IMPORTANT: The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) utilizes an electronic licensing application system. Please refer to the DPI website for information related to this process. For DPI Licensure processing issues/questions, please contact DPI via this form. If you are a UW Madison alum or student and are having issues with your application, follow the information below or contact the Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center for assistance.
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Requesting Endorsement Upon Program Completion
The Educator Licensing Online (ELO) system requires that the UW-Madison School of Education notify the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) of your endorsement for licensure before you apply for your teaching license. A Bachelor’s degree is required for licensure; therefore, teacher candidates who are earning their first Bachelor’s degree cannot be endorsed until after their degree has been posted. In addition to the Bachelor’s degree requirement, you must also successfully complete all of your teacher education program requirements – which includes successful completion of required assessments and a full semester of full-time student teaching. As soon as these steps are completed, your program will notify the Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center that you are ready to be endorsed. Once we have given DPI our endorsement for your license(s), you can complete the application online at any time. To ensure that your endorsement is sent to DPI, please complete the License Endorsement Request online before the end of your last semester of coursework at UW-Madison. This procedure should take less than 5 minutes. Please reach out to educatorlicensing@education.wisc.edu if you have any questions.
Finger Printing Requirements
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) requires the applicant to submit fingerprints when applying for a license if the applicant has worked, resided, or physically attended classes in any of the locations listed below within the last twenty years (afer age 17):
- U.S. states other than Wisconsin
- Listed U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, or Virgin Islands)
- Canada
- Great Britain (England, Scotland, or Wales)
- Applicants, who since their most recent submission of fingerprints to DPI have worked, resided, or physically attended classes in any locations listed above.
- Applicants who provide an address on their application that is in any of the locations listed above.
DPI also has an interactive Fingerprint Decision Tree if you have any additional questions.
Educator Licensing Online (ELO) Application Steps
Even though you notify us of your intent to be licensed in the State of Wisconsin, you must still complete the application process for DPI to issue you a license. You can apply for your license once you have completed all of the certification requirements, including successful completion of your student teaching experience.
Access step-by-step instructions for applying for a Wisconsin teaching license here.
When filling out your application in DPI’s Educator Licensing Online (ELO) system, you will reach a portion of the application in which the system will display the license(s) for which you have been endorsed. If you do not see the correct license(s) displayed, DO NOT CONTINUE. Save what you have done and contact educatorlicensing@education.wisc.edu to get the information corrected.
Once you begin the conduct and competency section of the application you must complete it before you exit the system. DPI estimates that the total time to complete an application in the system will be less than 40 minutes.
Pre-Approval & Program Verification Letters
You can receive a pre-approval letter once you have enrolled in coursework that will complete the requirements for a licensing program. This letter states that you are currently finishing up the course requirements of your licensing program; it can be used in your job search until your license is processed. If you would like to receive a pre-approval letter, please complete the Pre-Approval Letter Request online.
Program verification letters can only be issued once all requirements have been completed and your information has been submitted to DPI for licensure. Follow the Pre-Approval Letter Request link above if you need a verification letter while your license is being processed by DPI.
Applying for a License in Another State
If you are planning to apply for a license in a state other than Wisconsin, you will need to check the application requirements of that state. The University of Kentucky has a website that provides links to teacher licensing agencies in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Most states have a verification form that needs to be signed by a UW-Madison certification officer. This form verifies that you have completed a state-approved licensure program. These forms should be sent to educatorlicensing@education.wisc.edu, to be completed. Please fill out all demographic information and any requested information about your practicum and student teaching assignments (names of schools, grade levels, dates, etc.), prior to emailing the form.
We highly recommend you get your Wisconsin teaching license even if you plan to teach in another state.