In Minnesota, teacher licensure renewal requirements vary based on the tier of the license. Below is a summary of the renewal criteria for each tier:

Tier 1 License Renewal:

• Validity: Up to 1 school year.
• Renewal Limit: May be renewed up to three times.
• Requirements:
• Joint application, district verification, and testing

Tier 2 License Renewal:

• Validity: 2 years.
• Renewal Limit: May be renewed up to three times.
• Requirements:
• Application, district verification, and professional development: evidence of participation in cultural competency training is required. Check out our Advancing Equity course.

Tier 3 License Renewal:

• Validity: 3 years.
• Renewal Limit: Unlimited.
• Requirements:
• Clock Hours: Completion of 75 approved clock hours of professional development during each three-year period preceding the renewal application.
• Mandatory Trainings: Professional development must include areas such as positive behavior interventions, reading preparation, mental illness training, and at least one hour of suicide prevention training. Check out the following Happy Teacher courses:
• Classroom Management
• Cultivating Kindness
• Suicide Prevention
• ABC’s of 504’s and IEP’s
• The Five Components of Reading.
• Professional Reflection

Tier 4 License Renewal:

• Validity: 5 years.
• Renewal Limit: Unlimited.
• Requirements:
• Clock Hours: Completion of 125 approved clock hours of professional development during each five-year period preceding the renewal application.
• Mandatory Trainings: Similar to Tier 3, including positive behavior interventions, reading preparation, mental illness training, and suicide prevention. Check our our Happy Teacher courses: courses: Classroom Management, Cultivating Kindness, Suicide Prevention, ABC’s of 504’s and IEP’s, The Five Components of Reading
• Professional Reflection

Happy Teacher can help Minnesota educators meet these requirements.

• Need district approval for a course? Use this template to send an email to HR.
• Happy Teacher works with HLC-accredited universities to help Minnesota educators earn graduate-level credit.
• Happy Teacher partners with Upper Iowa University to help Minnesota educators earn a Master’s in Education degree for only $10,000!

Certificate Hours by Semester Credit

Wondering how many hours are listed on your Certificate of Completion? Here's the breakdown:

• 1 semester credit = 15 hours
• 2 semester credits = 30 hours
• 3 semester credits = 45 hours

Important: Renewal requirements are subject to change. We recommend consulting the Minnesota Department of Education’s website to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.

Here are courses popular with Minnesota educators:

• AI For Educators 
• Effective Classroom Management
• Stress Management
• English Language Learners: Practical Strategies for Educators