Special Permissions

When granted by the Board, special permissions allow educators to teach outside of their licensure field or scope for the duration of one academic school year. Permission requests need to be submitted by a district; processing of requests is 30 days from the submission of a completed application. This page provides information about available permissions and requirements for submitting a request.

Application Status

It can take up to 30 days after receipt of a complete OFP or CCDP request before the request is processed. If you have submitted an OFP/CCDP request before the week of July 13, 2026 and the OFP/CCDP does not appear on License Lookup, please resubmit the complete OFP/CCDP to special.permission.pelsb@state.mn.us.

Please see this slide deck for a broad overview of Special Permissions.

Lifetime OFP Limits

A teacher may hold up to five OFPs in their career.

OFPs issued prior to 2017-2018, and in the 2020-2021, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 school years do not count towards the five in a lifetime total. OFPs issued only for summer school do not count towards the five in a lifetime total. There is no limit to the number of summer school only OFPs.

OFP Process
OFP Request
Cross-Curricular Delivery Permission
Discretionary Variance

Out-of-Field Permission Process

A PDF version of the Out-of-Field Permission Process Infographic is available here.

For more details on the Out-of-Field Permission (OFP), or to find the OFP request form, please see the "OFP Request" tab.

This infographic last updated January 2026.
Out-of-Field Permission Request

An Out-of-Field Permission (OFP) allows a teacher to teach outside of their licensure field and/or scope (grade level) for one academic school year.

Out-of-Field Permission Process Infographic - January 2026

Out-of-Field Permission Quick Tips - Updated April 2026

Out-of-Field Permission Request - Updated April 2026

2019 Science Standards: Q&As about Implementation, Teacher Licensure, and More

About the permission:
- May be issued to a teacher who holds an active Tier 2, 3, or 4 teaching license (not a Related Services license - please see the Discretionary Variance tab for more information on Related Services licenses).
  - If the teacher holds a Tier 2 license the OFP may cover up to 50% of their FTE.
  - If the teacher holds a Related Services license, the district will need to request a Discretionary Variance.
- A teacher may hold up to five OFPs in their career
  - OFPs issued before 2017-2018, in the 2020-2021, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 school years do not count towards the five in a lifetime total
  - OFPs issued only for summer school do not count towards the five in a lifetime total. There is no limit to the number of summer school only OFPs.
- Districts must post the position on Minnesota School Jobs
  - 15 days with an initial request; 60 days with a renewal request (Refer to Out of Field Permission request form for advertising exemptions)
  - An OFP does not need to be posted on the statewide job board when it meets a "good cause exemption," such as if the assignment is for .25 FTE or less, science standards change, or the teacher is enrolled in an approved teacher preparation licensure program aligned to the assignment. If the position meets a "good cause exemption," the OFP still needs to be requested by the district.
- Districts, not the teacher, submit the OFP
  - The OFP is valid from the date of a completed submission until June 30 of the expiration school year and may be extended to include summer school
  - Submissions can be submitted on July 1st for the new school year
Cross-Curricular Delivery Permission

Cross-Curricular Delivery Permission (formerly known as Innovative Program Permission) authorizes a teacher, who holds a Minnesota Tier 3 or Tier 4 license, to teach multiple fields and multiple grade levels to a group of students. If the applicant has zero years of experience in a non-traditional program, the request must go before the Board Licensing Committee for review.

Effective July 1, 2025, all public school districts and charter schools who are using or applying for a CCDP (including SAAP approved) must submit one program narrative once every five years.

About the permission:
- May be issued to a teacher who holds an active Tier 3 or 4 teaching license (not a Related Services license)
- Needs to involve the teacher teaching multiple curricular subjects and standards where the lessons are intertwined between more than one content area and multiple credits can be awarded
- There is no limit to the number of CCDP's a teacher can hold in a lifetime
- Districts, not the teacher, submit the CCDP
  - The CCDP is valid from the date of submission until June 30 of the expiration school year and may include summer school
  - Submissions can be submitted on July 1st for the new school year
CCDP FAQ

CCDP Quick Tips

CCDP Request
Discretionary Variance

The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) may grant a discretionary variance to authorize a school, teacher, or applicant to meet a requirement in a manner other than a specified in rule or to waive the requirement entirely when the application of the requirement would result in undue hardship.

Submitting a Discretionary Variance:
- Letter must be submitted on official district letterhead, when appropriate.
- Follow the outline of the Discretionary Variance template and write the request exactly as it appears with detailed information about the situation.
- Submit the applicant's resume and any pertinent documents along with the Discretionary Variance request.
- If the teacher will be doing a Related Service or Related Service teaching, submit the applicant's resume, any pertinent documents, the Discretionary Variance request, and the Out-of-Field Permission (OFP) request.
- The Board Licensing Committee will make the decision to approve or deny the request.
Discretionary Variance Request