Substitute Teaching Licensure

At the Regional Office of Education, we are pleased to provide information on the requirements for obtaining and maintaining substitute educator licenses in Illinois and to assist you with the application process for all new licenses, approvals, registration, and renewal.

Illinois Licensure for Substitute Educators

ROE #21 stays current with changing regulations, laws, and policies in substitute educator licensure and acts as a liaison between the Regional Office of Education and the State Educator Licensure Board (ISBE) for applicants, school districts, and other interested parties.

If you need to create an ELIS account, click here . For all login and password recovery assistance, please call one of our ROE offices or the "Help Desk" at the Illinois State Board of Education at 217-557-6763 .

Substitute Teaching

If you would like to substitute teach you must hold a valid Professional Educator License (PEL), Substitute Teacher License (SUB), Short Term Substitute License (STS), or Paraprofessional License (PARA). For more information, please see requirements for each license within the individual tabs below.

Application Steps

1. Create an Account - Create an account in the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS)
2. Submit Transcripts - Request an official transcript. Transcripts must be mailed or e-scripted directly from the College/University to one of the ROE #21 offices. E-scripts can be sent to licensure@roe21.org.
3. Apply for Licensure - Apply for the applicable license in your ELIS account.
4. Register your License - Once your license has been issued, you must register your license in Region 21.

FAQ

• If you hold a Teaching License (PEL) you DO NOT need a Substitute Teaching License, a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License or a Paraprofessional License.
• On June 29, 2023, Governor Pritzker signed SB 2390 (now PA-103-0111) into law. This law provides an extension for the Short-Term Substitute (STS) teacher application availability. The application is now available through June 30, 2028, rather than June 30, 2023.
• Upon evaluation, additional documentation may be requested by ISBE prior to the license being issued.

Requirements

Must meet one of the following:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
• Beginning January 1, 2023, applicants enrolled in an approved Illinois educator preparation program may qualify for the substitute license with at least 90 semester hours of coursework in their preparation program.

FAQ

• License is valid for substitute teaching in all grades of public schools, prekindergarten through grade 12.
• Substitute teaching licenses are valid for 5 years and may be renewed with the payment of registration fees.
• Substitutes cannot teach for more than 90 consecutive days per licensed teacher in the same school year.

Requirements

• Minimum of 60 hours of college credit (100 level coursework).
• Complete a Short-Term Substitute Training.

On June 29, 2023, Governor Pritzker signed SB 2390 (now PA-103-0111) into law. This law provides an extension for the Short-Term Substitute (STS) teacher application availability. The application is now available through June 30, 2028, rather than June 30, 2023.

Educators who currently hold a Short-Term Substitute (STS) Teaching License with an expiration date of June 30, 2023, may renew the license for a five-year period. To renew the license, the educator may log into their Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) account and click on the "Renew My Sub" link in the Action Center.

FAQ

• STS is valid for substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools, PreK- 12.
• STS licenses are valid for 5 years and may not be renewed.
• STS holders cannot teach more than 5 consecutive days per licensed teacher in the same school year.
• STS license holders can serve as Paraprofessionals.

Requirements

• At least 19 years of age to serve students in prekindergarten through grade 12.
• Individuals may qualify for the ELS-Paraprofessional license by meeting the requirements outlined below at age 18 but only may serve in prekindergarten through grade 8.

Must meet one of the following:

• Associate’s degree or higher
• 60 semester hours of coursework (coursework must be at the 100-level or higher from a regionally accredited college or university.​​​)
• High School Diploma or GED and a score of 460 or higher on the ETS Parapro
• High School Diploma or GED and the following scores on the ACT Workkeys:
  • Applied Mathematics/Applied Math (with a score of 4)
  • Reading for information/Workplace Documents (with a score of 4)

  FAQ

  • Paraprofessional licenses are valid for 5 years and may be renewed.
  • Must work under the direct supervision of a licensed teacher.

  Requirements

  • At least 19 years of age to serve students in prekindergarten through grade 12.
  • Must have a high school diploma or GED.

  FAQ

  • Short-term paraprofessional licenses are valid for 3 years and may not be renewed. In order to continue working in a paraprofessional position beyond the initial 3 years, you must meet the requirements for the paraprofessional license.
  • Must work under the direct supervision of a licensed teacher.

  ROE #21 Substitute List

  ROE #21 hosts a list of eligible substitute teachers. This list is available for public and private schools. Upon completion of substitute listing requirements, individuals will receive a substitute certificate valid for the respective school year. Substitute Certificates must be renewed prior to each school year.

  The Regional Office of Education #21 strives to maintain an accurate and up to date listing by contacting all individuals after each school year.

  For information about getting on the list, see the information below.

  • Educator must hold a Professional Educator License (PEL), a Substitute Teaching (SUB) License, a Short-Term Substitute Teaching (STS) License, or an Educator License with Stipulations endorsed as a Teacher’s Aide (PARA). For more information on how to obtain these licenses, please see "How to Become a Substitute Teacher".
    • The license must be registered in ROE #21.

    Once all requirements above have been completed, individuals must undergo a criminal background check. During this investigation, educators will be fingerprinted, and names will be checked through the Illinois State Police Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registry and the Child Sex Offender Registry. The fee for the background check is $55.00.

    Please call one of our offices for an appointment to schedule your background check.

    Please bring all required documentation with you to your appointment. Once your background check results have been received by our office, you will be mailed a Substitute Authorization Certificate and you will be placed on our Substitute Listing.

    ​If you would like to remain on the upcoming Substitute Listing for the 2023-2024 School Year, you MUST notify our office. Upon verification of information and license validity, a new Substitute Authorization Certificate for School Year 2023-2024 will be mailed to you.

    If we do not hear back from you prior to August 1, 2023, you will be removed from the substitute listing for the upcoming school year. Please understand that once you are removed from the substitute listing, you will need to once again complete the proper paperwork (health exam, TB test, background check), in order to be placed back on the substitute listing.