Sen. Hanig files bill in North Carolina Senate on teaching license requirements

A new bill filed by State Sen. Bobby Hanig in the North Carolina Senate seeks to ease licensing requirements for experienced out-of-state teachers by limiting exam mandates, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 147 on Feb. 24 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Teacher License Reciprocity.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill prohibits the North Carolina State Board of Education from requiring out-of-state applicants for a Continuing Professional Teaching License (CPL) to complete standardized examinations as a condition of licensure. It mandates that a CPL be granted to teachers licensed in another state with substantially similar licensure requirements, provided they have at least three years of teaching experience and are in good standing in their current state. The bill will take effect upon becoming law and will apply to out-of-state license applications submitted from that date onward.

Of the two sponsors of this bill, Hanig proposed the most bills (24) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Hanig, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2025 to represent the state’s 1st Senate district, replacing previous state senator Norman Sanderson.