New York School Counselor Certification

The state of New York offers two pathways to school counselor certification, depending upon your earned education and experience. The initial certification for counselors is a Pupil Personnel Service- Provisional Certificate. This certificate is valid for five (5) years.

Step 1: Education Requirements

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

1. Master’s degree in school counseling from a New York State registered program with institutional recommendation for school counselor (obtained with an online statement on the institution’s website), such as programs offered from the following schools:

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2. Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university with at least 30 completed graduate credit hours that focus on subjects related to school counseling and a supervised internship completed in a K-12 school setting. For examples of accepted graduate coursework in school counseling, visit this webpage.

Step 2: Criminal Background Check

All applicants must be cleared by the New York State Education Department. In order to complete these requirements, you will need to submit fingerprints by using MorphoTrust/IDEMIA to complete the process. The application fee for this service is $101.75.

Approved locations are across the U.S. For more information, or to schedule an appointment to submit your fingerprints, call MorphoTrust/IDEMIA at 877-472-6915. You can also schedule your appointment online.

Step 3: Examination Requirements

As of February 2020, there is no examination requirement for New York school counselor certification.

Step 4: Know the Fees

Applicants for a New York school counselor certification will pay either $50 or $100, depending on the type of education and experience used for obtaining a certification.

For a detailed description of the fee schedule, visit this webpage.

Step 5: Organize Your Application Materials

Your application materials include the following:

• Completed profile and application through the through the TEACH online services system
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities you have attended, including transfer credits that led to earned degree
• Verification of paid experience form, if applicable, downloadable here
• Completion of training in the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), which addresses forms of discrimination in schools. This training totals nine (9) clock hours. For a list of all approved training providers, visit this website
• Completion of Child Abuse Identification and School Violence Prevention and Intervention workshops, if you are applying without a completed master’s degree in school counseling. For detailed information about how to complete these workshop requirements, visit this webpage and this webpage.

Step 6: Submit Your Application

New York school counselor certification applications are only submitted online through the TEACH online services system.

All supporting materials should be sent in one complete packet to:

Supporting documentation must contain identifying information, including:

• Date of birth or a portion of date of birth
• Last four digits of your Social Security Number
• Your current name, as it is listed exactly in your TEACH account

Additional Information

If you would like to speak with a certification specialist, you can contact the New York education department at 518-474-3901 during normal business hours. You can also complete an email contact form, located here.

The New York Pupil Personnel Services Certificate- Provisional Renewal is renewed once for counselor who holds a provisional certificate. The application fee for a provisional renewal certificate is $100.

The next renewal for a New York school counselor is the Permanent Certificate, which is valid for life, unless it is revoked or suspended by the Department of Education. The application fee for a permanent certificate is $50 or $100, depending upon your pathway to obtaining the certificate.

All applicants for a provisional renewal must complete the following three continuing education courses:

• Child Abuse Identification Workshop
• Dignity for All Students Act Workshop
• School Violence Prevention and Intervention Workshop

You can apply for your renewal online here.

Additional Assistance

If you need additional information about renewing your New York school counseling certificate, contact the Education Department during normal business hours at 518-474-3901.

According to the New York State Education Department website, pupil personnel services certificates, including those for school counselor, are not reviewed through reciprocity. If you are an out-of-state applicant, you must meet all the requirements for a Provisional Certificate.

Your application will include the following:

• Completed profile and application through the through the TEACH online services system
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities you have attended, including transfer credits that led to earned degree
• Verification of paid experience form, if applicable, downloadable here
• Completion of training in the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), which addresses forms of discrimination in schools. This training totals nine (9) clock hours. For a list of all approved training providers, located here
• Completion of Child Abuse Identification and School Violence Prevention and Intervention workshops, if you are applying without a completed master’s degree in school counseling. For detailed information about how to complete these requirements, visit this webpage and this webpage
• Application fee of either $50 or $100, depending on the type of education and experience used for obtaining a certification. For a fee schedule, visit this webpage

Your supporting documentation, along with a copy of your current, valid out-of-state license, should be mailed in one complete packet to:

Additional Assistance

If you have questions about your out-of-state application, contact the certification office at 518-474-3901, or complete an inquiry form, located here.