Substitute Certification
A Substitute Certificate is issued for a period of one year. A substitute certificate may be granted to an individual who has completed a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit from an accredited college/university or junior/community college. An applicant must make application to a Missouri school district; the certificates are requested by the employing Missouri school district.
Each applicant is required to complete a background check each year a certificate is requested unless a renewal for the "same" district as employed in the previous year. There are restrictions on the number of hours a retired teacher can substitute teach.
The substitute certification application is turned in to the school district (not the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education), who will retain it for auditing purposes.
- Requirements for a Missouri Substitute Certificate
- Substitute Certification Process (pdf)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Background Check Form (Form S) for Substitutes (pdf)
- Missouri School Directory
- Substitute Certificate Web Application
School District Personnel Only!
Click here to check the status of applicants.