Certification

Applicants from Other States - Completion of a Comparable Program

Important

The Office of Teaching Initiatives can not determine eligibility for certification until an application has been submitted, and a review of your credentials has been completed.

New York State does not pre-approve educator preparation programs completed in other U.S. States or Territories.

 important

A certificate can be issued to an applicant who completed a comparable educator program in another U.S. State or Territory and has completed all examination, workshop and fingerprinting requirements. Information regarding the requirements for certification can be found below:

Classroom Teachers
  • Submit an application and fee for an Initial certificate
  • Complete a comparable1  approved teacher preparation program, in the subject of the application, at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that would lead to an institutional recommendation for certification in the state the college is located
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • 2.5 cumulative GPA in a Bachelor’s or higher degree
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams for Initial certificate sought
    • If you have completed an exam out-of-state, you can determine its eligibility here.
  • Fingerprint Clearance
  • Complete all required workshops
how to apply   Certification Requirements

 

School Building Leaders
(Principal, Assistant Principal, and all other single building administrators)

You must apply at the INITIAL level. You cannot directly seek a Professional certificate when utilizing Reciprocity, regardless of the level of certificate you hold in another state.
A note regarding the Conditional Initial Certificate

If you possess a valid educator certificate/license in another U.S. State or Territory, and would like to review the requirements for the two-year Conditional Initial certificate, refer to: Conditional Initial certification
  • Submit an application and fee for an Initial certificate
  • Complete a comparable.1 approved principal-level school administration program at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that:
    1. Would result in a recommendation for principal-level certification in the State the College is located.
    2. Includes at least 21 semester-hours of graduate level coursework in school leadership, plus a comparable administrative internship
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Master's degree
  • At least three years of Classroom Teaching or Pupil Personnel Service experience.
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams for School Building Leader certification.
  • Fingerprint Clearance
  • Complete all required workshops

 
how to apply   Certification Requirements

School District Leaders
(Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and all other District-wide administrators)
  • Submit an application and fee for a Professional certificate
  • Complete a comparable.1 approved district/superintendent-level school administration program at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that:
    1. Would result in a recommendation for superintendent-level certification in the State the College is located.
    2. Includes at least 27 semester-hours of graduate level coursework in school leadership, plus a comparable administrative internship
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Master's degree
  • 60 semester-hours of graduate-level college coursework (total from all graduate colleges attended)
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams
  • Complete all required workshops
  • Fingerprint Clearance

 

School District Business Leader
  • Submit an application and fee for a Professional certificate
  • Complete a comparable.1 approved school district business leader program at a college in another U.S. State or Territory that:
    1. Would result in a recommendation for superintendent-level certification in the State the College is located.
    2. Includes at least 27 semester-hours of graduate level coursework in school leadership, plus a comparable administrative internship
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Master's degree
  • 60 semester-hours of graduate-level college coursework (total from all graduate colleges attended)
  • Satisfactory passing score on all required exams
  • Complete all required workshops
  • Fingerprint Clearance

 

Pupil Personnel Titles
(Counselor, etc)

You must apply at the INITIAL level. You cannot directly seek a Professional certificate when utilizing Reciprocity, regardless of the level of certificate you hold in another state.

NYS offers INITIAL School Counselor through Endorsement and Completion of a comparable program 

1. Program must be similar to a New York State-registered teacher preparation program completed at a New York State College/University. Comparability based on Official Compilation of Closed, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (8 CRR-NY 52.21External Web Site). ↩
2. Certificate must be active in the state of issuance.↩
3. A “regular” certificate, in a comparable subject area and similar grade-level, that has no limits/restriction. A list of acceptable-level certificates can be found at: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/levelcert.html.↩
Last Updated: June 23, 2026