Alternative Teacher Certification in Hawaii

Hawaii alternative certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Confirm a shortage assignment and a bachelor’s degree

   An Emergency Hire Permit may be issued to an unlicensed individual to teach in a HIDOE or public charter school shortage or hard-to-fill position when no licensed teacher is available. You must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent and clear HTSB Professional Fitness.

   Source: hawaiiteacherstandardsboard.org

2. 2

   Apply for the one-year Emergency Hire Permit in the HTSB portal

   Submit government-issued photo ID, degree evidence, and fitness documentation as PDF, Word, or JPG from your HTSB account. The permit is valid for one year and expires June 30. HTSB may reissue it twice, for a maximum of three years, while you work toward a license. Peak processing can take six weeks.

   Source: hawaiiteacherstandardsboard.org

3. 3

   Enroll in an HTSB-approved SATEP, including alternate providers

   The permit is authorization to work, not a license. Enroll in a Hawaiʻi-approved SATEP—including alternate / post-baccalaureate providers HTSB has approved, such as Teach For America–Hawaiʻi—to become eligible for Provisional or Standard licensure. Out-of-state SATEPs must lead to licensure in that state, and Hawaiʻi basic-skills and content rules still apply.

   Source: hawaiiteacherstandardsboard.org

4. 4

   Complete Praxis requirements and program recommendation

   Pass the HTSB-approved Praxis Core, PLT, and content tests (code 8620) unless you qualify for an HTSB-listed exemption. When the SATEP recommends you, apply for the Provisional License (fewer than three years of experience) or Standard License (three of the last five years of contracted P-12 teaching).

   Source: hawaiiteacherstandardsboard.org

5. 5

   Do not treat Emergency Hire as renewable career status

   Emergency Hire Permits and Provisional Licenses are non-renewable. After June 30 you may apply for a new Emergency Hire beginning July 1 only if you are still in a shortage assignment and have remaining reissuance years. Plan the SATEP finish date so a license application is pending before the third June 30.

   Source: hawaiiteacherstandardsboard.org

Emergency Hire is shortage-contingent. HTSB’s permit language requires a HIDOE or public charter hard-to-fill assignment and no licensed teacher available. It is not a general intern license you can take to any school that likes your resume. When the shortage ends, the permit rationale ends even if you are mid-SATEP—another reason to file the license application as soon as the program recommends you.

Three June 30ths is the entire Emergency Hire runway (initial year plus two reissuances). Because you cannot renew and must wait until July 1 to reapply, a late spring file can leave July classrooms uncovered. HTSB’s own renewal page groups Emergency Hire with Provisional as non-renewable. Treat the third year as the last lawful unlicensed year, not a grace period.

Teach For America–Hawaiʻi appears on HTSB’s SATEP list as an approved alternate preparation unit with defined secondary fields and board new-business items, not as a freelance fellowship. Completers still need HTSB licensure tests or listed exemptions and a Board application. Naming TFA on a resume does not replace the Provisional/Standard transaction in the HTSB profile.

Professional Fitness is independent of HIDOE onboarding fingerprints. HTSB’s FAQ tells applicants that department paperwork does not satisfy the Board. Emergency Hire reviews stall for the same fitness documents Standard applicants upload. Start the HTSB profile before the first day of the shortage assignment; a June offer for a July start is already inside the six-week review window.

Required exams and fees

Hawaii uses HTSB-approved Praxis Core, Principles of Learning and Teaching, and content tests (ETS state code 8620); ACTFL accepted for some world languages. Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Full Hawaii exam requirements →

Moving a license to Hawaii

Emergency Hire is a Hawaiʻi shortage permit, not reciprocity. Teachers who already hold a valid out-of-state license should apply for Provisional or Standard through HTSB’s out-of-state options instead of collecting Emergency Hire years. Home-state tests may satisfy basic skills and content when HTSB requires verification.

Official Hawaii reciprocity guidance