Residency Licensure

Picture of male educator sitting outside reading

North Carolina is pleased to introduce a new alternate pathway to becoming a professional educator called the Residency License.  This route allows qualified individuals to obtain a teaching position and begin teaching right away as a Resident while obtaining a clear professional educator's license.

License Qualifications

The NC Dept of Public Instruction authorizes a one-year Residency License that may be renewed twice for up to a 3-year licensure cycle.  Residency licensure is issued on a provisional basis in the teaching area that corresponds to the individual's qualifications. An approved educator preparation program (EPP) must determine the applicant for the license to be qualified and enroll the individual, while a North Carolina school system or charter school employs the Resident to teach.  Both EPP enrollment and public school system employment as a teacher are required to qualify for and continue teaching on a Residency License.

Residency License Application Form

Remember that only the enrolling EPP along with the hiring school system can qualify you and initiate the Residency License process by completing Form RL.