Certification Services

We can help you go from Initial to Professional Certification and adding certification in other areas.

You may be eligible for an initial reissuance of your expired certification if you do not have enough teaching experience or the master’s degree program met for professional certification.

We can help you obtain your certification through the Erie 1 BOCES Regional Certification Office, if you live or teach in one of Erie 1 BOCES' component school districts or the City of Buffalo.

Search Certification Requirements for the area of certification that you are interested in.

Paid or volunteer coaches in NYS public schools must hold a valid coaching license, unless already NYS certified in a classroom, pupil personnel, or administrative title.

How to Apply for Coaching License on TEACH

Testing:

New York State Teacher Certification Examinations

Workshops:

Autism

• Workshop Providers

Child Abuse Identification

• Workshop Providers
• No Cost Workshop

Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)

• Workshop Providers
• DASA at Erie 1 BOCES

School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE)

• Workshop Providers

• New Teaching Assistant Certificate Options | 10/8/2025
• Computer Science CST Requirement | 8/29/2025
• Second Update Child Abuse Identification Workshop | 8/29/2025
• New Due Date for Supplementary Certificate Options for ESOL and Bilingual Extension | 8/29/2025
• Additional Classroom Teaching Certificate Pathway – Content Core requirement reduced from 30 semester hours to 18 semester hours | 4/22/2025
• NYSTCE Certification Exam Waiver Process Now Available | 2/25/2025
• New Administrator Certificate and Superintendent Extension | 1/29/2025
• Emergency COVID-19 Certificates Set to Expire on 8/31/24 and 1/31/25 – Will Now Expire on 8/31/25 | 7/19/2024
• Child Abuse Identification and Reporting Workshop Requirements, including updated Mandated Reporter Components | 1/10/2024

• Search Certification Requirements
• New York State Teacher Certification Examinations
• Applicants from Other States
• Teaching Assistant Certification
• Fingerprinting
• Experience Verification Forms
• Registration and Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE)
• New York State Office of Teaching Initiatives 

Visit the New York State Office of Teaching Initiatives website to learn about the certificates that are available, the requirements for each, and the pathways to certification. Once you have more information, contact us and we'll help you through the process! 

Most assistance can be provided via email or over the telephone. The certification specialists can be reached Monday through Friday 8am-4pm. Find contact information at the bottom of this page. 

We cannot perform informal evaluations. You must submit your application on the TEACH Online Services website and select the option to have your application reviewed by the Erie 1 BOCES Regional Certification Office. Evaluations are not done by appointment; they are completed in the order in which the application and supporting documentation are received by the Certification Office.

If you live in or work in one of our 19 component school districts or the City of Buffalo, and you are applying for a certificate title that can be assigned to a local BOCES office, you can have your application evaluated by our certification specialists. You must first submit your application for certification on the TEACH Online Services website and select the option to have your application reviewed by the Erie 1 BOCES Regional Certification Office.

No, there are two pathways available with unique requirements.  For more information:

Applicants from Other States (Interstate Reciprocity):Preparation Pathways:OTI:NYSED