Renew a Continuing Professional License with 8 CEUs earned within the most recent five years, including subject-area and literacy credits.
North Carolina educators renew a Continuing Professional License with 8 units of renewal credit (CEUs) earned within the most recent five years. One CEU equals 10 clock hours of professional development, so the full requirement is 80 clock hours.
The total is not the whole rule. How those 8 CEUs are distributed depends on what you teach. Elementary educators need 3 subject-area CEUs and 3 literacy CEUs; secondary teachers need 4 in their academic subject area. Administrators and student services personnel have their own allocations - confirm yours with NCDPI rather than assuming the elementary or secondary split applies.
The literacy requirement for K-5 is specific: evidence-based assessment, diagnosis and intervention strategies for students not demonstrating reading proficiency, grounded in the Science of Reading. NCDPI also notes that employing school systems may assign literacy requirements to any educator as a condition of employment, so your district may ask for more than the state minimum.
Official final transcripts are submitted with the renewal application.
Professional development certificates from approved providers, counted at 10 clock hours per CEU.
For K-5 educators: evidence-based assessment, diagnosis and intervention for students not reading proficiently, grounded in the Science of Reading.
3 CEUs in the academic subject area for K-5, 4 CEUs for 6-12.
Eight CEUs is the total for everyone, but the required distribution is not the same for every educator.
NCDPI notes that employing school systems reserve the right to assign literacy requirements for any educator as a condition of employment. The state minimum is a floor, not a ceiling.
80 clock hours of professional development, with the distribution that matches your grade band and role.
Official final transcripts and professional development certificates for everything you intend to submit.
Renewal is completed on or after April 15 of the year your license expires, as part of a complete application in the NCDPI Online Licensure System.
Credits and documentation go to the NCDPI Licensure Section as part of the application.
Eight units of renewal credit (CEUs) earned within the most recent five years, for both a current and an expired Continuing Professional License.
A unit of renewal credit is equal to 10 clock hours of professional development, so 8 CEUs is 80 clock hours.
Elementary educators need 3 CEUs in their academic subject area and 3 CEUs in literacy. Secondary teachers need 4 CEUs in their academic subject area. Administrators and student services personnel have different allocations.
For K-5 educators, evidence-based assessment, diagnosis and intervention strategies for students not demonstrating reading proficiency, grounded in the Science of Reading. Employing school systems may also assign literacy requirements to any educator as a condition of employment.
On or after April 15 of the year your license expires. Renewal applications for licenses expiring June 30 generally open between mid-April and early May, through the NCDPI Online Licensure System.
Yes. Select North Carolina and the system tracks progress toward 8 CEUs, converts professional development at 10 clock hours per CEU, and separates subject-area from literacy credit so you can see whether the distribution actually works.
Not in North Carolina? Find requirements for your state.
Evaluated in North Carolina? See how North Carolina teacher evaluation works, and how the evidence connects to the record you keep for renewal.
Part of EX in Education
CEU tracking is one part of how districts support educators. In EX in Education, it connects to the bigger picture: walkthroughs, coaching, evaluations, goals, PD, recognition, surveys, and retention. Bring your own process, or start from a template, then run it across every school so every educator moves from hired to thriving.