Short answer
How do Arkansas teachers renew a license and move up the salary schedule?
An Arkansas standard license is valid for five years and renews through an online application with background checks and documented professional development. Educators complete 36 hours of PD each year as part of the basic contract, and districts verify it. One hour of graduate-level college credit converts to five PD hours, with up to 15 hours credited toward licensure. Pay follows district salary schedules, which each district adopts and posts.
Source: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Renewing a license. Checked .
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How do you renew an Arkansas teaching license?
The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) issues licenses under 6 CAR pt. 180. A standard license is "valid for a period of five (5) years," and renewal applications are accepted "no earlier than January 1 of the year of expiration." DESE's renewing a license page explains that a standard license runs from January 1 of the year it is issued to December 31 of its fifth year, and that renewal goes through the online educator licensure system with new state, FBI and child maltreatment checks.
The professional development side works differently from states that count credits at renewal time. DESE's licensure memo LIC-25-001 sets out the pattern:
- Yearly hours. "Each educator shall obtain 36 hours of professional development annually which is included in a basic contract."
- District tracking. "School districts are responsible for monitoring and verifying the completion of professional development hours," and teachers "should not upload certificates for professional development."
- Renewal-cycle training. Required renewal-cycle topics "can be completed anytime within the five years prior to licensure renewal."
If you taught continuously and completed PD each year, DESE says it "should be reflected in the application after July 1 of the expiring year." If not, the renewal page points to an administrator-signed verification form or a learning record from the state's online PD system. For licenses expiring December 31, 2023 and later, an awareness credential in scientific reading instruction is also required.
College credit fits into this system through the PD rule, 6 CAR pt. 183. Section 183-104(g) says "five (5) hours of credit for professional development shall be given for every one (1) hour of college credit for a graduate-level course," and "up to fifteen (15) hours may be credited to the professional development requirements for licensure." Hours beyond that can count toward general PD if they fit a district PD plan, and the employing district approves the allocation. Our article on clock hours, CEUs and semester credits compares these conversions with other states.
A three-credit course covers 15 PD hours at most for licensure. At five PD hours per credit hour, one three-credit graduate-level course reaches the 15-hour licensure cap in 6 CAR 183-104(g). The same course may count for far more on a district salary schedule, which is a separate decision.
The rule also defines a PD day as "six (6) hours of professional development or one (1) professional learning credit," and says districts provide "no fewer than six (6) professional development days" in the basic contract. PD is counted on a July 1 to June 30 year, or June 1 to May 31 if the district approves.
How do Arkansas teachers move to a higher salary lane?
Arkansas sets a statewide minimum teacher salary, and each district adopts its own schedule above it. DESE's memo FIN-24-004 says salary schedules and personnel policies "must be in compliance with Act 237 of 2023" for a district to receive the Teacher Minimum Salary and Raise Fund. The same memo requires districts to post their personnel policies and salary schedules online, under a link titled "State Required Information," and to mark the school year on each document.
That posting rule is useful to teachers. Lane definitions, transcript deadlines and back-pay rules sit in the personnel policies, so the "State Required Information" link on your district's homepage is the first place to look. District schedules usually combine:
- Degree lanes, such as bachelor's, master's and Ed.S.
- Hour lanes between them, such as BA+15 and MA+15 or MA+30.
- Experience steps, by years of service.
Which hours count for an hour lane is set locally, as the two districts below show. One counts district-run institute credits; the other requires every credit to advance a degree or new licensure area. See how lane changes work and units that count before you plan coursework.
What do some of the largest Arkansas districts require?
Springdale School District
Read the full Springdale guide →
Springdale's 2026-27 certified salary schedule is built on a 190-day base with lanes for bachelor's, bachelor's+15, master's, master's+15, master's+30, Ed.S. and doctorate. Its 2026-2027 policy manual sets the rules.
- Timing: only hours after the bachelor's count toward BSE+15, and only hours after the master's count toward MED+15 and MED+30.
- Deadline: the application and an official transcript or university letter must reach the Business Office "by the last working day in August." Changes are "on a 'go forward' basis, and no back pay will be awarded."
- Institute credit: district Staff Development Institute credits can apply toward lanes, at 15 contact hours per credit, but a teacher may not move to the master's lane on that basis, and a second non-degree step needs at least 15 hours of college credit.
Bentonville Schools
Read the full Bentonville guide →
Bentonville's 2026-2027 licensed salary schedule, effective July 1, 2026, has lanes for bachelor's, B15, master's, M+15 and M+30/Ed.S. Policy 3.1 requires that "all credit hours must advance an employee toward a higher degree or toward a new certification or area of licensure in education."
- Program rule: courses "must be part of a cohesive program of study; courses from disparate programs of study may not be added together."
- +15 lanes: awarded after 15 hours and an approved Transcript Review Form, or after a certificate program is finished and the area is added to the license.
- M+30: for a second master's, "awarded after the completion of the program."
- Filing: teachers are "responsible for reporting and supplying a transcript to human resources."
The two policies point in different directions. Springdale's institute credits and +15 lanes reward hours that need not belong to a degree, while Bentonville counts only coursework inside one program toward a degree or licensure area. A course that moves a Springdale teacher a lane might not move a Bentonville teacher.
Full district guides for Arkansas
Before you enroll
- Check your PD record. Ask your district whether your yearly 36 hours are recorded, since districts verify them for renewal.
- Know the licensure cap. Graduate-level college credit converts at five PD hours per credit hour, with up to 15 hours toward licensure, and your district approves the allocation.
- Read your district's policy. Find the "State Required Information" link and the salary schedule policy before you register.
- Fit the course to the lane rule. Springdale counts hours after your last degree; Bentonville requires a cohesive program toward a degree or licensure area.
- Plan for the deadline. Springdale's cutoff is the last working day in August, with no back pay for late filings.
The provider directory groups semester-credit providers by need, and the comparison table shows their costs and formats side by side.
Arkansas questions teachers ask
How many PD hours do Arkansas teachers need?
DESE's memo LIC-25-001 says each educator obtains 36 hours of professional development annually as part of the basic contract. Districts monitor and verify those hours.
Do college courses count as PD hours in Arkansas?
Yes. Under 6 CAR 183-104(g), one hour of graduate-level college credit equals five PD hours, and up to 15 hours may be credited toward the licensure requirement. Your employing district approves the allocation.
When can I renew my Arkansas teaching license?
Applications are accepted no earlier than January 1 of the year the license expires. A standard license expires December 31 of its fifth year.
Do I upload PD certificates when I renew?
DESE says teachers and districts should not upload PD certificates. If your hours do not show in the application, the renewal page points to an administrator-signed verification form or your state PD learning record.
Where do I find my district's lane change rules?
DESE requires each district to post its personnel policies and salary schedules under a "State Required Information" link on its homepage. Lane rules and filing deadlines are usually in the licensed salary policy.
Sources
- Renewing a license, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked
- 6 CAR pt. 180, Educator licensure, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked
- 6 CAR pt. 183, Professional development, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked
- Commissioner's memo LIC-25-001, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked
- Commissioner's memo FIN-24-004, Posting personnel policies and salary schedules, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Checked
- 2026-27 certified salary schedule, Springdale School District. Checked
- 2026-2027 policy manual, Springdale School District. Checked
- 2026-2027 licensed salary schedule, Bentonville Schools. Checked
- Policy 3.1, Licensed personnel salary schedule, Bentonville Schools. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error