How to Submit a Paper Application

If you are a first-time applicant and have never applied for a document, register to use the CTC Online system prior to submitting a paper application. Please visit the Login Help page for additional information.

Applicants applying directly to the Commission should complete Application Form 41-4.

• Be sure all applicable sections of the application are completed. Section 3 should only be filled out for Child Development Permit renewals. Section 7 should only be filled out by an employing agency.
• Be sure to review and follow the detailed Application Instructionsand/orInstructional Videocarefully before completing the application. If reviewing the video, note that you may use the outline on the right side of the screen to navigate to individual sections.
• Application 41-4 Web Form FAQs

Note: You must have a United States issued Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for certification.

First-time applicants must submit a completed Live Scan receipt (California residents) or fingerprint cards (residents from outside of California)

Detailed information on the fingerprint process, including required forms, can be found at the Commission's Fingerprint Information page.

A. Academic

Include the official documentation required to prove your eligibility for the document requested. See below for the Commission's Official Supporting Documentation Policy before gathering your supporting documentation.

Visit the Credential Requirements page for specific document requirements.

B. Applicant Disclosure

Applicants must fully and accurately answer all six of the professional fitness questions in Section 6 of Application Form 41-4. If you answer yes to any question, you must complete the corresponding Professional Fitness Explanation Form and include it, along with any required documents, in your application packet.

C. Supporting Materials

Supporting materials must be submitted with an application to be evaluated. Materials submitted to the Commission without an application or which were not specifically requested will not be reviewed and they will be confidentially destroyed.

Submit required fees with the application. Fees may be submitted as a personal check, cashier's check, or money order payable to CTC.

Application Submission
Mail the complete application packet including the processing fee and any required supporting materials to:

May Lee State Office Complex
Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Certification Division
651 Bannon Street, Suite 601
Sacramento, CA 95811

Submitting Applications for Two or More Documents at Once

Each Credential type requires a separate application form 41-4 and processing fee. Place the application forms together with all supporting documentation behind them. You may submit one check, placed on top of the applications, to cover all of the fees. When applying for more than one credential, be sure to request only one credential type on each application form.

Official Supporting Documentation Policy

The table below provides guidance on which materials are acceptable as photocopies and which must be original.

• Application Form 41-4 (your signature must always be original)
• SAT, ACT, or AP exam score reports
• College and university transcripts
• Foreign Transcript Evaluations
• Letters from a college or university, including:
  • Letters from the Registrar
  • Subject matter competence equivalence letter
  • Letters verifying program content
  • Out-of-state teaching experience
  • Peace Corps experience
  • Private School teaching experience
  • Out-of-state exam score reports
  • California or out-of-state certificates, licenses, and credentials
  • Performance Evaluations for out-of-state prepared applicants. Note: those applying via Private School Experience must submit original performance evaluations.
  • Course descriptions from college and university catalogs
  • CPR Certification
  • Completion of Live Scan receipt (41-LS)

  Other Helpful Information

  • Transcripts should always be sent directly to you so that they can be submitted with your completed application packet. Do not have your college or university send transcripts separately to the Commission.
  • Transcripts do not need to be sealed in their original envelope to be considered "official". The Commission encourages applicants to open their transcripts and verify that all required information, such as degree conferral date, is present.
  • When submitting photocopies of documentation such as out-of-state credentials or CPR cards remember to include copies of both the front and back of the document.