Renewal Requirements

• An educator must earn the equivalent of 120 In-service points during the current validity period of the certificate.
• Twenty (20) of those in-service points must be in an approved ESE Students with Disabilities (SWD) course

Note: requirements will be changing beginning with the year 2025 for specific coverage areas. Please click on 'Read-40' for more information. 

Current employees may view their in-service points in Skyward Employee Access by navigating to Employee Info > Personnel > Professional Development.

Methods of Renewal

• In-service points: 1 hour = 1 in-service point
• College Classes: 1 semester hour = 20 in-service points
• Subject Area Exam: 1 passing score = 60 in-service points
• Teach a College Class: 1 semester hour = 20 in-service points
• A valid certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards will renew the Florida certificate in the subject shown on the national certificate.                                  

Note: Endorsements do not require renewal.

An educator must earn at minimum 20 points in ESE Students with Disabilities (SWD) for each renewal period. The ESE SWD requirement can be satisfied by in-service, college credit, or with the ESE subject area exam. 

FDLRS offers ESE SWD courses (in-services) that are at no cost to the educator. The courses are online and self-paced.

• Go to www.fl-pda.org
• Under the ‘Independent Study Modules’ section
• The following courses are approved for ESE SWD:
  • Teaching Students with Disabilities (20pts)
  • Teaching Students with Disabilities 'in PE' OR 'in the Fine Arts' (20pts)
  • Effective Teaching Practices for Students with Disabilities (20pts)
  • Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (20pts)
  • Reading Disabilities, Difficulties, and Dyslexia (20 pts)
  • Leadership for Inclusion of SWD (20pts)
  • Building Inclusive Schools (10pts)
  • Universal Design (5 pts)

You may also satisfy this requirement at the college level. Click the links below for more information. One college credit is equivalent to 20 points.

• UCF: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities
• UofPH: Teaching Learners with Disabilities
• SSC: Teaching Students with Disabilities

If you choose to satisfy this requirement by passing the ESE K-12 subject area exam, the exam will need to be passed during the current validity period AND the subject must be added to your current certificate prior to renewing. The exam is equivalent to 60 points. 

Beginning in 2025, educators whose certificate expire on or after 6/30/2025, will need to earn 120 in-service points that include 20 in-service points in ESE SWD and 40 in-service points in approved READING courses IF the educator is renewing ANY of the following coverages:

● Elementary Education (K-6) or Elementary Education (grades 1-6)
● Prekindergarten/Primary Education (age 3 through grade 3)
● Primary Education (grades K-3)
● English (6-12) or Middle Grades English (grades 5-9) or English (grades 1-6)
● Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum (grades 5-9)
● Reading (K-12) or Reading Endorsement
● English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (grades K-12)

What can be used to satisfy this requirement? 

• Approved in-service points earned during the current validity period (i.e. 7/1/2020-6/30/2025)
• Approved Banked reading in-service points if earned in the previous validity period (i.e. 7/1/2015-6/30/2020)
• Approved college credits earned during the current validity period (i.e. 7/1/2020-6/30/2025)

Have more questions regarding this requirement?

Please click the link for more details regarding the new Read-40 renewal requirement as well as a list of approved in-services. 

Reading-40 Instructional Requirements

Submit the renewal fee online through the MySchoolBucks site. You may use a credit card or check to submit the fee. 

The renewal application fee is a flat amount of $75. This will cover ALL subjects currently listed on the certificate. 

Note: choose 'Continue as Guest' when prompted.

Once your certificate renewal application has been processed, you will receive an email from the Florida Department of Education that contains a PDF of the renewed certificate.  Certificates are no longer mailed. Keep the email for your records. 

Current Lake County School employees must submit an online application to renew a professional certificate with the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) - Bureau of Educator Certification. The FDOE is no longer accepting paper applications.

Watch this video for information on submitting the renewal application.

FLDOE Renewal Application Video

Steps to Renew an Educator Certificate

1. Click on 'Submit Fee' above to submit the renewal fee. 

2. Login to the FLDOE VERSA system by clicking on the following link.
   Login to your VERSA Account         

3. Complete the online renewal application.  Make sure you indicate #35-LAKE as your district affiliation. 

4. You will NOT need to upload transcripts or in-service records to the renewal application. The District will submit your in-service points on your behalf.

5. Don't forget to submit the renewal fee.

Need assistance or having trouble logging in? Complete the Technical Assistance Form and the FLDOE will be able to assist you with the login process.

Note: Endorsements do not require renewal. Endorsements will carry over with the subject area(s) currently listed on your certificate.

A: You will need to earn 120 points with 20 points in an appropriate ESE Students with Disabilities (SWD) course. 

A: YES! The ESE SWD requirement MUST be completed for EACH renewal period. 

A: YES! ALL certificate holders MUST complete the the ESE SWD requirement for each renewal period regardless of the subjects listed on the certificate. 

A: No. Teaching experience cannot be used for renewal credits.

A: Yes! You can use any banked points. ESOL, Reading, and ESE SWD points are eligible to be banked. 

A: Certain points earned in ESOL, Reading, and ESE SWD are eligible to be banked points or saved for the next renewal period. These points will continue to be banked or saved until they are exhausted.