 
Contact Us

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149

Voice: (781) 338-3000
TTY: (800) 439-2370

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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.