Alert:OCTs must pay their annual membership fee by April 15, 2026 to maintain good standing status. Pay your AMF.
The Ontario College of Teachers licenses, governs and regulates the province’s teaching profession in the public interest and to protect students. All publicly funded school teachers and administrators in Ontario must be licensed by us and be Ontario Certified Teachers (OCT).
The College regulates the teaching profession to protect students. Teachers in Ontario’s publicly funded elementary and secondary schools must be certified by the College, keep their membership in good standing, and follow the profession’s ethical and practice standards.
Explore everything related to your Ontario College of Teachers certification, including how to pay your annual fees, keep up to date with the College, and stay informed about ongoing professional learning.
You must apply to be certified by the Ontario College of Teachers and remain in good standing to teach in Ontario’s publicly funded elementary and secondary schools.
The College provides information and resources to support Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs), applicants and education system partners to strengthen the teaching profession and promote student safety.
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To teach in Ontario’s publicly funded schools, a teacher must be certified by the Ontario College of Teachers. Certified teachers pay an annual membership fee to maintain their membership and certification.
To be certified, teachers must:
Registration requirements may change without notice.
Before you begin your online application, you should select and print one of the registration guides listed here. Pick the one that applies to you and make sure you read it carefully. There are four different registration guides. Each one tells you what you need to know to get certified.
If you are applying as a teacher of academic subjects from Kindergarten to Grade 12, please read Requirements for Becoming a General Education Teacher in Ontario.
If you are a First Nations, Inuit or Métis applicant without a university degree applying to teach the Primary-Junior grades, read Requirements for Becoming a Primary-Junior Teacher if you are of Indigenous Ancestry.
If you are applying as a teacher of technological subjects, read Requirements for Becoming a Teacher of Technological Education in Ontario.
If you are applying as a teacher of a Canadian native language, read Requirements for Becoming a Teacher of a Native Language in Ontario.
Internationally educated teachers can learn about registration requirements, language proficiency tests and the evaluation of credentials. The College holds regular information sessions for internationally educated teachers. Find out more about these sessions and upcoming dates.
If you completed your teacher education program outside of Ontario in a language other than English or French, the College has specific language requirements you must follow.
You need to have documents translated if any of your documents (like a birth or marriage certificate) are in a language other than English or French.
If you’re certified to teach in a Canadian province or territory other than Ontario, you can learn about the requirements for Canadian certified teachers.
