Short answer
How do West Virginia teachers renew a certificate and move to a higher salary class?
A three-year or five-year West Virginia professional teaching certificate renews with six credit hours of college or WVLearns coursework related to public education, earned after the current certificate took effect, no more than five years old and with at least a 3.0 in each course. A master's +30 classification or age 60 removes the coursework requirement. Salary classes (A.B., A.B.+15, M.A., M.A.+15, M.A.+30, M.A.+45 and Doctorate) are set by the state and granted by the department of education on an advanced salary application.
Source: WVDE Form 4T, Professional Teaching Certificate Renewal. Checked .
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How do you renew a West Virginia teaching certificate?
The department's Form 4T page handles renewals and conversions of the professional teaching certificate, and it points to Policy 5202 (126CSR136), effective January 11, 2025, for the underlying rules. The coursework requirement depends on which certificate you hold and what you want next:
- One-year renewal. A holder of a three- or five-year certificate can renew for one year with three credit hours.
- Three-year renewal. Six credit hours on a three-year certificate.
- Five-year renewal. Six credit hours on a five-year certificate.
- Three-year to five-year conversion. Six credit hours plus two years of full-time teaching (one in a West Virginia county system or accredited private school) and completion of the Beginning Educator Internship/Induction, or an official exemption.
In each case the hours can be college or university classes or WVLearns coursework "related to public education." The page sets three tests for every course: it must be completed after the last certificate became effective, it cannot be more than five years old, and it needs "a minimum of 3.0 GPA."
Two groups skip the coursework. Form 4T says no coursework is needed "if you have a master's +30 or are at least 60 years old." The department's Form 12 page repeats the point from the salary side: "Salary classification of MA +30 or above allows for professional license renewal without having to take additional coursework." For many teachers that makes the MA+30 class a goal for two reasons at once.
Timing has its own rule. Renewal applications "can only be submitted after January 1 of the year the certificate expires." Applicants need the county superintendent's recommendation (Form 4B for those not employed by a county), and transcripts must be sent by the college or university, not by the teacher.
What counts as related to public education?
Policy 5202 defines the phrase in section 4.63. Coursework qualifies if it is part of a degree program in K-12 or career technical education, content or professional coursework for the teacher's current licensure or an added endorsement, professional learning approved by the department, coursework identified through the educator's evaluation, technology for education, or coursework tied to the mission and goals of the state board or the school organization. Section 4.67 makes the semester hour the unit for both renewal and advanced salary classification, so quarter hours are converted; our quarter vs semester units article shows the math.
Permanent certificates
Form 4T lists three routes to a permanent professional teaching certificate. Each requires five years of full-time teaching (one in West Virginia) and completion of induction or an exemption. A master's degree with a three-year certificate also needs six credit hours; a master's degree with a five-year certificate needs no further hours; and a bachelor's degree with a five-year certificate issued twice needs six credit hours, with only the age-60 exemption available.
One application does not do both jobs. Form 4T renews the certificate; Form 12 changes the salary class. A teacher who finishes hours that qualify for both files both, and a new salary class is dated from the Form 12 application, not from the renewal.
How is teacher pay set in West Virginia?
West Virginia has a true state salary schedule. W. Va. Code §18A-4-2 sets a state minimum salary schedule for teachers with rows for years of experience from 0 through 35 and columns for training classes: 4th Class, 3rd Class, 2nd Class, A.B., A.B.+15, M.A., M.A.+15, M.A.+30, M.A.+45 and Doctorate. The same section gives extra years-of-experience credit to qualifying math and special education teachers and adds a payment for teachers with 20 or more years.
Counties add to that base. Under W. Va. Code §18A-4-5a, a county board may pay supplements, but they must be "uniform throughout the county" for teachers with the same "classification of training, experience, responsibility" and other requirements. Counties may also add pay for critical shortage areas. The department publishes every county's combined grid in Professional Salary Schedules by County, which breaks each cell into columns for the state basic salary, state supplements, county supplements and the total.
How a teacher moves to a higher class
The rules for advanced salary classification sit in sections 9 and 22 of Policy 5202, and the Form 12 page turns them into hour counts:
- BA+15: 15 eligible hours earned after the initial West Virginia professional license.
- MA+15, MA+30, MA+45: 45, 60 and 75 total hours. Under section 22.2.d, a teacher whose master's took fewer than 30 hours reaches these classes with 15, 30 or 45 hours beyond the degree.
- Accreditation and relevance. Coursework must come from an accredited institution of higher education (22.2.a), and graduate-level credit earned after July 1, 1994 must be related to public education (22.2.b). The stated intent in 22.1 is coursework "which will contribute to the improvement of instruction."
- Undergraduate hours. Section 22.2.f lets a teacher use up to 15 semester hours of related undergraduate credit, earned after the initial certificate was issued.
- No double counting. Section 22.2.c bars credit for duplicate coursework.
- Expired certificates. Under 22.2.h, a teacher with an expired certification is not eligible for an advanced class.
The effective date matters for pay. Section 9.10.a dates a new class from the day all requirements were met, "not to exceed three months prior to WVDE's receipt of the application." Waiting a semester to file can cost months of the higher class. Section 23 of the policy also covers tuition reimbursement under W. Va. Code §18A-3-3a for coursework used for renewal or in a verified shortage area, limited to tuition, registration and required fees. Our salary lane names article compares West Virginia's class labels with lane names used elsewhere.
What do the largest West Virginia counties require?
Kanawha County Schools
Kanawha's certification office page states that "Each Kanawha County educator is solely responsible for maintaining their teaching license and filing the appropriate applications" for renewal and advanced salary classification. The office helps teachers plan coursework toward advanced degrees, and status can be checked through the department's certificate lookup.
- Schedule: the county salary schedule follows the state classes, with a county supplement from A.B. upward and none for the 4th, 3rd and 2nd Class rows.
- Credits: hours and dates follow Policy 5202, since the state grants the class.
- Filing: the teacher files Form 4T and Form 12 with the department, with the superintendent's recommendation.
Berkeley County Schools
Read the full Berkeley guide →
Berkeley's grid appears in the department's Professional Salary Schedules by County. It uses the same state classes and experience years 0 through 35, with a county supplement in every class.
- Credits: as in every county, the class is granted by the department under Policy 5202, so the 15-hour steps and the related-to-public-education test apply.
- Timing: a new class takes effect no more than three months before the department receives the Form 12 application.
- Renewal: Form 4T with six credit hours, unless the teacher holds MA+30 or is 60 or older.
Full district guides for West Virginia
Before you enroll
- Check the relevance test. Match the course to one of the Policy 5202 section 4.63 categories, such as your licensure content or an evaluation goal.
- Plan for a 3.0. Renewal counts only courses with at least a 3.0, and Form 12 needs passing grades on an official transcript.
- Count toward MA+30. Reaching MA+30 ends the renewal coursework requirement, so hours toward it can serve two purposes.
- Ask your county certification officer. Kanawha and other counties route renewal through their offices; our will my district accept it article lists the questions to ask.
- File Form 12 promptly. A new class reaches back no more than three months before the department receives the application.
The provider directory groups semester-credit providers by need, and the comparison table shows their costs and formats side by side.
West Virginia questions teachers ask
How many credit hours do I need to renew a West Virginia teaching certificate?
Six credit hours for a three- or five-year renewal, or three for a one-year renewal. The coursework must be related to public education, earned after the current certificate took effect, no more than five years old, and graded at least 3.0.
Who does not need renewal coursework?
Teachers with a master's +30 salary classification or higher and teachers who are at least 60 years old, according to Form 4T and Form 12.
When can I submit my renewal?
Only after January 1 of the year the certificate expires. Some applicants converting to a permanent certificate are not bound by that date.
How many hours is MA+15, MA+30 or MA+45?
Form 12 counts 45, 60 and 75 total hours. A teacher whose master's program was under 30 hours qualifies with 15, 30 or 45 hours beyond the degree under Policy 5202 section 22.2.d.
Can undergraduate courses move me to a higher class?
Up to 15 semester hours of related undergraduate credit, earned after the initial certificate, can count under Policy 5202 section 22.2.f.
Is there a statewide salary schedule?
Yes. W. Va. Code §18A-4-2 sets the state minimum schedule by class and years of experience, and counties add supplements that must be uniform across the county.
Sources
- Form 4T, WV Professional Teaching Certificate Renewal, West Virginia Department of Education. Checked
- Form 12, Professional Certificate Degree/Advanced Salary Classification, West Virginia Department of Education. Checked
- Policy 5202 (126CSR136), Minimum Requirements for the Licensure of Professional/Paraprofessional Personnel and Advanced Salary Classifications, West Virginia Secretary of State. Checked
- W. Va. Code §18A-4-2, State minimum salaries for teachers, West Virginia Legislature. Checked
- W. Va. Code §18A-4-5a, County salary supplements for teachers, West Virginia Legislature. Checked
- Professional Salary Schedules by County, West Virginia Department of Education. Checked
- Certification, Kanawha County Schools. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error