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Requirements  /  Alabama

Alabama Teacher PD Requirements (2026)

50 hours every 5 years for teachers

Source

Primary source: Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) Educator Certification Section — Certificate Renewal page + the My-Certificate-is-VALID Renewal General Information PDF (Jan 2024). Effective July 1, 2024, the prior "no academic requirements" continuation option was retired and the 50-clock-hour + 3-years-experience requirement became the standard renewal path. Clock hours verified by the Educator Certification Section in PowerSchool Professional Learning with an ALSDE ID.

Teachers

Annual hours
—
Cycle hours
50
Cycle years
5

Professional Educator Certificate renewal requires 50 clock hours of allowable professional development PLUS 3 full years of full-time professional educational work experience per 5-year cycle. The 50 hours must be consistent with the Alabama Standards for Professional Development. Verifying entities accepted: accredited colleges/universities, Alabama public schools, nonpublic/private schools, charter schools. Generic activity titles (e.g. "faculty meetings," "in-service") are NOT acceptable — specific titles + dates + clock hours required, or detailed explanation. Application window: Jan 1 - Jun 30 of the expiration year. NB: pre-July-2024 "Continuation with no academic requirements" option was retired effective July 1, 2024.

Counselors

Annual hours
—
Cycle hours
50
Cycle years
5

School counselors hold a Professional Educator Certificate (Class A or AA Counselor) and follow the same 50-clock-hour / 5-year renewal cycle plus the 3-years-experience requirement as teachers.

Administrators

Annual hours
—
Cycle hours
50
Cycle years
5

Administrators hold a Professional Leadership Certificate and follow the same 50-clock-hour / 5-year renewal structure as teachers, plus the 3-years-experience component.

Other South states

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Information current as of May 25, 2026. Verify with your state Department of Education for official licensure decisions.