Getting Started

This section includes essential information on the steps and processes in applying for a Hawaiʻi license or permit. All applications must be submitted through your Hawai’i Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) portal. The processing time for your application may vary depending on the type of application you submit. It can take up to six weeks or more to complete the review process. This can be due to, but is not limited to, waiting for additional information from external agencies or schools.

The information and documents listed in this section are required for ALL applicants regardless of the application submitted. Interested applicants must be able to produce and upload clear copies of the requested information and documents before submitting their application from their HTSB portal. If a document is incomplete, difficult to read, or not scanned in its entirety, an HTSB staff member will ask you to resubmit a clear and complete version.

Lastly, teachers must verify their experience and demonstration of the Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) approved performance standards. Hawaiʻi teaching licenses and permits issued both initially and upon renewal require verification of full-time teaching experience in a P-12 contracted position in Hawaiʻi or another U.S. state or territory. This requirement is implied for all applications, verification options, and HTSB forms, whether expressly stated or not.

How to Start and Submit an Application

A Hawai’i Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) profile is required for all applications. If you do not already have one, you must create one. As part of your profile, the HTSB requires a non-school-issued email address on file, as well as an updated mailing address. If any of the above have changed, we request that you update your profile with the correct information within 30 calendar days from when the change took place.

After your profile has been created, click on your name, then go to MY PROFILE. From here, you will select the appropriate action, which can include starting a new application, converting a license or permit, or adding a teaching field. Complete all steps of your selected application, saving your progress after each step. When you’re finished with your application, click SUBMIT. Your assigned licensing specialist will evaluate your application after it has been submitted. Please use your Contact HTSB tab in your HTSB profile for all questions. Only ONE application can be submitted at a time. Once the application has been processed or canceled, you may submit a new application.

If you are locked out of your HTSB account, please email [email protected] for assistance. Do not create a new account, as the information and documents entered on your original account will not be transferred to your new account. If you submitted the wrong application or selected the wrong verification option, we will need permission to cancel your application to allow you to reapply correctly. It may take up to six (6) weeks to process your application. This can be due to, but is not limited to, waiting for additional information from external agencies or schools.

Video: How to Start and Submit an Application

Applying Without a Valid License or Permit	Converting a Valid Hawaiʻi License or Permit	Adding a New Teaching Field
Create / Login to your HTSB profile Click on your name (right-hand corner) Go to My Profile Go to the Applications tab -> Start New Application -> Complete all steps of the application - Save after each section - When you finish your application, click SUBMIT	Create / Login to your HTSB profile Click on your name (right-hand corner) Go to My Profile Go to the Licenses/Permits tab -> Convert License/Permit -> Complete all steps of the application -> Save after each step -> When you finish your application, click SUBMIT	Create / Login to your HTSB profile Click on your name (right-hand corner) Go to My Profile Go to your Licenses/Permits tab -> Add Teaching Field -> Complete all steps of the application -> Save after each section -> When you finish your application, click SUBMIT

Submitting Documents and Transcripts

In accordance with Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules §8-54-2.2 (b) (1) (c) (1) and the Delegation of Powers to the Executive Director (cited below), the Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board requires the submittal of official documents for all applications prior to being issued a license, permit, or certificate. HTSB Policy linked here (NBI22-23).

Scan and upload all required documents directly using the Documents Tab in your HTSB account. Once complete, a notification will be sent to HTSB that a document has been added. Your first and last name listed in your HTSB profile MUST match the name on all documents submitted. If there has been a name change, submit a name change request and upload the required documentation for the name change. 

A copy of your official transcript verifying the completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution is required. You may upload your official transcript to your Documents tab in your HTSB profile or email it to [email protected]. If you would like to mail your official transcript, send it to: 

Hawaiʻi Teachers Standards Board 

650 Iwilei Road, Suite 268

Honolulu, HI 96817

If you are submitting non-U.S. transcripts and/or official documents from non-U.S. institutions, they must include a course-by-course evaluation from a member of the National Association for Credential Evaluation Services (www.naces.org). If you completed a teacher preparation program outside the U.S., the evaluation must indicate that the program completed is equivalent to a teacher education preparation program in the U.S. It must specify the content area(s) and grade level(s) for which the person is prepared to teach. The NACES report will be further evaluated to determine the required U.S. equivalency for the application submitted. If it does not meet the required U.S. equivalency, a licensing specialist will contact you.

Government-Issued Photo Identification Requirement

A valid government-issued photo identification is required prior to the issuance of a Hawaiʻi license, permit, or certificate. Information on the government-issued photo identification provided to HTSB must match the profile information in your HTSB account and all documents submitted (read HTSB’s New Business Item 21-02 Revised policy). An expired identification on file is not considered valid and must be updated. School identification badges and cards will not be accepted as government-issued photo identification.

The Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) will accept the following forms of identification: 

A valid U.S. passport or passport card. 
A valid international passport or passport card.  
A valid driver’s license issued by any U.S. state.  
A valid identification card issued by any U.S. state.  
A valid U.S. military or military-dependent identification card (including the back side).  
A valid U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner identification card. 
A Native American Tribal Document. 
A valid U.S. Visa.
A valid U.S. Green Card.

U.S. Social Security Number Requirement

Effective April 1, 2022, and in accordance with state and federal laws, HTSB will require each applicant to disclose their Social Security Number and submit a readable copy of their Social Security card prior to the issuance or renewal of a license, permit, or certificate (read HTSB’s New Business Item 21-24 policy). A wet signature on the card is required. Digital signatures will not be accepted. 

If an applicant is unable to provide a social security number with a readable copy of their Social Security card, their application will be deemed incomplete and will not be processed further. Additionally, you will not qualify for a license, permit, or certificate if you have a United States Social Security Number. This does not apply to previously employed and current Hawaiʻi Department of Education and Hawaii State Public Charter School teachers who have already provided the required information.

Request for Name, Birthdate, and Social Security Number Correction

Updating your information ensures that your educator license record remains accurate and up to date. Updating your name and/or contact information with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education does not automatically update your Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board profile, as both are separate systems.

Follow the steps below to update your legal name, correct your date of birth, or fix an incorrect Social Security number on record. This process allows you to make changes such as updating your name, contact details, or employment information to keep your license in good standing.

Name Change or Correction	Birthdate Correction	Social Security Number Correction
Log in to your HTSB account. Under My Profile, click on the Name tab. Click on the Name Change Request checkbox, then update your Name information. Click on the Save Name Changes button, and On the Documents tab, upload a PDF or Word copy of a government-issued photo identification that matches your new name.	Log in to your HTSB account. Use the Contact HTSB tab to message a Licensing Specialist that your Birthdate is incorrect; and On the Documents tab, upload a PDF or Word copy of your government-issued photo identification with your correct birthdate. The ID must match the name on your HTSB account.	Log in to your HTSB account. Use the Contact HTSB tab to message a Licensing Specialist that your Social Security Number is incorrect; and On the Documents tab, upload a PDF or Word copy of your Social Security card and government-issued photo identification that matches the name on your Social Security Card.

Questions About Teaching in Hawaiʻi

HTSB does not have the authority to certify or license educators for substitute teaching or administrator roles. For information about substitute certification, please email the Teacher-Substitute Employee Automated System at [email protected] or call (808) 441-8400. For information about administrator roles, please email the Education Officer Recruitment Unit at [email protected] or call (808) 567-0877.

Contact us for questions regarding licenses and permits for teachers, counselors, and librarians. For all other questions, please see Where to go: A Guide for Hawaiʻi Teacher Applicants and Licensees