Renewing a DPI-issued License or Permit

All applications to renew a license or permit are made in our Educator Licensing Online (ELO) system.  Requirements to renew a license or permit depend on the type of license an educator holds or held and when the educator completed his/her educator prep program.  

In general, licenses and permits issued by the DPI have a start date of July 1 expiring on June 30. Important: Do not attempt to submit a renewal application until after January 1 of the year your license expires.  Trying to renew earlier will cause a warning in the ELO system, and trying to submit a different application transaction will delay the processing of your renewal.

Note: Renewal applications are processed with an effective date of July 1st in the year in which they were received.  If an application is submitted before the year the license expires, the new license will have a five-year term, but this will shorten the term of the existing license being renewed.

Follow these general directions for renewing your license/permit:

  • To avoid delay in processing your application, please submit a complete application. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Applicants who submit incomplete application are notified of the specific errors or omissions. Applicants should promptly respond with all necessary information to complete the application.
  • When you submit a complete and accurate renewal application before June 30th of the year in which your license expires, Wis. Stat. 227.51 (2) provides that your existing license does not expire until the DPI completes the processing of your renewal application.
  • Military personnel who are in active duty status at the time of license expiration/renewal may be eligible for a waiver of fee and professional growth requirement. Please refer to Act 209 web page for more information.
  • If an applicant holds multiple licenses with different expiration dates can request that their license cycles be synchronized when they apply for renewal. Eligibility depends on factors such as license types, license stages, and when the professional growth requirement was completed.
     

Professional Growth Requirement

Different DPI licenses have different renewal requirements.  Teachers, administrators, and pupil service professionals who completed an educator preparation program before September 1, 2004, may continue to renew their licenses under the old PI 3 rules.  Follow this link for information, see http://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/licensing/renewal/pi3.

Teachers, administrators, and pupil service professionals who completed an educator preparation program on or after September 1, 2004, renew under the PI 34 rules and renew their licenses by completing a verified Professional Development Plan (PDP).  More information can be found at http://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/pdp.

Educators who hold a Special Education Program Aide, Short-term Substitute, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, or any other kind of DPI license not mentioned above have different renewal requirements.  Please see http://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/licensing/types/other-general.

For information about transcript requirements for license renewal, please go to http://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/licensing/renewal/transcripts.

What if I am about to retire?

Educators who are 55 years or older and hold or previously held a professional, master or life teacher, administrator or pupil services license in the state of Wisconsin may apply for another five year license without completing the professional development requirements to renew (six credits or PDP).  This is called the Five-Year Non-Renewable License Based on Retirement Eligibility and may only be issued one time.  Apply for the Five-Year Non-Renewable License Based on Retirement Eligibility in ELO.

What if I do not complete my PDP or credits before my license expires?

Initial and Professional Educators who do not complete the required professional development may apply for a one-year non-renewable license, also known as an extension.  Educators who do not complete the professional development requirement during this additional year will only be eligible for a substitute license until the requirements are fulfilled.  Tips for applying for the one-year extension are available for Initial Educators and Professional Educators.
 

How do I renew my license if I am working outside of Wisconsin?

Professional Educators who have worked outside of Wisconsin for the entire five years of their license, including those who are expected to complete a PDP because they completed their preparation program after August 31, 2004, may renew their license by completing six semester credits from an accredited college or university.
 

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