Nevada Substitute Teaching Licenses
Before you can get started in the classroom, you need a substitute teaching license. The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) requires it. With it, you can teach all subjects in all grade levels from Pre-K to 12th grade.
There are two options you can apply for: Standard or Emergency.
Standard Substitute Teacher License
To apply for the standard substitute teacher license, you must have a minimum of 60 college credits. This license will last you 5 years and is renewable online.
Standard subs can teach for an unlimited number of days.
Emergency Substitute Teacher License
Want to sub, but you’re just shy of 60 college credits? Apply for the Emergency License with just your high school diploma. This license will last you 1 year. Renew it up to 2 times.
At this time, public schools NO longer accept emergency substitute teacher licenses. However, some private and charter schools still allow educators to fill in for a vacancy if you have this license.
Special Limitations for the Emergency License
This license allows subs to work specifically in rural districts and schools with less than 9,000 students. A list of these counties and rural schools can be found on the NDE website.
Emergency substitutes can only teach up to 5 days out of every 20-day period.
Considering these limitations, we recommend only applying for this license if you don’t have the 60 college credits.
Where and how do I apply?
Step 1: Fill out your application online
Create an OPAL account to complete and submit your license application there.
OPAL is the NDE’s Online Portal for Applications and Licensure. OPAL makes the application process faster for all education applicants. It can take 4-8 weeks for your application to get processed.
It will also send you email and text notifications as your application moves through each stage of the process until you’re finally licensed!
Step 2: Send official transcripts
After you submit your application, have your institution send official documents to [email protected].
For Emergency, send your high school transcripts.
For Standard, send your official university transcripts.
Step 3: Complete a background check
All educators must submit their fingerprints to the FBI to check for any criminal history before stepping in the classroom.
Follow these steps to get your background check:
Complete a background authorization form.
Get your fingerprinting done at a NVDPS approved LiveScan location.
You will be guided through the process when you arrive to complete your LiveScan.
Here are the NVDPS approved LiveScan locations in Las Vegas.
If you work with Scoot, note that you will have to submit your fingerprints TWICE: once with the state and once with Scoot. This is because the state and employers cannot share your results.