Certification
Duplicate/Printed Certificates
It is the certificate holder's responsibility to safe-guard his/her certificate as one would any important document. School district Offices of Human Resources may require that individuals show proof of Certification in a specific area as a condition of employment.
Individuals who earn one of the following certificate types will automatically have their certificate printed on the day that the certificate is issued in the TEACH system and mailed to the address listed in their TEACH account.
- Permanent Certificate
- Professional Certificate
- Teaching Assistant Level III
Please note that certificates that are limited to a specific employer/school district cannot be printed (e.g., Internship Certificate, Transitional Certificate, Temporary and Modified Temporary Licenses). Time limited certificates are not automatically printed at the time they are issued; however you may order a printed copy of these certificates if you choose (e.g., Initial Classroom Teaching Certificates, Initial Teaching Assistant Certificates). To verify whether or not a certificate is eligible to be printed, you can check the link on the homepage of your TEACH account entitled "I would like a printed certificate."
How to Request a Printed Certificate
Prior to submitting your request, please make sure that your address is listed correctly on your TEACH account. If you do not update the address prior to making the application, the certificate will be mailed to the address on TEACH at the time of the application. The fee will not be refunded. For instructions go to Address Change.
The steps to apply for a duplicate/printed certificate are listed below. The application fee is $25 and is non-refundable. After completing the steps, paper certificates are printed the next business day and mailed to the address listed on your TEACH account, pending any holds on your account.
- Log in to your TEACH account: Login to TEACH
- Click on "I would like a printed certificate".
- Select the certificate you would like to have printed and enter a reason for the request.
- Submit the required $25.00 fee by credit card or money order (payment coupon).
Name Changes
If you need to update your name, you must request the name change before you submit an application for the paper certificate. If you do request a name change, your certificate will not be issued until the name change request is approved. At the time of the name change approval, your paper certificate request will be evaluated and if all requirements are met the certificate will be printed the next business day. For instructions go to Name Change.
Verification of New York State Certification
The Office of Teaching Initiatives does not provide letters verifying an individual's New York State teacher Certification status. If verification of a New York State credential is required for Certification outside of New York State, each state teacher-certifying agency may obtain this verification through access to the Certification files via the Teacher Certification Lookup Tool.