In accordance with the Governor’s Proclamation 20-25, “Stay Home, Stay Healthy,” and to protect the health and safety of Washingtonians and our employees, at this time, there is restricted public access to the OSPI building. OSPI will continue serving the public via phone, email, and the website.
See OSPI’s COVID-19 guidance and resources for educators, students, and families.
The Professional Certification Office is currently experiencing an unprecedented amount of calls and emails. Please be assured that our customer service specialists are working diligently to answer all inquiries in the order that we have received them.
Emailing and calling more than once, only slows the process down further. We promise that we will get to your call or email, it will just take some patience on your part. We also know that some of you are worried that you will not receive your certification renewals in order to start work in the fall. Please know that we take this renewal process very seriously and will do everything in our powers to get everyone renewed and back in the classrooms this fall.
The customer service representatives' regular telephone hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm and Tuesdays, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.
There are nearly 200,000 certified educators in Washington state. This includes classroom teachers, principals, paraeducators, school counselors, superintendents, and more. Most certifications must be renewed by OSPI every five years. This page contains information about the certification and renewal processes, requirements for continuing education, emergency certifications, how military veterans and educators from out of state can teach in Washington, and more.
