Educational Psychology
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →FloridaTeachers
Renewing a Florida certificate when you are not teaching: the 6-credit route
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
To renew a Florida teaching certificate when not teaching, you apply to FLDOE, not a district, and you still need 6 college credits or 120 inservice points in the validity period. Without district inservice, college credit is the usual route. Plan 3 credits per subject you keep and 1 in teaching students with disabilities, and confirm each course with FLDOE in writing first.
Why the route is different outside a classroom
Section 1012.585 of the Florida Statutes splits renewal between two bodies. District school boards renew certificates for the people they employ. FLDOE renews certificates for people who are not employed by a Florida district. If you left teaching, teach at a private school, are raising children, or moved out of state, your renewal goes to FLDOE.
The requirement is the same for everyone: 6 college credits, 120 inservice points or a mix in each validity period of up to 5 years. What changes is access. Inservice points usually come from district training, which you may not be able to join. That makes college credit the practical route for most people outside a district.
Building your 6 credits
Start from your certificate. List every subject on it and decide which ones you want to keep. Each one needs at least 3 credits in that subject, or a passing Florida subject area exam for that subject. Then add 1 credit in teaching students with disabilities. If you keep one subject, two 3-credit courses can cover the total, but one of your credits must still be in students with disabilities.
If you hold a K-6 coverage that includes reading, the law also asks for 2 credits or equivalent points in evidence-based reading instruction from approved teacher preparation programs or district systems. Check whether that applies to you.
| Your situation | What to plan |
|---|---|
| One subject kept | 3 credits in that subject, 1 in students with disabilities, the rest of the 6 in anything that counts |
| Two subjects kept | 3 credits in each, plus 1 in students with disabilities |
| Strong in a subject | Consider the subject exam for that subject instead of credit |
Where the credits can come from
Any college course on a college transcript can count if FLDOE accepts it for the right part of the rule. Florida state colleges are one option, with credit on their own transcript from the start. Online providers are another, with an extra transcript step.
Our courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. A maths teacher might use College Algebra or Calculus 1 for the maths credits; a science teacher Intro to Biology. We do not have a students with disabilities course, so that credit needs another source.
Timing and late renewal
Credits must be earned in the current validity period, so do not count a course you finished before it started. Aim to have the transcript in hand a few months before the expiry date, because the transcript step can take weeks.
If you miss the date, the law allows late renewal when the application, fee and late fee arrive before 1 July of the year after expiry. After that, reinstatement asks for 6 credits or 120 points in the previous 5 years and a passing subject exam in that time, which is more work.
What to ask FLDOE before you start
Write to the Bureau of Educator Certification with your certificate number, the subjects you want to keep, each course description and the college that will post it. Ask whether each course would count for the subject line, the students with disabilities line, or only toward the total of 6. Keep the reply.
Also ask whether the rule change listed as effective 17 Nov 2026 alters anything for your renewal. We have not read the new rule text, so the Bureau's answer is the one to rely on.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your district certification office, or FLDOE if you are not employed by a district, in writing whether credits posted on a partner college's transcript would count for each subject on your certificate before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Can I renew my Florida certificate if I live in another state?
Yes. If no Florida district employs you, FLDOE handles the renewal, wherever you live. You need the same 6 credits or 120 points. College credit is usually easier to earn from outside Florida than district inservice points.
Does a private school count as being employed by a district?
No. The district route in the law covers people employed by a Florida district school board. Private school teachers usually renew through FLDOE. Some private schools run their own professional development, so ask FLDOE whether any of it can count.
Can two courses in one month cover the whole renewal?
They can cover the 6 credits if a college posts both at 3 credits and FLDOE counts them. You still need 1 credit in teaching students with disabilities inside that total, and 3 in each subject you keep, so plan the mix before you enrol.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Intro to Biology 1
Self-paced online Intro to Biology 1 course (Biology 100). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Ask your renewal office in writing first, then take two subject courses in one month.
Sources
- Florida Statutes s. 1012.585 (2025): Process for renewal of professional certificates (official)Districts renew for their employees, FLDOE for people not employed by a district; renewal periods up to 5 years, one renewal per period; minimum 6 college credits or 120 inservice points or a mix; at least 3 credits or equivalent points in each specialization kept; at least 1 college credit or equivalent points in teaching students with disabilities; a passing Florida subject area exam can renew a specialization in lieu of credit; K-6 reading coverages need 2 credits in science of reading from approved providers; leadership renewal 1 college credit or 20 inservice points; late renewal before 1 July of the year after expiry; reinstatement needs 6 credits or 120 points plus the subject exam within 5 years. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Florida Administrative Code Rule 6A-4.0051: Renewal and Reinstatement of a Professional Certificate (official)The State Board rule that carries out s. 1012.585; amended many times, most recently with a version effective 17 Nov 2026 tied to HB 561 (2026). The rule text itself is in a linked document we did not open. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.