Free QR codes for teachers and schools
If you have a school or college email address, your dynamic QR code is free. It is the same $3 code anyone gets: editable, no subscription, with a scan count. Teachers reuse the same printed code all year and change where it points as the unit changes.
Get your free code
We email a link to confirm the address. When you open it, your code is made and emailed to you. No card needed.
The instant school-email option isn't open yet. You can still get a free code: buy one on the buy page, then use the email request below, and we refund the $3.
If your school email isn't recognised
Many K-12 districts use ordinary addresses. Buy a code on the buy page, then email us from your school address with your order page link. If we can confirm you work at the school, usually from your school's public staff page, we refund the $3.
How we check
- You must be able to read mail at a recognised school or college address (for example .edu, .ac.uk, or a district domain such as .k12.ca.us). That is the confirmation link.
- One free code per address per year, and a daily cap, so the offer stays fair and small.
- The web address must be a public https:// page, not a link shortener, like every other code.
A school address shows that you are connected to a school, not your job title. Students and alumni can have one too. For a $3 offer we think a light check is the right size, and we never ask for ID, ID numbers or student records.
Is there a free QR code generator for teachers?
Yes, two. Anyone can use our free QR code generator for a static code that never expires but cannot be changed. And if you have a school or college email, you can get a dynamic code free, using the form above. The dynamic one is the better choice for anything you will print, because you can change where it points without reprinting.
What is a dynamic QR code, and why do teachers want one?
A dynamic code opens a short address that you can repoint. Print it once on the classroom door, a handout or a newsletter, and change the link as the unit, the term or the year changes. A static code locks in one link, so a new link means new printing. Our guide explains static vs dynamic QR codes.
How can teachers use QR codes in the classroom?
- Worksheets and handouts: link to an answer key, a video walk-through or extra practice.
- Class newsletter or door sign: open the current calendar, homework page or announcements.
- Reading lists and the class library: open the list, a book review form or a checkout sheet.
- Back-to-school night: a sign-in or volunteer form on the door, repointed each year.
- Field trips and permission slips: open the form, and change it for each trip.
- Scavenger hunts and stations: a code at each stop that opens that clue or activity.
- Lab and project instructions: a short video next to the equipment.
- Student work: a gallery page for a project fair (keep names and photos off public pages).
How do I make a QR code for Google Classroom, a Google Form or a video?
Copy the link from the tool you use, and give that link to the form above. The steps for each are in our guides for forms and surveys, YouTube videos, PDFs and worksheets, shared folders and video meetings. Check that students can open the link without signing in to an account you control.
How big should a QR code be on a worksheet?
About 2.5 to 3 cm (1 to 1.2 inches) square, printed dark on white with a clear border. For a poster or door sign, a code about one tenth of the scanning distance. Test one printed copy with a couple of student phones or tablets. Our free QR code tester and size guide help.
Are QR codes safe to use with students?
The code only holds a web address, so safety depends on the page. Keep student names, photos and personal details off any public page a code opens, follow your school's policy, and check posted codes now and then in case someone covers one with a sticker. See are QR codes safe to scan?
More ideas: classrooms, school events and PTAs, libraries and tutors and music teachers.
Questions
Who qualifies?
Teachers, staff and students' teachers at schools, colleges and universities, from kindergarten up. The quickest way is a school or college email address, such as one ending in .edu. Schools whose addresses look different can ask by email.
How does it work?
Enter your school email and the web address you want the code to open. We email a confirmation link to that address. Open it, and your code is made and emailed to you, usually within a couple of minutes. You never enter a card.
How do you check that I am an educator?
We check that you can read mail at a recognised school or college address, and we limit each address to one free code a year. A school address does not prove a job title, and we say so. The offer is small enough that a light check is the right size. We never ask for ID.
Is there a limit?
One free code per school email address per year. We may change or end the offer at any time, and we will honour requests already confirmed.
Why must the address be https:// and not a shortener?
Free codes get the same safety checks as paid ones. Links must be public https:// addresses, not number-only addresses or link shorteners.
What if my school email isn't accepted?
Many K-12 districts use ordinary addresses. Buy a code on the buy page, then email us from your school address with your order link, and we will refund the $3 if we can confirm you work at the school.
Does the code last as long as normal ones?
Yes. It is the same dynamic code, with your private edit link and scan count. Keep student names, photos and personal details off any page it opens.
Can I use it for Google Classroom, Canvas or another learning platform?
Yes. The code opens any public web address, including a link to your class page. Check that students can reach it with the accounts they already use.
Can I print the code on worksheets?
Yes. Download it as an SVG or PNG, or use the style studio for a print-ready handout layout. Make it about 2.5 to 3 cm wide on a worksheet.
Can I change where the code goes later?
Yes. That is the point of a dynamic code. Use your private edit link, and every printed copy opens the new address.
Can a business or tutoring company get this?
Not under this offer. It is for people at schools and colleges. Everyone else pays the usual $3 once.
Terms: one free code per school email address per year. We may decline requests, change the rules or end the offer. See our terms.