Office of Teaching Initiatives

Emergency COVID-19 Certificate Requirements

The deadline to apply for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate was September 1, 2022. The application for this certificate is no longer available.

The requirements for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate are listed below and are also available on the Search Certification Requirements webpage.

• Emergency COVID-19 Certificate Application. Candidates must apply for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate, in the title of the non-emergency certificate sought (e.g., Childhood Education), on or before September 1, 2022.
• Non-Emergency Certificate Application. Candidates must apply for one of the following certificates that has exam requirement(s) on or before September 1, 2022: Initial or Professional certificate in the classroom teaching service^*, Initial or Professional certificate in the educational leadership service (School Building Leader, School District Leader, School District Business Leader), Initial Reissuance^*, Teaching Assistant certificate, School Administrator and Supervisor (SAS) Provisional Renewal, Supplementary certificate, Transitional A certificate through the Option B pathway, Transitional B certificate, Transitional C certificate, or Transitional D certificate. Please note that the Emergency COVID-19 certificate is not available for candidates who are seeking the Conditional Initial certificate.
• If candidates only have a disapproved or withdrawn application for the non-emergency certificate sought on file (e.g., Initial Childhood Education certificate), they must submit a new application and fee for the non-emergency certificate as one of the requirements for the Emergency COVID-19 certificate.
• Please note that the Emergency COVID-19 certificate is not available for candidates who are seeking the following career and technical education (CTE) certificates because these certificates do not require a NYSTCE exam: Initial CTE certificates, Professional CTE Certificate through the "CTE Certificate Progression - Initial/Transitional A Issued Prior to 5/9/2017" pathway, and Professional CTE certificate through the "CTE Program Certificate Progression - Initial/Transitional A Issued Prior to 5/9/2017" pathway.
• Non-Emergency Certificate Requirements. Candidates must meet all requirements for the non-emergency certificate sought, other than the exam requirement(s), on or before September 1, 2022. Examination requirements include the edTPA, the Praxis II Speech-Language Pathology test, and exams listed on the NYSTCE website. The requirements for the non-emergency certificate sought, including the exam requirement(s), are also available through the Search Certification Requirements webpage.
• Workshops. All candidates must complete the following workshops: Child Abuse Identification and Reporting, School Violence Intervention and Prevention, and Dignity for All Students Act. Candidates who are applying for a special education certificate must also complete the Autism workshop.
• Fingerprinting. Candidates must complete the fingerprint clearance.s

^* The Emergency COVID-19 certificate is not available for candidates who are seeking the following career and technical education (CTE) certificates because these certificates do not require a NYSTCE exam: Initial CTE certificates, Initial Reissuance CTE certificates, Professional CTE Certificate through the "CTE Certificate Progression - Initial/Transitional A Issued Prior to 5/9/2017" pathway, and Professional CTE certificate through the "CTE Program Certificate Progression - Initial/Transitional A Issued Prior to 5/9/2017" pathway.