Hawaii State Law dictates that no teacher in a Hawaii public or charter school shall serve as a teacher without first having obtained a license or permit. To obtain your Hawaii license or permit, please visit the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

The options commonly used for licensure are the following:

The Standard License is available for teachers that have completed a state approved teacher education program (or hold an active, valid license from another state) AND have at least 3 out of the last 5 years of full-time teaching experience in Hawaii or another state; OR

The Provisional License is available for teachers that have completed a state approved teacher education program (or hold an active, valid license from another state) and do not yet have at least 3 out of the last 5 years of full-time teaching experience in Hawaii or another state; OR

The Emergency Hire Permit makes you eligible for employment and you can hold an Emergency Hire Permit for three years of employment, as you work towards obtaining a license. You will need a copy of your official transcript verifying completion of a bachelor’s degree.

You may apply for a teaching, counselor or librarian position with the Hawaii State Department of Education prior to obtaining your Hawaii license; however, before starting in your new position, you must have a Hawaii license or permit. Should you obtain your no-cost Hawaii license from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) after you’ve applied with the Hawaii Department of Education, you may email it to the Hawaii Department of Education at teacher.recruitment@k12.hi.us