Requirements  /  Arizona

Arizona Teacher PD Requirements (2026)

90 hours every 6 years for teachers

Source

Primary source: Arizona Department of Education. AZ uses a tiered certificate-length system uncommon in other states — the 90/120/180 hour requirements scale with the cert term (6/8/12 years) holding a constant 15-hours-per-year rate. Number shown reflects the most common 6-year certificate. Renewal documentation goes through the AZEDCert portal.

Teachers

Annual hours
Cycle hours
90
Cycle years
6

Arizona certificate terms are tiered by certificate type: 6-year cert requires 90 PD hours (15 hours per year), 8-year cert requires 120 hours, 12-year cert (Master Teacher) requires 180 hours. The standard rule: 15 clock hours of PD activity per year of certificate term. 1 semester hour of college coursework = 15 clock hours of PD. Online self-study PD capped at 30 clock hours per year. Hours documented via the AZEDCert LEA portal for educators in AZ public schools; otherwise teacher provides own documentation.

Counselors

Annual hours
Cycle hours
90
Cycle years
6

School counselors hold an AZ certificate and follow the same 15-hours-per-year rule — 90 hours over a 6-year cert, scaling with longer cert terms.

Administrators

Annual hours
Cycle hours
90
Cycle years
6

Administrators (principal, superintendent, supervisor) follow the same 15-hours-per-year-of-cert-term rule. 90 hours / 6 years for the standard certificate.

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