Tex. Codes » Education Code · TITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION · SUBTITLE D. EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS · CHAPTER 21. EDUCATORS
Texas Codes

Tex. Educ. Code § 21.003 (2026)

Certification Required

✓ current as of May 2026
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Sec. 21.003. CERTIFICATION REQUIRED. (a) A person may not be employed as a teacher, teacher intern or teacher trainee, librarian, educational aide, administrator, educational diagnostician, or school counselor by a school district unless the person holds an appropriate certificate or permit issued as provided by Subchapter B.

(b) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, a person may not be employed by a school district as an audiologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, physician, nurse, school psychologist, associate school psychologist, licensed professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, social worker, or speech language pathologist unless the person is licensed by the state agency that licenses that profession and may perform specific services within those professions for a school district only if the person holds the appropriate credential from the appropriate state agency. As long as a person employed by a district before September 1, 2011, to perform marriage and family therapy, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code, is employed by the same district, the person is not required to hold a license as a marriage and family therapist to perform marriage and family therapy with that district.

(c) The commissioner may waive the requirement for certification of a superintendent if requested by a school district as provided by Section 7.056. A person who is not certified as a superintendent may not be employed by a school district as the superintendent before the person has received a waiver of certification from the commissioner. The commissioner may limit the waiver of certification in any manner the commissioner determines is appropriate. A person may be designated to act as a temporary or interim superintendent for a school district, but the district may not employ the person under a contract as superintendent unless the person has been certified or a waiver has been granted.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 82 (S.B. 158), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1134 (H.B. 1386), Sec. 5, eff. June 17, 2011.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 443 (S.B. 715), Sec. 8, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1135 (S.B. 168), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2015.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 2011–2025 · leading case: Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist., 537 S.W.3d 142 (Tex. App. 2017).
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Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist., 537 S.W.3d 142 (Tex. App. 2017). “consistent with the policies of the TCNA”); see Tex. Educ. Code §§ 21.003(a) (including among employees required to hold appropriate certificate or permit "administrator" (and not principal or *153 superintendent)), .”
Jerry M. v. Riesel Indep. Sch. Dist., 379 F. Supp. 3d 570 (W.D. Tex. 2019). “TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.003(a). Texas does not have a certification requirement specific to teachers providing intervention to students with dyslexia.”
Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion: KP-0443 (Tex. Att'y Gen. 2023). · cites it 2× “” TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.003(b). Mr. Darrel D.”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). · cites it 3× “25 Tex. Educ. Code § 21.003 ................”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). · cites it 2× “5, 8, 9 Tex. Educ. Code §21.003 .................”
Daniel Charles Ray Hanson A/K/A Daniel Charles Hanson v. State (Tex. App. 2019). “While educators receive “appropriate certificate[s] or permit[s]” to teach, see Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 21.003 (“Certification Required”), some of the remaining items listed in the portion of the statute after the serial comma—licenses, seals, and letters of patent, in…”
Magee Portee v. Morath (W.D. Tex. 2023). “TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.003(a). In turn, the state’s Administrative Code sets out certain requirements and processes that govern the certification of professional educators in Texas.”
Magee Portee v. Morath (W.D. Tex. 2023). “TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.003(a). In turn, the state’s Administrative Code sets out certain requirements and processes that govern the certification of professional educators in Texas.”
Lovell v. Fort Bend Indep. Sch. Dist. (S.D. Tex. 2025). “TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.003(a) (emphasis added).”
Laura McClelland v. Mike Morath, Comm'r of Educ. in His Off. Capacity; & Weatherford Indep. Sch. Dist. (Tex. App. 2025). “The Commissioner lacks jurisdiction over Petitioner’s FMLA issue regarding whether Respondent violated Texas Education Code § 21.003(b) by running her assault leave concurrently with her FMLA leave, in accordance with its Policy DEC (Local).”
Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion (Tex. Att'y Gen. 2011). “]" TEX. EDUC. CODE ANN. § 21.003(b) (West SUpp.”
— Tex. Educ. Code § 21.003(a) — 5 cases
Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist., 537 S.W.3d 142 (Tex. App. 2017). “consistent with the policies of the TCNA”); see Tex. Educ. Code §§ 21.003(a) (including among employees required to hold appropriate certificate or permit "administrator" (and not principal or *153 superintendent)), .”
Jerry M. v. Riesel Indep. Sch. Dist., 379 F. Supp. 3d 570 (W.D. Tex. 2019). “TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.003(a). Texas does not have a certification requirement specific to teachers providing intervention to students with dyslexia.”
Magee Portee v. Morath (W.D. Tex. 2023). “TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.003(a). In turn, the state’s Administrative Code sets out certain requirements and processes that govern the certification of professional educators in Texas.”
Magee Portee v. Morath (W.D. Tex. 2023). “TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.003(a). In turn, the state’s Administrative Code sets out certain requirements and processes that govern the certification of professional educators in Texas.”
Lovell v. Fort Bend Indep. Sch. Dist. (S.D. Tex. 2025). “TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.003(a) (emphasis added).”
— Tex. Educ. Code § 21.003(b) — 3 cases
Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion: KP-0443 (Tex. Att'y Gen. 2023). “” TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.003(b). Mr. Darrel D.”
Laura McClelland v. Mike Morath, Comm'r of Educ. in His Off. Capacity; & Weatherford Indep. Sch. Dist. (Tex. App. 2025). “The Commissioner lacks jurisdiction over Petitioner’s FMLA issue regarding whether Respondent violated Texas Education Code § 21.003(b) by running her assault leave concurrently with her FMLA leave, in accordance with its Policy DEC (Local).”
Untitled Texas Attorney Gen. Opinion (Tex. Att'y Gen. 2011). “]" TEX. EDUC. CODE ANN. § 21.003(b) (West SUpp.”
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