Registry of Persons Ineligible for Employment

The 86th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3 to further protect the safety and welfare of Texas students by:

• Requiring schools to report to TEA when there is evidence that a non-certified employee abused or was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a student or minor and,
• Creating a registry of individuals who are not eligible for hire in a Texas public school based on misconduct or criminal history

The Registry of Persons Ineligible for Employment in Public Schools is now available to public and private schools. Therefore, schools should now upload identifying information of all current employees to determine their employment eligibility and ensure the school is in compliance with the new state laws. Additionally, schools should check any applicant for employment against the Registry before hire. Pursuant to Texas Education Code §22.092(b), school districts, districts of innovation, charter schools, regional education service centers and shared services arrangements must fire or refuse to hire any individual listed on the Registry. 

Schools may refer to the process document (PDF) for more information about how to request access to the Registry and search the records.

Frequently Asked Questions  

1. Where is the Do Not Hire Registry located?

The Registry is a confidential application in TEAL that public and private schools may search by uploading names and personal identifiers. The Registry application will list individuals who are under investigation or not eligible for hire. 

2. How can schools gain access the Registry?

Schools may now request access the Registry. Public school districts and charter schools can request access through their existing TEAL accounts. Private schools accredited by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC) should request a TEAL login account and then request access to the Registry application. Other private schools should submit a Help Desk ticket.

3. Will public schools be able to see Registry information by using the fingerprinting "green screen."

Yes, the Registry status will also be listed as a new field in the fingerprinting upload results. Therefore, whenever a school district uploads names in the fingerprinting green screen, the system will return the fingerprinting status and the registry status. 

4. What should public schools do if an applicant for employment or current employee is listed on the Registry?

School districts, districts of innovation, charter schools, regional education service centers and shared services arrangements must fire or refuse to hire any individual listed on the registry of persons ineligible to work in public schools. Failure to do so can result in a material violation of a charter school’s charter, termination of a district’s designation as a district of innovation, a special accreditation investigation and resulting sanctions for a school district, and SBEC discipline of individual certified administrators.

5. If a certified educator is under investigation by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), will his or her name also appear as “Under Investigation” on the Registry or the public webpage?

The “Under Investigation” status on the TEAL Registry application for schools refers only to non-certified individuals who are under investigation by TEA based on allegations that the individual abused or was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a student or minor. The “Under Investigation” notation means that an allegation of misconduct is currently being investigated by TEA and that the individual’s employability status has not yet been determined.

As of March 2020, the TEAL Registry application for schools also includes information about any active SBEC disciplinary sanctions or pending SBEC investigations against an individual's SBEC certificate. PLEASE NOTE-It is recommended that schools continue to check the Official Record of Educator Certificates or search the File Transfer-Certification Info screen in ECOS to obtain certificate status and any SBEC disciplinary action.

6. Will the public be able to see who is on the Registry?

Yes, TEA has launched a webpage where members of the public can search the Registry by name. Privacy laws prevent the agency from publishing SSNs or DOBs accessible by the public. Therefore, members of the public will only be able to see the name and status (“Under Investigation” or “Not Eligible For Hire”) of any individual on the Registry.