How to Become a Teacher in Maine

Maine certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Maine Department of Education — Certification Office publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Complete a Maine state-approved educator preparation program

   Pathway 1 is for graduates of a Maine state-approved educator preparation program. Review the official transcript for a note that the approved program was completed; if the note is missing, submit an approved-program verification form completed by the college (available on the Department’s Forms & Resources page).

   Source: maine.gov

2. 2

   Match the endorsement in Chapter 115, Part II

   Maine issues more than 150 endorsements for teachers, specialists, administrators, and CTE teachers. Certification Requirements direct applicants to Chapter 115 Part II to look up the endorsement code or name. Anyone who applied after June 10, 2022 follows the current Chapter 115 rules.

   Source: maine.gov

3. 3

   Complete a Criminal History Records Check (fingerprints / CHRC)

   A background check must be completed before issuance. Register for fingerprinting through the Department’s fingerprint / CHRC instructions linked from the certification pages. Positions that need only fingerprint clearance have a separate $15 CHRC-only fee.

   Source: maine.gov

4. 4

   Apply in the Maine Educator Information System (MEIS)

   Create a MEIS account (Chrome or Safari; Mozilla Firefox does not work with MEIS). Upload official transcripts showing a conferred bachelor’s degree, program verification, and any Praxis scores already taken. Select endorsements carefully—fees attach to the endorsements chosen before you continue.

   Source: maine.gov

5. 5

   Pay the teacher application fee and receive a professional certificate

   The Application and Fees page lists a $100 non-refundable initial teacher application fee, plus $35 for each additional endorsement. A professional teacher certificate is issued for five years under 20-A M.R.S. §13013.

   Source: maine.gov

Maine’s 2022 Chapter 115 rewrite is the reason older “Praxis-only” checklists are outdated. The State Board’s adopted rule and the Department newsroom summary state that Praxis exams are no longer the exclusive requirement; an applicant may use Praxis, a 3.0 summative GPA on courses required for the certification, or a portfolio for review. Pathway 1 completers from Maine-approved programs still need the right endorsement documentation, but they should not assume a missing Praxis score automatically blocks a professional certificate if Chapter 115 Part II for that endorsement offers another evidence option.

MEIS is brittle about browsers and email. Official certification pages warn that Mozilla Firefox does not work with MEIS and that applicants should use Chrome, Safari, or another alternative. The How to Apply packet tells users to review endorsement codes and associated fees before clicking next, because the fee calculation is generated from the endorsements selected in that step. Transcripts already on file do not need to be resent unless new coursework has been added.

The professional certificate term is statutory, not a Department preference. Title 20-A §13013 issues the professional teacher certificate for five years and requires at least six semester hours of professional or academic study or in-service training for renewal, with a ten-year renewal period if the teacher holds National Board certification. The public renewals table restates that academic requirement as 6 semester credits or 90 contact hours and prices teacher renewal at $100 when all endorsements are renewed together.

Reciprocity on the official initial-certification page is shortage-tied. Pathway 3 says a reciprocal professional certificate may be issued to holders of a comparable certificate from another state, D.C., a U.S. territory, or another country to address an identified staffing shortage, after a criminal history background check. Chapter 115 Part I repeats that reciprocal professional certificates can be issued only to address identified staffing shortages. That is narrower than “any valid out-of-state license automatically becomes a Maine professional certificate,” and applicants outside shortage endorsements should expect Pathway 2 analysis or a conditional certificate instead.

Required exams and fees

Maine uses Chapter 115 options: Praxis scores, 3.0 GPA on required coursework, or portfolio review (endorsement-specific). Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Moving a license to Maine

Pathway 3 on Maine’s How to Become a Maine Educator page states that individuals may receive a reciprocal professional certificate if they have submitted a criminal history background check and hold a comparable certificate in another state, the District of Columbia, a U.S. territory, or another country to address an identified staffing shortage. Chapter 115 Part I (amended 2025) likewise states that reciprocal professional certificates can be issued only to address identified staffing shortages and are issued for five years. Submit valid teaching certificates, transcripts, tests taken, and complete fingerprinting.

Official Maine reciprocity guidance