How do I become a substitute teacher in Washington, DC? | Swing Education Help Center
How do I become a substitute teacher in Washington, DC?
Becoming a sub in DC
August 21, 2025
Educational Requirements
- Log into your Swing account to verify your education with our partner Checkr.
- All Washington D.C. substitute teachers must hold at least a bachelor’s degree.
Background Check & Work History Review
All substitute teachers are required by law to complete a Work History Review. Please log in to your Swing Education account to review the Disclosure of Background Investigation and the summary of your rights under the fair reporting act.
You will next review and sign our Acknowledgment and Authorization for Background investigation.
After signing, you can next complete the work history authorization form. The completed form will be sent to Gray Law, Swing Education's partner who conducts work history reviews.
Please note that during this process, we will contact all former employers listed and reach out to your character references.
What the Review Includes:
- Verification of all employers (past 20 years) involving direct child interaction
- Confirmation you have not been accused of sexual misconduct (Swing verifies with employers)
- Character reference check
- Child Abuse Registry check
- Credential revoke check
Timeline: Typically 1–2 weeks.
Fingerprint-Based Background Check
Per D.C. law, all substitute teachers must complete an FBI fingerprint background check.
- Complete this step with Applicant Services (instructions provided in your Swing account).
- If you don't receive them via email, log in to your Application Services account here, download your results, and then upload a copy of your results to your Swing account.
- Results may arrive in a few hours. If not emailed, log in to Applicant Services, download your results, and upload them to Swing.
- Cost: Approximately $47.
Important Notes:
- U.S. embassies do not provide fingerprinting or FBI checks. You must apply directly through Applicant Services.
Credentials & Permits
- Washington D.C. does not issue a substitute teaching permit, and a teaching certificate is not required.
- Each school sets its own requirements. For example, DCPS requires a principal recommendation in addition to a degree.
- Swing does not work with DCPS and does not require additional credentials or recommendations.