How to Become a Teacher in Minnesota

Minnesota certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Complete a Minnesota-approved teacher preparation program

   Earn at least a bachelor’s degree (or meet a statutory bachelor’s exemption) and finish a PELSB-approved teacher preparation program aligned to the licensure field, including field-specific student teaching. Minnesota program completers are recommended for a Tier 3 professional license.

   Source: mn.gov

2. 2

   Understand MTLE testing rules for Minnesota completers

   PELSB’s testing information document states that Minnesota teacher-preparation and licensure-via-portfolio completers are not required to pass MTLE tests for Tier 3. Out-of-state completers may still need MTLE content and pedagogy exams unless they qualify for an out-of-state testing substitution. Pedagogy and content tests are Pearson NES / MTLE, not Praxis.

   Source: mn.gov

3. 3

   Apply for a Tier 3 license (initial professional license)

   Submit the Tier 3 application with official transcripts and, for a first Minnesota license, a completed fingerprint card. PELSB’s 2026 Tier 3 application publishes an $89.00 fee for initial/first-time applicants (fingerprint included) and a $57.00 fee for existing Minnesota license holders.

   Source: mn.gov

4. 4

   Teach on Tier 3 and complete renewal clock hours

   A Tier 3 license is valid for three years, expires June 30 of the expiration year, and may be renewed an unlimited number of times. Renewal requires 75 clock hours including current mandatory requirements.

   Source: mn.gov

5. 5

   Advance to Tier 4 after three years of field experience

   Tier 4 requires a bachelor’s degree (or exemption), applicable exams or an exam exemption, at least three years of teaching experience in the licensure field, and an aligned preparation program or equivalent. Tier 4 is valid for five years and renews with 125 clock hours. The 2026 Tier 4 application uses the same $89 / $57 fee split.

   Source: mn.gov

Minnesota’s four-tier statute is the whole licensure story, not a marketing label. Tier 3 is the professional license after approved preparation and is what traditional graduates should target. Tier 4 is the experienced professional license after three years in the field. Tiers 1 and 2 are employment-tied permissions that are not transferable to another district or another state and are not “professional licenses” under Minnesota administrative rule. Talking about a generic “Minnesota teaching license” without naming the tier hides whether the educator can move districts.

Testing is the sharpest difference from Praxis-primary states. PELSB still administers Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations, historically the Pearson NES series used as MTLE. The October 2024 testing document is explicit: Minnesota preparation and portfolio completers need no MTLE for Tier 3; Tier 2 needs no testing for issuance; Tier 1 only requires an attempt (not a passing score) at content tests before the first renewal; Tier 4 adds no new tests. Out-of-state applicants are the group most likely to sit MTLE content and pedagogy. Passing scores are published on the MTLE site by field, not as one statewide cut. PELSB’s Tier 1 testing table lists $78.50 per typical content subtest.

First-license economics are printed on the 2026 application PDFs. Initial applicants who have never held PELSB licensure (or who have held only a Community Expert permission) submit a fingerprint card and pay $89.00. Existing Minnesota license holders pay $57.00 without a new card. Those figures appear on the Tier 1, Tier 3, and Tier 4 2026 POST applications. Renewal of an existing Tier 3, Tier 4, substitute, or administrative license is also listed at $57.00 on PELSB renewal forms.

Out-of-state evaluation is a menu, not a compact slogan. A candidate can reach Tier 3 with an aligned out-of-state program plus equivalent student teaching, or with a professional out-of-state license plus two years as teacher of record, or after three years of teaching on a Minnesota Tier 2 license. Testing substitutions exist when the other state required tests at the time of preparation and the applicant submits official score verification. PELSB’s approved-programs page states the Board does not review out-of-state providers; the burden is on the transcript and the student-teaching equivalency (often described as about 12 consecutive weeks).

Required exams and fees

Minnesota uses Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations (MTLE) / Pearson NES series — PELSB, not Praxis-primary. Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Full Minnesota exam requirements →

Moving a license to Minnesota

PELSB’s Tier 3 application and FY25 guidance allow a professional license through: a Minnesota-approved program; an out-of-state approved program with equivalent field-specific student teaching (or two years of aligned teaching) plus, in some cases, MTLE or the other state’s required tests; a professional license from another state in good standing plus two years as teacher of record in that field; three years of teaching on a Minnesota Tier 2 license; or licensure via portfolio. PELSB does not review teacher preparation programs outside Minnesota; out-of-state programs are evaluated against Minnesota’s student-teaching and testing rules.

Official Minnesota reciprocity guidance