License to Work: A National Study of Burdens from Occupational Licensing
Preschool Teacher
Highlights
License required in 49 states2nd most burdensome licensing requirements
1st most heavily regulated occupation
(Last updated April 24, 2012)
Definition
Preschool teachers instruct children (normally up to five years of age) in activities designed to promote social, physical and intellectual growth needed for primary school in preschool, day care center or other child development facility.Summary
Preschool teaching is the most widely and onerously licensed of the 102 occupations studied. Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia require a license to work as a preschool teacher; only Montana and Utah do not. Moreover, the process of acquiring a license is consistently onerous: All but five of the 48 states require teachers to acquire five years of education and training. New Jersey and Florida require four years, North Dakota requires two, and South Dakota and California require one. Thirty-one states require teachers to pass at least two licensing exams, and 45 require at least one.(Last updated May 2, 2012)
State Licensing Requirements
| Burden Rank | State | Fees | Education/Experience (Days) | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $162 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 2 | Illinois | $35 | 1,825 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| 3 | Texas | $117 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | South Carolina | $159 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $250 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $59 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $200 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $85 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 9 | New York | $100 | 1,825 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Arkansas | $100 | 1,825 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $180 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Vermont | $179 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Nevada | $161 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Maine | $155 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $133 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $130 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Arizona | $129 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $125 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Michigan | $125 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $118 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $200 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Washington | $115 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Alaska | $191 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $95 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Alabama | $92 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Washington, D.C. | $68 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Colorado | $135 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $50 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $48 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Kansas | $36 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Idaho | $115 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Georgia | $20 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Missouri | $102 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Maryland | $10 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Delaware | $0 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $0 | 1,825 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Ohio | $80 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Iowa | $150 | 1,825 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $55 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $50 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Virginia | $50 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $50 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $0 | 1,825 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | Indiana | $42 | 1,825 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | New Jersey | $190 | 1,460 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | Florida | $132 | 1,460 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $152 | 730 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $15 | 365 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | California | $106 | 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(Last updated April 24, 2012)
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