CSPG 3 - Validity of a Pennsylvania Certificate

Modified: March 30, 2023

Pennsylvania Level I certificates are valid for actual years of professional service using a certificate, not calendar years.  This may include some long-term substitute assignments.  Level II (permanent) certificates are valid for 99 years.  See CSPG #7 for more information regarding calculation of service. 

General Policies

1. The years valid and effective date fields printed on a Pennsylvania certificate are not to be used as the singular factor for determining certificate validity.
   
   
2. Certificates issued in accordance with 1980 and 1987 regulations are valid as follows:
• Instructional I:  six years of service.
• Alien Provisional:  six years of service (no longer issued and converted to non-citizen credential 9/2012).
• Educational Specialist I:  six years of service.
• Supervisory I:  three years of service.
  
  
3. Certificates issued in accordance with 1999 regulations are valid as follows:
• Instructional I:  six years of service.
• Educational Specialist I:  six years of service.
• Supervisory and Career and Technical Supervisor:  99 years of service.
   
4. Certificates issued on or after July 13, 2016 under Act 86, section 1204.2 are valid as follows:
• Career and Technical Instructional I: eight years of service.
• Career and Technical Instructional I certificates issued prior to July 13, 2016 that had six years of validity (under the 1999 regulations) and that were valid on July 13, 2016 will have a total of eight years of validity.
• Career and Technical Instructional I certificates issued prior to July 13, 2016 that had seven years of validity (under the 1987 regulations) and that were valid on July 13, 2016 will receive an additional one school term/year of valid service.
  
  
5. Administrative Certificates issued in accordance with statute and regulations listed below are valid as follows:

Credential	Type Code	Years Valid
Administrative I: Elementary or Secondary Principal (effective 1980 and 1987)	83/84	Five years of service
Administrative (effective 1999)	78	99 years of service
Administrative I (effective 7/20/2007)	75	Five years of service beginning 1/1/2008
Provisional Administrative I (effective 6/30/2011) *	72	Five years of service
Career and Technical Administrative Director	78	99 years of service

*Within two years of employment as a principal, vice principal, or assistant principal, the provisional certificate holder must either:

• Complete an approved administrator preparation program; and
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of school law by presenting evidence of satisfactory achievement on the Praxis test required for administrative certification.
  OR
• Provide proof of completion of an Introductory Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership (PIL) program approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE); and
• Satisfactory achievement on the Praxis test required for administrative certification.
  
  
6. Military Science certificates are valid for 99 years.
   
   
7. The holder of a Level I Instructional certificate issued prior to September 1980 was initially granted a renewable three-year certificate.  In September 1980, new regulations extended the validity to a total of six service years, eliminating the need for renewals.  The certificate must be converted to Level II by the end of the service time.
   
   
8. Effective September 28, 2012, Alien Provisional certificates were no longer issued.  A standard level I certificate (Instructional or Educational Specialist, etc.) is issued and designated on the credential as non-U.S. citizen.
   
   
9. Either the employing school entity or the certificate holder may request a validity determination for a Pennsylvania Level I certificate by submitting the Documentation Worksheet for Determining Certificate Validity.
   
   
10. Only PDE’s Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality can determine the validity of a certificate.
    
    
11. For an educator to serve on a certificate, the certificate must be valid. The certificate must also be maintained as active by completing approved continuing professional education requirements.
    
    
12. Additional information can be found in the Lapsed Certificat​es Basic Education Circular.

Intern Certificates

1. The validity period of a Career and Technical Intern certificate is three calendar years from date of issuance, whether or not the certificate is used by the educator. 
   
   
2. The validity period of an Instructional Teacher Intern certificate is three service years.
   

References

22 Pa. Code §§49.82, 49.102, 49.92, 49.142 (b), 49.152; 24 PS 12-1214; 24 PS 11-1109 (c).
24 P.S. § 12-1204.2

Related CSPGs: CSPG #7

This revision supersedes all earlier CSPGs carrying this number and/or addressing this subject. Previous CSPG printing dates on this subject: 12/79, 1/87, 7/04, 6/14, 9/18

Summary of Changes