Academics
Admissions & Aid
Student Life
About
Info For
Check your certification processing time.
How to check the status of your application (PDF)
Initial (or provisional) certificate effective dates are posted after your application is evaluated. Initial (or provisional) certification is valid for five years. You will not automatically receive a printed initial or time-limited certificate, since the certificate will be confirmed in your account online. You can print out or take a screen shot of your account status by going to your TEACH account. Certification can also be confirmed by going to the OTI Certificate Holder Lookup link. Initial and provisional certificates are valid for five years.
Be sure not to let your initial or provisional certification expire. Make sure to review the information on related programs that meet the requirements for professional certification, and check this information about the mentored experience requirement. E-mail the NYCDOE to have your mentored experience sent to your state. They will need your file number.
You will also need to complete the work experience requirement and have INS Permanent Residence or U.S. citizenship.
If your certificate is going to expire soon or has expired, you will need to apply for an initial reissuance. Time extensions are no longer available for most titles.
You may need to complete new requirements if your certificate expires. Be sure to check the requirements for certification well before that time since rules and procedures are subject to change.
The time validity of an expired Provisional Pupil Personnel Service Initial or Transitional certificate may be extended for three years.
Employment of Certified Individuals with Expired Certificates (PDF)
Teachers: After completing three years of relevant paid experience, a relevant master’s degree, and any other requirements needed at the time of your application such as INS Permanent Residence or U.S. Citizenship, you should be eligible for professional certification. Although the word “citizenship” appears in the certification requirement, United States citizenship and/or permanent residence is no longer required for Professional, Permanent and TA–Level 3 certificates. Applicants must simply prove that they are legally residing in the United States.
School psychologists: After completing two years of relevant paid experience , and any other requirements needed at the time of your application such as INS Permanent Residence or U.S. Citizenship, you should be eligible for permanent certification.
School counseling: see Brooklyn College School Counseling, M.S.Ed.
Three years of relevant experience is needed.
Work experience verification is required for permanent certification. For experience completed within New York State, the preferred method for an employer to verify the experience is by entering a Superintendent Statement on TEACH. If the employer cannot enter a Superintendent Statement, they need to send the appropriate Verification of Paid Experience Form.
If you worked in a NYCDOE school, you can contact the NYCDOE Certification Office to request that they send your mentored experience information to the state. You can e-mail or call the NYCDOE office at 718.935.2462. You will need to know your file number.
A printed certificate will be sent to you, and you can verify your effective dates on your TEACH account. Certification can also be confirmed by going to the OTI Certificate Holder Lookup link.
After you have your professional teacher certification, you must complete 100 hours of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) during the five-year registration period. You must also register with the New York State Department of Education OTI every five years. You can earn CTLE hours through the UFT and/or an approved sponsor.
Follow these instructions if your degree did not lead to students with disabilities certification, and you took or want to take additional courses for this certification area as a nondegree student.
Consult OTI for instructions.
Any change of name or address for a certificate holder must be updated in the TEACH system within 30 days.
