The Duval County Public Schools’ (DCPS) Certification Office ensures all teachers in our schools are in compliance with Florida laws regarding certification. Where required, our team reviews the credentials of all applicants and current DCPS teachers to verify their eligibility for Florida certification. Our office also provides general certification information, counseling and guidance.
Periodic emails are sent from the DCPS Certification Office. It is imperative that you read and follow all the instructions. Failure to follow instructions could jeopardize your employment and Florida Educator Certificate.
Do not seek or accept certification information or guidance from persons other than those representatives within the DCPS Certification Office and the Florida Department of Education's Bureau of Educator Certification Office. Authorization to interpret certification rules and laws has been given by the Bureau of Educator Certification to Certification Administrators from Duval County Public Schools.
A Florida Educator Certificate is a professional license to teach. It is each educator's responsibility to comply with Florida Statutes governing educator certification. Each Florida school district has trained certification specialists in their personnel office. If you are seeking employment with DCPS, our certification staff can assist you with certification information.
New Legislation Regarding Florida Educator Certificates
6A-4.0051, F.A.C., for the renewal of Professional Certificates with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2020, or thereafter, individuals must have earned at least two (2) college credits, forty (40) in-service points, or a combination thereof, in evidence-based instruction and interventions specifically designed for students with characteristics of dyslexia, including the use of explicit, systematic, and sequential approaches to reading instruction, developing phonological and phonemic awareness, decoding, and implementing multisensory intervention strategies. This credit must be earned no earlier than ten (10) years prior to the expiration date of the current Professional Certificate. (Ex. For those individuals whose Professional Certificate expires 06/30/2025, this credit can be earned no earlier than 06/30/2015.) This requirement of two college credits, or the equivalent in-service points (40 in-service points) is required for the following subject area coverages:
Elementary Education (grades 1-6)
Elementary Education (K-6)
English (grades 1-6)
English (grades 6-12)
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (grades K-12)
Exceptional Student Education (K-12)
Middle Grades English (grades 5-9)
Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum (grades 5-9)
Prekindergarten/Primary Education (age 3 through grade 3)
Primary Education (grades K-3)
Reading (K-12)
Reading (Endorsement)
6A-4.0051, F.A.C., for the renewal of Professional Certificates with a beginning validity date of July 1, 2020, or thereafter, individuals must have earned at least one (1) college credit, twenty (20) in-service points, or a combination thereof, in Florida's educational leadership standards. This requirement of one college credit, or the equivalent in-service points (20 in-service points) is required for the following subject area coverages:
Educational Leadership
School Principal
Note: This legislation is in effect for those educators whose validity period begins July 1, 2020 and thereafter. Educators who must renew their certificates between 2020-2024 have a validity period which begins prior to July 1, 2020, so this requirement does not apply. The first group of educators who will be impacted and required to obtain this credit will be those who have a validity period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2025.
Accessing the Florida Department of Education Online Licensing Service System
You will need to sign in or establish your online account with FLDOE.
**Important: If you already have an online account with FLDOE and attempt to establish a new online user account, this will result in the creation of multiple accounts. This will require you to contact the FLDOE directly at Email FLDOE to have the duplicate accounts merged.**
If you do not have an online account with FLDOE, you must establish a new online user account. You will select "Begin Here for Sign-Up" at the following link: Florida Department of Education.
Click Begin Here for Sign-up to create a new online user account and retrieve your temporary password sent via email.
Enter your User ID and password then click Sign In to access this secure site.
Once successfully signed in, educators will be prompted to complete an Initial Onboarding process to match your account to existing Florida certification records. Your social security number and date of birth are required to complete the onboarding process.
The Quick Start Menu provides you a choice of options available based on your current Florida certification record.
For new applicants, you may Start a New Application for the available Florida certifications issued via the Bureau of Educator Certification:
Evaluation of eligibility for Educator Certification
Evaluation of eligibility for Athletic Coaching Certification
Evaluation of eligibility for Speech Language Impaired Certification
Evaluation of eligibility for Exchange Teacher Certification
If you already have an online account with FLDOE, sign in to your online account at the following link: Florida Department of Education
If you already have an online account with FLDOE, but forgot your password and/or user ID, you will select "Forgot Password and/or Forgot user ID" at the following link: Florida Department of Education
If you are a certified educator, you may choose an application option to Manage your license information, including:
Upgrade from a Temporary to a Professional Educator's Certificate Addition of a subject or endorsement to your valid Florida Educator’s Certificate
Reinstatement of your expired Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate
When It is Time to Renew!, an application for Renewal of your Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate will automatically be opened for you which must be submitted before your certificate expires
Certification Office
1701 Prudential Drive
Jacksonville, Florida 32207
Phone Number: (904) 390-2376
Fax Number: (904) 390-2365
Email DCPS Certification Office
Office Hours: Monday - Friday
8:00am - 4:30pm