Due to NC General Statue 115C-296(b), NCDPI's Licensure Section has established a 5-year window, immediately following the retirement date, during which a teacher is not required to obtain CEUs, regardless of when the teacher's license actually expires. The 5-year window begins at retirement. If a teacher otherwise licensed at retirement applies for a renewal of a license during the 5-year window, the Licensure Section will issue a 'new' or renewed license notwithstanding the absence of CEUs during the 5-year period. If seeking renewal based on this option, documentation from the Retirement System of the educator's retirement date is required and will need to be scanned and uploaded when making this request.

Breakdown:

• 5-year license cycle is 7/1/2011 to 6/30/2016

• Retirement date is 7/1/2013

• Eligible for renewal without CEUs from 7/1/2013 to 6/30/2018

• Any renewals for this license after 6/30/2018 will require CEUs

Teachers with 30 or more years of teaching experience in North Carolina may qualify for a retirement license. These licenses have specific renewal requirements as listed below.  Individuals with fewer than 30 years of teaching experience in North Carolina do not qualify for a retirement license. Retired teachers with fewer than 30 years of teaching experience in North Carolina, Administrators, and Student Services Personnel, must follow the standard renewal cycle requirements listed in Section III of this policy to maintain a current license.

1. For each license renewal cycle, teachers holding a retirement license must provide evidence of

   1.  at least 640 hours of documented employment in a local school administrative unit, and;

   2. 4.0 credits of professional development (a minimum of 8 hours annually) approved by a local school administrative unit.
      

2. A local board of education may select a retired principal or retired assistant principal to serve an interim principal for the remainder of any school year, regardless of licensure status.

A retired educator is responsible for applying for this renewal through the on-line licensure system. First the educator must register for an on-line licensure account and then create the application.  If renewal is based on meeting the CEU requirements in place at the time of renewal, then proof of credits must be uploaded. 

The application will also require a non-refundable $35 licensure processing fee which must be paid by credit card (MasterCard or VISA).