Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
A Wyoming substitute teaching permit by the college route needs at least 60 semester hours or an associate degree from an accredited college, with official transcripts sent to the Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB). The other route is 24 hours of district in-service, 30 hours of observation and the constitution exams. UPI Study credit helps only once a college puts it on its transcript.
Under PTSB Rules Chapter 6, Section 2 (019-6 Wyo. Code R. 6-2), the Classroom Substitute Permit needs a high school diploma plus either at least 60 semester hours at an accredited institution of higher education or 24 clock hours of district in-service training with 30 clock hours of classroom observation; the permit is valid for 5 years.
The rule asks for 60 semester hours or an associate degree (college route). The legal source is 019-6 Wyo. Code R. 6-2.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Base | High school diploma or equivalency certificate | [1] |
| College route | At least 60 semester hours or an associate degree from an accredited college or university | [1] |
| Alternative route | 24 hours of district in-service, 30 hours of observation (10 at each level), US and Wyoming Constitution exams | [1] |
| Proof | Official transcripts sent electronically from the institution to PTSB | [1] |
| Background | Fingerprints and a clear background check | [1] |
| Valid for | Five years; renewal needs 2 semester hours or 28 hours of PTSB-approved professional development | [1] |
Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB).
Written communication credit almost every college plan includes; core of a first 60 hours.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Common math general education credit; useful when you cover math classes.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Social science credit that most associate degrees list.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
How students learn; relevant to classroom work and to a later teaching degree.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
History credit for general education and for covering social studies.
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Second social science credit that fits most associate plans.
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; check each partner's own transfer pages and get its answer in writing before you rely on a course.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Central Wyoming College (Wyoming resident) | $171.50 per credit, 2026-2027 | About $2,058 for 12 credits or $4,116 for 24, books extra | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month | Similar monthly cost; check which courses your college considers | 15 Nov 2026 |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month plus a course fee (for example $79) | About $178 for the first course, then the course fee for each further course | 15 Nov 2026 |
A Wyoming community college gives you a transcript straight away. Online courses cost less per credit but need a college to list the credit on its transcript before PTSB will see it, and that college may charge its own fees.
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.
Ask PTSB in writing whether the college transcript you plan to send meets the 60 semester hour route, and ask the college in writing which courses it will consider, before you enrol.
Wyoming gives you a choice. The college route asks for 60 semester hours or an associate degree. The alternative route asks for a high school diploma or GED, 24 hours of in-service training from a school district, 30 hours of classroom observation split as 10 hours each at elementary, junior high or middle, and high school level, and passing the US and Wyoming Constitution exams. Both routes end in the same Classroom Substitute Permit, valid for five years.
Which route is faster depends on you. Someone with 45 college hours may finish the college route sooner than arranging 30 observation hours. Someone with no college credit and a district willing to train them may prefer the in-service route. Neither route is better on paper.
PTSB wants official transcripts sent electronically by the institution. That means the proof of your hours is a college transcript, not a certificate from a course provider. Courses with an ACE or NCCRS credit recommendation, like ours, are designed for colleges to review. When a college that considers these recommendations lists the credit on its transcript, the college sends that transcript like any other.
So the order matters: choose the college, get its written answer on which courses it will consider, study, send the record to the college, then have the college send its transcript to PTSB.
The permit lasts five years. To renew it, PTSB asks for two semester hours of transcript credit, or 28 hours of other professional development PTSB approves, and a renewal application before the permit expires. Regionally accredited college coursework is one of the listed options. If the permit lapses, the same credit requirement applies to reinstate it, and the alternative path cannot be used again if you used it the first time.
Apply to the Professional Teaching Standards Board for a Classroom Substitute Permit. Qualify by the college route (60 semester hours or an associate degree, with official transcripts sent to PTSB) or the alternative route (diploma or GED, 24 in-service hours, 30 observation hours and the constitution exams). Both need fingerprints and a clear background check.
No bachelor's degree is needed. The college route asks for 60 semester hours or an associate degree. The alternative route needs no college credit at all, but asks for district in-service training, classroom observation in three grade bands, and the US and Wyoming Constitution exams.
Five years. To renew it, PTSB asks for two semester hours of transcript credit or 28 hours of PTSB-approved professional development, with a renewal application sent before the current permit expires.
Online courses taken at an accredited college count like any other, because they appear on its official transcript. Courses from a provider with ACE or NCCRS recommendations count only once an accredited college lists the credit on its transcript. Ask PTSB and the college in writing first.
The Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) issues the Classroom Substitute Permit under its Chapter 6 rules. School districts hire substitutes and run the in-service training for the alternative route, and some districts set extra hiring steps of their own.
The rule asks for semester hours at an accredited institution of higher education, and the PTSB page says an accredited college or university. Credits from an unaccredited school, or held only by a course provider, do not meet the college route until an accredited college transcribes them.
Every course in one plan; move the credit via a college transcript once the college confirms in writing.