Educator Quality & Licensing
Frequently Asked Questions
The following questions are broken in to question subjects. Click the
subject below to view the questions most often asked about that subject.
Alternative Routes to Licensure (ARL)
What should I do first when trying to get a license through the Alternative
Routes program?
Submit an application. Applications are accept March through July only.
Is there a fee?
There is a $50.00 evaluation fee that must accompany the application.
How can I teach without a license?
ARL allows participants to teach on a temporary license while working
towards full licensure.
Will school districts employ someone without a teaching license?
Some school districts hire unlicensed individuals when a licensed teacher
is not available for the position.
Will I have to take additional classes?
Once an applicant is employed by a Utah school or district as a teacher,
a transcript review will be completed and a Professional Growth Plan,
outlining additional requirements, is developed. A copy is sent to
the participant and his/her principal.
When do I apply for teaching positions?
Applicants must complete applications for school districts, parochial
and private schools. ARL will provide each applicant with a letter of
introduction which can be taken to human resource directors as he/she
seeks employment.
Endorsements
I've completed the coursework for an endorsement how do I get it?
Submit your transcript, along with the endorsement
checklist as a cover
sheet, to Educator Quality & Licensing.
My endorsement isn't showing up on CACTUS.
In CACTUS, click on your most recently received
license to view your endorsement.
What do I need to do to get an endorsement?
Visit the Endorsement section
of this site.
Do I have to pay a fee to get an endorsement?
Yes - There is a $35 evaluation fee.
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Foreign Educators
What is the first step?
Have foreign credential evaluated by a service for U.S. equivalency.
How do I get a U.S. equivalency?
Choose one of the companies from the provided list.
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Fingerprints and Background Checks
Can fingerprint results from somewhere else be accepted?
No. The State Office does not accept other results. We do a more in-depth check than other organizations.
Where can I get my fingerprints done?
Any police station or sheriff's office will provide this service. Some
school districts also do fingerprinting.
My fingerprints have been rejected, what do I do?
You should have received a letter with the rejected print card and
a new card. Take the new card to the police station, sheriff's office
or school district for a new set of fingerprints. Then return both
the rejected set and the new card to USOE.
I have turned in my fingerprints; have they been cleared?
It may take 6-10 weeks for the result of the background check to be
to be returned to USOE and posted on CACTUS.
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License Renewal
How do I renew my license?
Visit the License Renewal section of this site.
What is the status of my license?
Visit the License status section of this site or visit CACTUS (Computer Aided Credentials of Teachers in Utah Schools).
How do I renew my license if I have a Level 1 License with no teaching
experience?
Visit the License Renewal section of
this site.
How do I renew my license if I have a Level 1 License with some teaching
experience?
Visit the License Renewal section
of this site.
How do I renew my license if I hold a Level 2 License with no teaching
experience in the past 5 years?
Visit the License Renewal section
of this site.
How do I renew my license if I hold a Level 2 License with less than
3 years teaching experience?
Visit the License Renewal section
of this site.
How do I renew my license if I hold a Level 2 License with 3 years
or more teaching experience?
Visit the License Renewal section
of this site.
How do I renew my license if I hold a Level 3 License?
Visit the License Renewal section
of this site.
What are the renew fees?
Visit the licensing fees list.
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Out-of-State License
How long does it take to get a license from an out-of-state application?
We try to process all applications in a timely manner; however, there are many factors that can delay the process. All applications must be received in one complete application packet. Any applications that are incomplete will be returned which will delay the process. No documents should be sent to USOE separately, such as transcripts from the college/university. The applicant should request all required paperwork be mailed to them and include them in their complete application packet. Please see the out of state section of the USOE website for all instructions and required forms. The background check should be requested at www.utah.gov/teachers and started as soon as an applicant has decided they wish to apply for a Utah license. It should also be kept in mind that a license cannot be completed until the required Praxis test scores are in our office and the background check has cleared.
I have a license in another state. How do I convert it to a Utah
License?
Visit the Out-of-State Application section of this site.
I have a license in another state. How do I renew it?
Contact the agency that issued the license.
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Other
I'm a new university graduate. What is the status of my license?
Universities forward your packet 1 to 2 months
after graduation. When USOE process your application a file will
be created in the CACTUS system. You will be able to check your records.
If you cannot access the system, USOE has not received your file.
Contact your university to check the status of your file.
What is CACTUS?
Computer-Assisted Credentialing for Teachers in Utah Schools. This
is a database of information needed by schools, teachers, and the
State Office to track license information.
What do I do if my CACTUS file has incorrect information?
That depends. Some information is submitted by your employer; some was transferred from your original application information. Please be aware that USOE has records of all applications and transcripts from July 1, 1992 on file. All such documents for educators licensed prior to that date are not in our files.
Address: Active educators should contact their personnel office to request that addresses be updated. Inactive educators may call Ivoni Nash at 538-7779 and private school educators may call Diane DeMan at 538-7741 to update address information.
Birth Date: Send a letter requesting that USOE review original application information will suffice.
Degree information: Active public school educators may submit a degree correction form to their personnel director to forward to the USOE Educator Quality & Licensing Department. Inactive and private school educators licensed after July 1, 1992 may submit a written request for a review of the teacher's original application and transcript. Educators licensed prior to July 1, 1992 must submit original transcripts with degree posted to change the CACTUS records. The transcripts will be returned to the educator. (URL to form for degree correction)
Gender: Post-1992, submit a request to review your original application. Pre-1992, submit an original birth certificate or other official document which verifies your gender.
Ethnicity: Simply submit a letter indicating the ethnicity you prefer for your record.
Name: Post-1992, request a review of your original application to correct the spelling of your name. To change to or from a married name, submit a copy of your marriage license or court-ordered name change. Pre-1992, submit two official documents such as a marriage certificate, birth certificate, passport, state identification card, or court document verifying your name. Such documentation will be returned to you.
Social Security number: For those licensed after July 1, 1992, submit a request to review your original application to verify that an error was made in transferring the social security number from your application. For those licensed prior to 1992, submit a copy of your social security card plus one other official identification with a request to change the number. If you made an error in submitting the number, you must submit a copy of the correct social security card plus a notarized letter specifying how the incorrect social security number was submitted.
Assignments are submitted by the employer. Contact your principal or human resource director to correct the information.
Work history: Teaching experience prior to 1984 is not recorded in any CACTUS file. Only work experience from 1984 and later is included. The Utah Retirement Office will have correct work record information for all work experience.
What tests are approved for Utah licensing?
Visit the Utah PRAXIS test
page for a list of all approved content tests.
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