How to transfer your Special education teacher licence to Tennessee (2026)

Special education teacher work in Tennessee is licensed at state level, by the Tennessee department of education. This page says what a special education teacher licensed or working in another state has to do to work in Tennessee, in the order to do it, and what goes wrong when the order is reversed.

How the transfer works

Special education certificates transfer under the same NASDTEC agreement as any teaching certificate: Tennessee recognises your program and experience, then requires its own tests, any state-specific courses and a background check, usually issuing a provisional certificate first. Because special education is a shortage area in nearly every state, districts often help with the paperwork.

Exam: Praxis special education or the state's own test.

How long: six to twelve weeks for a provisional certificate. Fee: $50 to $200 plus tests; the current figure is on the licensing body's own site.

What to have ready before you move

• Transcripts
• Certificate and experience verification
• Test scores
• Fingerprints

Start the paperwork before you give notice. Every week the licence is not done is a week you are not paid, and nothing in the process needs you to be in Tennessee already.

What people get wrong

• Assuming the endorsement areas map one to one; a cross-categorical certificate may map to several in ${STATE}

Who hires special education teachers in Tennessee

Special education teachers in Tennessee are hired by public districts, charter networks, residential programs and state schools. The metros with the most of that work are Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga. Employers who could not hire locally and have filed with the Department of Labor are on the Tennessee openings page.

Everything about Tennessee, on one page

The Tennessee page has the registries and boards, the income tax table, the programs that pay you to come and the openings filed this month. If you know which state you are leaving, the move pages compare the two directly. Creating a free Workmerica profile with your trade and your destination puts you in front of Tennessee employers hiring from out of state.