PELSB's licensure team has been hard at work during our busiest time of the year - issuing more than 11,000 licenses and permissions since July 1, including over 4,000 first time licenses! That is an average of more than 1,000 licenses issued per week from July 1 - September 15, with the licensure team working overtime to ensure that students have licensed educators in their classrooms.

The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) have collaborated to launch a new statewide initiative, TeachMN, in partnership with TEACH, a national nonprofit leader in teacher recruitment. Together, we are working to expand and diversify Minnesota’s teacher workforce through a unified, accessible, and free recruitment platform: TeachMN.org.

Developed collaboratively with Minnesota service cooperatives, school districts, charter and Tribally Controlled schools, teacher preparation programs, institutions of higher education, and community organizations, TeachMN is designed to supplement and strengthen existing teacher recruitment and support efforts across the state.

The free platform offers tools and personalized support for aspiring educators, including: a searchable database of scholarships and financial aid for future educators; an interactive tool to explore Minnesota’s teacher preparation programs; and, application fee reimbursements and scholarship opportunities. Learn more about TeachMN on our website and join today!

Out-of-Field Permissions Infographic

PELSB has created an infographic outlining the out-of-field permissions (OFP) request process. This infographic is a general overview - for further details, please visit the Special Permissions page or direct questions to special.permission.PELSB@state.mn.us.

Customer Service Hours

Please note that customer service phone hours are still limited to:

Tuesday: 9am-12pm, 1:30pm-4pm
Wednesday: 9am-12pm, 1:30pm-4pm
Thursday: 9am-12pm, 1:30pm-4pm

Walk-in visitors are accepted:

Tuesday: 9am-4pm
Wednesday: 9am-4pm
Thursday: 9am-4pm

Approved Job Board and Advertising

MN School Jobs is the approved statewide job board. PELSB is not able to accept advertising on any other job board for OFP's or Tier 1 licenses. Please include the Job Board ID number on the form.

Tier 1 Advertising Clarification

The Tier 1 form asks how many applicants licensed in the specific licensure field are being requested (question 7). Please only disclose applicants who applied and held a valid, non-expired license in MN for the specific licensure field being requested. Do not include information on those who applied with expired licenses or without a MN license.

Forms and Applications

When submitting applications and forms, please use the most up-to-date version found on our website. PELSB updates forms regularly as requirements change. Submitting out-of-date forms can cause delays in processing.

Before submitting, please double check all forms for accuracy and ensure that forms are signed and dated correctly. PELSB cannot accept typed signatures - signatures must be signed by hand or using an approved electronic signature showing the date and time signed.

Applicant Transcripts

If applicable, applicants may submit their official transcripts directly to PELSB@state.mn.us using an approved, secure parchment service.

OFP Requests

When submitting an OFP request for multiple teachers, please make sure a separate email is sent for each requested OFP. We cannot accept multiple OFP requests in one email.

Renewal Requirements

The American Indian History and Culture renewal requirement is required for each licensure renewal, including all Tier 1 and Tier 2 renewals.