Every California credential type,
with the hours and PGR behind it.
A curated reference for K-12 educators working in California. Each row shows the Professional Growth Requirements, accepted semester units, credential duration, and the public CCTC citation that backs the numbers — so a recertification window never opens with a guessing game.
Seeded from public CCTC guidance — owner-maintained
The rows below are seeded from publicly available California Commission on Teacher Credentialing guidance. The full dataset lives in one editable TypeScript module — src/lib/business/ca-license-types.ts — so anyone maintaining the CredenSync educator experience can refresh the numbers, add a new pathway, or update a citation without touching the page itself.
When a number is uncertain, this page shows — rather than guessing. Treat the rows as a starting point: the citation in each row links to the underlying public source, and the linked CCTC landing page is the authoritative reference for any individual case.
Each row tells the same five-part story
The library groups California educator credential types by pathway so the renewal rules for a CTE teacher read next to the renewal rules for a principal — instead of getting lost inside a single undifferentiated list.
California license types, grouped by pathway
Each table covers one pathway. Rows are ordered the way CCTC lists them in its credential leaflets.
Initial
2 license types| License | Hours | Classes | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Preliminary Single Subject CredentialEntry-level teaching credential. Valid 5 years; does NOT renew directly — the holder must complete a CCTC-approved induction program and apply for the Clear Credential to continue teaching in California public schools. | — | — | 5-year cycle | CCTC Preliminary Credential |
Preliminary Education Specialist CredentialEntry-level special education credential covering mild/moderate, moderate/severe, or early childhood special education settings. Like the Single Subject Preliminary, it does not renew — completion of a CCTC-approved induction program advances to the Clear Specialist credential. | — | — | 5-year cycle | CCTC Education Specialist |
Standard
2 license types| License | Hours | Classes | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Clear Single Subject CredentialRenewal is via CCTC Professional Growth Requirements (PGR) over the full Clear-credential validity window — earn 6 semester units (or equivalent P-clock hours) of upper-division/graduate coursework or professional activity, documented on the PGR record. There is no fixed numeric clock-hour split; the 30-unit cap on non-college activity discourages recurrence. | — | — | — | CCTC Professional Growth — Clear Single Subject |
Clear Education Specialist CredentialIssued after successful completion of the Preliminary specialist induction program. Sustains via CCTC Professional Growth Requirements covering special education law, IEP practice, and IDEA-aligned practice areas. | 150 hrs | — | 5-year cycle | CCTC Clear Specialist Credential |
Administrator
1 license type| License | Hours | Classes | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Clear Administrative Services CredentialRequired for California principals, assistant principals, and coordinators. Renewal: 150 P-clock hours (or 6 equivalent semester units) every 5 years. Hours must align with the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders and may include evaluation training. | 150 hrs | — | 5-year cycle | CCTC Administrative Services |
Career & Technical
1 license type| License | Hours | Classes | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Career Technical Education (CTE) CredentialSingle CTE credential with optional industry sector endorsements. Renewal: 150 P-clock hours across the 5-year cycle, with industry credentials or occupational experience directly relevant to the CTE program area strongly recommended to maintain occupational competency. | 150 hrs | — | 5-year cycle | CCTC Career Technical Education |
Bring this reference into a living recertification record
The CredenSync educator plan keeps your California P-clock hours, semester units, and credential window visible in one place — and warns you before an induction deadline approaches. Start free while you evaluate.