Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-5-101 (2026)

• (a) No person shall be employed as principal, teacher or supervisor of any public elementary or high school by any local school district, or receive any pay for such services out of the public school funds of the local school district until the person presents to the director of schools a valid license as prescribed in this part. It is unlawful for any board of education to issue any warrant or check to such persons for services as principal, teacher or supervisor until the person has presented for record a license valid for the term of employment.

• (b) As used in this part, "employ," and all derivatives of "employ," mean to put to work in a position compensated from public funds and are not to be construed to preclude election by the local board of education of a teacher prior to the teacher's having received a license, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the state board of education.

• (c) No person under eighteen (18) years of age shall receive a license to teach in the public schools; and no one who has less than eight (8) months of experience as a teacher or who is under eighteen (18) years of age shall receive pay out of the public school funds as the principal of any school having more than one (1) teacher.

• (d) No person shall receive a license to teach unless the person has a good moral character and under no circumstances shall licenses be granted to persons addicted to the use of intoxicants or narcotics. All applicants for licenses shall satisfy the state board of education that they meet the requirements of this part.

• (e) The state board of education shall not issue professional licenses upon the work done in any college or university, except from a list of standard teacher-training institutions, colleges and universities that shall be approved by the state board of education after inspection as may be provided by the board.

• (f)
  • (1) Licenses to teach shall be uniform for all the local school systems and shall be issued by the state board of education in accordance with the requirements set out in this part.
  • (2) Credits earned through correspondence work or class extension work from the University of Tennessee and other colleges, with approval by the state board of education to offer correspondence and extension credits, shall be accepted as credit for licensing of directors of schools, supervisors, high school principals and teachers and elementary school principals and teachers in the same manner and to the same extent as such credits are accepted towards degrees in the University of Tennessee and other approved Tennessee colleges. In computing credits for a license, one (1) quarter hour of credit earned through correspondence work or class extension work shall connote a credit of one (1) week of residence.

• (g) The state board of education, in consultation with the department of education, is directed to review current policies, rules and regulations pertaining to transitional licensure options and make recommendations relative to the following:
  • (1) The clarification of provisions applicable to transitional license education providers affiliated with Tennessee institutions of higher education and providers that are not affiliated with a Tennessee institution of higher education, such as out-of-state or online education-related organizations;
  • (2) The process by which providers or transitional licensure programs receive approval by the state, and specifically such process for those providers that have been approved for an existing partnership with an LEA; and
  • (3) Informing LEAs of the availability of transitional licensure options, including the feasibility of higher education institutions providing information relative to the requirements, cost and performance of transitional licensure programs.

Amended by 2019 Tenn. Acts, ch. 248,s 34, eff. 5/2/2019.

Amended by 2018 Tenn. Acts, ch. 725,s 30, eff. 4/18/2018.

Acts 1925, ch. 115, § 11; Shan. Supp., §§ 1487a60-1487a63, 1487a65; Code 1932, §§ 2351-2354, 2356; Acts 1937, ch. 180, § 2; 1945, ch. 99, §§ 1-3; C. Supp. 1950, §§ 2354, 2355 (Williams, § 2355a); impl. am. Acts 1951, ch. 58, § 7; Acts 1957, ch. 137, §§ 1-3; 1959, ch. 121, § 1; 1973, ch. 76, § 1; 1974, ch. 654, §§ 51-54; 1976, ch. 400, § 1; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), §§ 49-1201, 49-1203, 49-1204, 49-1212, 49-1213, 49-1232; Acts 1987, ch. 308, § 11; 2011, ch. 380, §§ 1, 2.