At the 2026-10-18 review, CTC listed a $100 initial application fee, a $2.65 online service fee, and $49 for out-of-state FD-258 fingerprint cards. These are official CTC amounts, not a promise that they are the applicant's only costs.
The first number a teacher sees is rarely the whole budget. CTC charges for the credential application and fingerprints, and a teacher may also pay a Live Scan operator, a school, a courier, an exam provider, or another agency. Those third-party costs are not the same as the CTC fee schedule.
Official fee snapshot
| Item | CTC page amount | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Initial application | $100.00 | The basic nonrefundable application fee for the initial credential or equivalent document, unless the schedule shows a different amount. |
| CTC Online service fee | $2.65 | Added to an online transaction; confirm the current form and checkout total. |
| Out-of-state FD-258 fingerprint cards | $49.00 | Submitted with the completed fingerprint cards and Stamp Number under the manual process. |
| Clear credential renewal or reissuance | $125.00 | CTC's page states this amount applies from July 1, 2026. It is not the first out-of-state application fee. |
| Certificate of Clearance | $50.00 | This is a professional-fitness document; it is not the same as a Clear credential and does not authorize classroom teaching. |
CTC's fee schedule was marked “Last Updated: Oct 1, 2026” when reviewed. The official page should be the first stop before sending money because fees and checkout processes can change.
What is not in the official number
- Live Scan operator charges paid at the service location.
- Any credential-evaluation or transcript delivery charge from a school.
- Postage, courier, tracking, or fingerprint-card travel costs.
- Exams, coursework, or induction costs required for a later credential or authorization.
- A district's hiring, background, or onboarding charge.
Do not add an unofficial estimate to the CTC fee and present it as the “real” government total. Separate official fees from third-party costs.
Two official-fee examples
| Scenario | CTC amounts at this review | What remains outside the total |
|---|---|---|
| First application, manual out-of-state fingerprints | $100 initial + $2.65 online service + $49 FD-258 = $151.65. | Transcript delivery, postage, a fingerprint operator, travel, exams, or later documents. |
| First application, Live Scan | $100 initial + $2.65 online service + the operator's variable fee. | Travel, operator charges, transcript delivery, exams, or later documents. |
These examples are arithmetic from the official fee schedule, not a quote for a particular applicant. The checkout total and any document-specific amount must be confirmed at the time of payment.
Keep a fee record
Save the official schedule, the application confirmation, and the receipt for each payment. If a district offers reimbursement or a school asks for a statement, a clean record is easier to review than a bank statement with no document label. Do not send payment card details to Teaching Route or in a public forum.
Fees are not refundable just because the file is delayed
CTC states that fees are earned when received and are not refunded. That makes the order of the application and evidence review important. Before submitting, confirm that the chosen route, credential family, and document list are plausible. A fee does not create an appeal right or a different route.
A cautious budget sequence
- Read the official fee schedule and the route page on the same day.
- Identify the exact application and any add-on the route requires.
- Add the online service fee to the official total.
- Add the fingerprint method you can actually use.
- Keep receipts and a copy of the application confirmation.
- Recheck before any later renewal, upgrade, or authorization application.
What this page cannot decide
It cannot quote a future fee, predict whether CTC will request more documents, or calculate a district's salary reimbursement. It also cannot determine whether a payment is refundable in a particular case. Those are official CTC and employer decisions.
Need the route before estimating the file? Use the free browser checklist, then price only the official documents that apply.
Check my routeThis page is general information and a planning aid. It is not a CTC eligibility decision, a legal opinion, or a promise of a credential. Confirm your own record with CTC before paying a fee or relying on a route.
Source trail
Official sources
These links go directly to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The access date records when the linked guidance was checked for this release; it is not an official publication date.
- Fee Schedule Information (CL-659) California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Accessed 2026-10-18 · next review due 2027-01-18
- Fees and Fingerprinting California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Accessed 2026-10-18 · next review due 2027-01-18
- Teaching in California – Prepared in Another State California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Accessed 2026-10-18 · next review due 2027-01-18