Certification

All DOE pedagogical employees - including teachers and school administrators - must maintain valid certification to remain employed.

• If you hold an Initial, Provisional, Internship, Transitional B, Conditional Initial, or Transitional A certificate, you are given a specific number of years before your New York State certification expires and you must progress to the next level of certification based on your completion of the requirements.
• Beginning July 1, 2016, if you hold one of the following certificates, you must register your teaching license with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) every five years:
  • Permanent or professional teaching certificate in the classroom teaching service
  • Permanent or professional leader certificate in the educational leadership service (i.e., school building leader, school district leader, school district business leader), or
  • Level III Teaching Assistant certificate

  Failure to register will result in discontinuance of your license. Additionally, if you hold a professional certificate in the classroom teaching service or educational leadership service or a Level III Teaching Assistant certificate, you must complete 100 hours of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) during each five-year registration period (if you hold a permanent certificate, this CTLE requirement does not apply to you).

  CTLE

  Learn about the registration and requirements for CTLE.

  Types of Certificates

  This page summarizes the different types of certificates, including: Initial, Conditional Initial, Professional, Internship, Transitional B and Transitional A.

  Extensions

  If you have not yet met requirements to progress to your next level of certification, please refer to the New York State Education Department website for more information about the requirements and process to obtain an extension on an expiring certificate.

  Licenses

  A New York City license is automatically generated for you when you are hired. Your license depends on your New York State certificate and the grade level of your NYC teaching assignment; it also specifies your area for DOE seniority.

  Questions

  If you have any questions about maintaining your certificate or progressing to the next level of certification, you can contact the Certification Office between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at (718) 935-2473. You can find additional information about certification on the New York State Education Department website.

  Your Teaching Career

  • Certification
  • Salary and Benefits
  • Teacher Career Pathways