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Become a Teacher » Criminal History

Criminal History

All Texas School Districts and TEA are authorized to obtain any criminal history information relating to an applicant for employment (TEC22.083). You MUST pass a criminal history background check to be admitted into the education preparation program. Conviction of a crime is not an automatic bar to admission. Be aware that conviction of an offense may affect your eligibility for teacher certification from the Texas Education Agency. Additionally, school district hiring policies may prohibit employment if an applicant has a criminal conviction. We recommend candidates carefully review TEA's requirements and connect with any districts of interest to understand their specific hiring guidelines regarding criminal histories. This will allow you to make an informed decision about pursuing certification and employment in the education field in Texas.

  • You may be ineligible to enroll in the educator preparation program due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense.

  • Individuals can request a preliminary criminal history evaluation form from TEA. For more information visit the TEA Investigations site.

  • The requestor will receive an email preliminary criminal history evaluation letter from the agency advising the requester of a determination of potential ineligibility for educator certification. The evaluation is based solely on the information provided by the requestor. TEA Preliminary Criminal Evaluation FAQs