Louisiana Temporary Authority to Teach (TAT) and TEP
Emergency Credentials Require District Sponsorship
Louisiana's temporary teaching permits — the Temporary Authority to Teach (TAT) and the Temporary Employment Permit (TEP) — aren't something you can apply for on your own. Your employing school district must request these on your behalf, and they must submit a signed affidavit verifying that a shortage exists and no certified teacher is available for the position.
This is the fundamental difference from standard certification pathways. You can't walk into the LEC portal and apply for a TAT. A district has to want you in a specific classroom and be willing to document why they can't fill that seat with a certified educator.
Temporary Authority to Teach (TAT)
The TAT is a one-year certificate designed for candidates who hold a bachelor's degree but haven't completed a teacher preparation program or passed the required Praxis exams.
Eligibility:
- Baccalaureate degree with a minimum 2.20 cumulative GPA
- If your GPA falls below 2.20, you can still qualify by passing a formal personal interview conducted by the school system's leadership team
- You cannot hold a TAT if you've previously held a standard teaching certificate or a TEP
Duration and renewal:
- Valid for one calendar year
- Renewable up to two times (three total years maximum)
- For each renewal, you must document at least two official Praxis exam attempts since the permit's last issuance
That renewal requirement is what creates urgency. If you're on a TAT and haven't attempted the Praxis twice during the year, your renewal gets denied and your employment authority expires. The 28-day retake rule means you need to plan your testing schedule carefully — registering even one day early triggers automatic cancellation and fee forfeiture.
Temporary Employment Permit (TEP)
The TEP covers different scenarios than the TAT. It has four options based on the candidate's specific situation:
Option 1 — Program completer, testing gap: You finished all coursework and clinical residency but haven't passed the required Praxis exams. Your scores must fall within 10% of the passing threshold.
Option 2 — Content-related graduate degree: You hold a graduate degree in the subject area but haven't completed a teacher preparation program. A pre-service training program is required before you can serve as teacher of record.
Option 3 — Content-specific bachelor's degree: You have a content-area bachelor's degree with a minimum 2.50 GPA but no preparation program completion.
Option 4 — GPA preparation pathway: You completed an approved preparation program but didn't achieve the mandatory 2.50 exit GPA.
Duration: Valid for one school year, renewable up to four times (five total years maximum under Act 244). TEP holders must receive school-based mentoring from a certified mentor teacher and earn satisfactory annual evaluations.
Critical restriction: TEPs cannot be issued for Special Education certification areas. This is a federal IDEA mandate — there's no exception or waiver process.
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TAT vs. TEP: Which Applies to You
| Situation | Permit Type |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree, no program, no exams | TAT |
| Program complete but failed Praxis (within 10%) | TEP Option 1 |
| Graduate degree in content area, no program | TEP Option 2 |
| Bachelor's in content area (2.50+ GPA), no program | TEP Option 3 |
| Program complete but exit GPA below 2.50 | TEP Option 4 |
| Previously held a standard certificate | Neither — apply for standard reciprocity or renewal |
| Targeting special education | TAT may be available if district-sponsored (TEP prohibited for SPED) |
The Path From Temporary to Standard
Neither the TAT nor the TEP is a dead end — both are designed as bridges to standard certification. But the bridge has a time limit.
From TAT (3-year max): Enroll in a BESE-approved preparation program, pass the Praxis content exam, and complete your mentored year. This transitions you to a Practitioner License and eventually to a Level 1 Professional Certificate.
From TEP (5-year max): Complete whatever requirement the permit is bridging — pass the Praxis exams, finish your program, or raise your GPA through additional coursework. Your employing district's mentoring support continues throughout.
If you exhaust your renewal limit without completing the requirements for standard certification, your teaching authority expires. At that point, you'd need to start a new pathway — which may mean enrolling in a full preparation program from the beginning.
Budget the Hidden Costs
Each TAT or TEP renewal requires a $50 processing fee through the LEC portal. Add Praxis exam fees ($120-$180 per exam) and the IdentoGO background check ($55.75) if your fingerprinting has expired, and the annual cost of maintaining a temporary permit adds up quickly.
The "Free After 3" program through ETS can help: after paying for three attempts at the same Praxis exam code, you're eligible for unlimited free retakes for five years. But you need to wait for the voucher notification email after your third score release — it doesn't happen automatically.
The Louisiana Teacher Certification Guide includes a cost-timeline budget planner that maps every fee across your permit's renewal cycle, plus an exam planning sheet to schedule your Praxis attempts around the 28-day retake rule.
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