Important Note: As of June 28, 2023, legislation was signed allowing members of the U.S. military or spouses of U.S. military services members to apply for temporary certification to practice professionally in New York State. To determine if you meet the criteria for the certification please visit: https://www.op.nysed.gov/about/information-for-temporary-certification.
The New York State Education Department's Office of the Professions is pleased to offer the following licensing services to relocated military spouses (Education Law, Article 130, Subarticle 1, Section 6501(2)).
- Expedited Initial Applications for Licensure
- Reduction in Application Fee
- Temporary Practice Permit, if necessary
To qualify, the military spouse must complete the Expedited Application Process for Spouses of Active-Duty Military (see below) and return it, with the required supporting documentation, attached to the application for licensure.
IMPORTANT: BEFORE APPLYING FOR A PROFESSIONAL LICENSE IN NEW YORK STATE, CAREFULLY REVIEW THIS PAGE AND THE LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR SPECIFIC PROFESSION. YOU MUST HOLD A LICENSE IN GOOD STANDING IN A STATE WITH LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT TO NEW YORK’S LICENSURE STANDARDS.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE SPECIFIC FORMS FOR EACH PROFESSION. YOU MUST USE THE FORMS FOR YOUR PROFESSION. The forms are available on each profession's web page.
Further information on New York State programs for Military members and Veterans can be found at www.ny.gov.
Information on the New York Patriot Plan can be found at dmna.ny.gov/benefits/patriot/
Expedited Initial Applications for Licensure
Your expedited application must consist of:
- Military Spouse: Request for Expedited Application Process and supporting documentation. Place the completed application on top of Form 1 for the profession you are applying for and send it to the address at the end of the form. (Do not submit either form to the address at the end of Form 1).
- Form 1 for the profession you are applying for.
- Appropriate Fee – Refer to the Military Spouse Fee Chart to determine the correct fee.
- Proof of Education (Form 2 in most professions) must be submitted directly from your educational institution to the Office of the Professions. If you meet all other requirements for licensure, a Temporary Practice Permit may be issued based on your copy of your transcript. This permit will allow you to begin practice under the supervision of a currently registered New York State licensee, who is authorized to supervise you under Title VIII of the Education Law. Your educational institution must send the official documents to the Office of the Professions before a license may be issued.
- Certification/verification of license from state(s) where you hold a professional license (Form 3 in most professions).
Your application may also require:
- Form 4 Experience documents. Please refer to your profession's web page for additional information to determine if there are specific experience requirements for licensure.
- Additional forms required in your profession. For example, proof of Infection Control Training or Child Abuse Coursework is required in some professions. Refer to your profession’s web page for complete information.
- A Temporary Practice Permit Application, if desired. You may choose to complete this application if you expect that there may be a delay in the submission of original documentation from your educational institution.
Temporary Practice Permit
- Issued for up to six months or until ten days after notification that the applicant does not meet licensure qualifications.
- Useful if you are having problems obtaining documentation from your educational institution or anticipate delays.
- You may submit your own copy of education documents and license verifications for review. A full license will not be issued until the Office of the Professions receives and reviews these documents submitted directly from the educational institution/state.
- There is no fee.
- You must work under the supervision of a professional authorized under Title VIII of the Education Law to supervise your practice.
- A Military Spouse: Application for Temporary Practice Permit should be submitted to the Office of the Professions at the address at the end of the form.
Tips
- Fill out all application forms completely. Form 1 and the fee must be submitted immediately to initiate the application process. Place the Military Spouse: Request for Expedited Application Process form on top of the Form 1.
- Make sure you submit the correct fee by check or money order for U.S. funds made out to the New York State Education Department.
- Immediately contact the school(s) where you received your professional education and request they complete Form 2 and attach transcripts. These must be submitted to the Office of the Professions directly by the educational institution.
- Form 3 must be sent directly from all states where you hold a license.
- New York State participates in NURSYS for nurse certifications but some states, such as California and Kansas, do not. You will need to request separate certifications of licensure from non-NURSYS states. The NURSYS website has that information.
- Remember that the speed with which your educational institution, supervisor or state(s) of licensure submit the forms required from them has a direct bearing on how rapidly a license may be issued.
- The following information may assist you in understanding the variables in law which affect the time it takes to process your license application. This list is not complete and the information provided is general. For more specific information regarding the requirements in each profession, visit https://www.op.nysed.gov/professions-index and follow the link to the profession's specific web page. Each page has contact information if you need further assistance.
Professional Licenses with the most uniform requirements across the United States (These license applications can typically be processed quickly in New York State if you hold an out of state license.)
- Chiropractic
- Dentist
- Licensed Master Social Work
- Midwife
- Nursing – RN/LPN/NP
- Occupational Therapist/Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Optometrist
- Pharmacist
- Physical Therapy Assistant
- Physician
- Physician Assistant
- Respiratory Therapist/Respiratory Therapy Technician
- Veterinarian
Public Accountancy – Out-of-state license holders can practice while the application is pending. Please visit Public Accountancy for more information.
Professional Licenses with additional or fewer uniform requirements or specifications (These license applications may require additional time to review.)
- Architect
- Audiologist
- Dental Hygienist
- Land Surveyor
- Landscape Architect
- Licensed Clinical Social Work
- Licensed Creative Arts Therapist
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Licensed Perfusionist
- Mental Health Counselor
- Pathology Assistant
- Physical Therapist
- Psychoanalyst
- Professional Engineer
- Professional Medical Physicist
- Psychologist
- Speech-Language Pathologist
Out-of-state applicants may be required to remedy deficiencies due to variations in requirements from state to state and/or may have additional experience review requirements.
Professional licenses where licensure qualifications vary significantly from state to state (These license applications take longer to evaluate and out-of-state licensees may not meet NYS standards; applicants may need to remedy significant deficiencies.)
- Clinical Laboratory Technology
- Licensed Cytotechnologist
- Clinical Laboratory Technician
- Histological Technician
- Licensed/Certified Acupuncturist
- Massage Therapist
- Ophthalmic Dispenser
- Veterinary Technician
Professional licenses where use of the specific title is restricted to NYS licensees (These individuals may not use the title without NYS licensure, but the scope of practice provisions is not restricted to licensees.)
- Certified Athletic Trainer
- Registered Dental Assistant
- Certified Dietitian/Certified Dietician
- Certified Interior Designer
- Certified Nutritionist
- Certified Shorthand Reporter
Reduction in Application Fee
Education Law §6501(2)(d) states: "the department shall reduce the initial licensure application fee by one-half for any application submitted by a military spouse under this subdivision." This does not apply to the registration fee which is part of the total fee shown on the licensure application forms. To determine how much you must submit with your licensure application form, please consult the following chart:
| Profession | Initial Application | Registration | Total Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architect | $68 | $242 | $310 |
| Audiologist | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Authorized Polysomnographic Technologist | $150 | $300 | $450 |
| Certified Athletic Trainer | $50 | $58 | $108 |
| Certified Behavior Analyst Assistant | $75 | $75 | $150 |
| Registered Dental Assistant | $23 | $58 | $81 |
| Certified Dietitian and Nutritionist | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Certified Interior Designer | $68 | $242 | $310 |
| Certified Public Accountant | $68 | $242 | $310 |
| Certified Shorthand Reporter | $58 | $58 | $116 |
| Chiropractor | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technician | $63 | $138 | $201 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | $25 | $30 | $55 |
| Dental Hygienist | $35 | $58 | $93 |
| Dentist | $68 | $242 | $310 |
| Histological Technician | $63 | $138 | $201 |
| Land Surveyor | $68 | $242 | $310 |
| Landscape Architect | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Licensed Behavior Analyst | $100 | $100 | $200 |
| Licensed/Certified Acupuncturist | $250 | $288 | $538 |
| Licensed Clinical Laboratory Technologist | $88 | $196 | $284 |
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Licensed Creative Arts Therapist | $88 | $196 | $284 |
| Licensed Cytotechnologist | $88 | $196 | $284 |
| Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist | $88 | $196 | $284 |
| Licensed Master Social Worker | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Licensed Perfusionist | $25 | $150 | $175 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | $35 | $73 | $108 |
| Massage Therapist | $25 | $58 | $83 |
| Mental Health Counselor | $88 | $196 | $284 |
| Midwife | $58 | $207 | $265 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $25 | $35 | $60 |
| Occupational Therapist | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | $29 | $58 | $87 |
| Ophthalmic Dispenser | $25 | $58 | $83 |
| Optometrist | $68 | $242 | $310 |
| Pharmacist | $58 | $224 | $282 |
| Physical Therapist | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | $23 | $58 | $81 |
| Physician | $58 | $600 | $658 |
| Physician Assistant | $35 | $45 | $80 |
| Podiatrist | $68 | $242 | $310 |
| Professional Engineer | $68 | $242 | $310 |
| Professional Geologist | $110 | $210 | $320 |
| Professional Medical Physicist | $75 | $345 | $420 |
| Psychoanalyst | $88 | $196 | $284 |
| Psychologist | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Public Accountant | $110 | $242 | $352 |
| Registered Professional Nursing | $35 | $73 | $108 |
| Respiratory Therapist | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Respiratory Therapy Technician | $25 | $104 | $129 |
| Specialist Assistant | $35 | $45 | $80 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $58 | $179 | $237 |
| Veterinarian | $65 | $242 | $307 |
| Veterinary Technician | $43 | $92 | $135 |