The New York State Education Department (“SED”) Office of the Professions (“OP”) is alerting everyone to a vishing scam that has been brought to our attention. Phishing—or “vishing”—scams impersonate SED employees or websites attempting to collect licensure and personal information from the licensee. If you receive an inquiry which you believe to be suspicious do not provide any information. To verify if the inquiry was from OP, contact OP directly using the following contact information. You may report suspicious calls or emails to the Federal Trade Commission.
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Important Notice: DO NOT use Form 1 if you are already licensed in this profession in New York State. A New York State professional license is valid for life unless it is revoked, annulled, or suspended by the Board of Regents. To practice in New York State, your professional license must be registered. To renew your registration online, visit https://op-prod.nysed.gov/registration-renewal/online-registration-renewal. If your registration has lapsed for longer than 4 months, submit a Delayed Registration Application.
All applicants for licensure must initially submit Form 1 along with the $294 (occupational therapist) or $147 (occupational therapy assistant) licensure and first registration fee. You must answer all questions and provide all information requested unless otherwise indicated. Failure to accurately complete all required parts of the application will delay its review. Additional forms below are required based on the licensure requirements of the profession. Do not use Form 1 to renew your existing license.
Continuing Your Application
If you have started an application within the past 30 days, and have not yet completed it, you can use this link to continue your application. You will need your Application ID, Social Security Number, and Date of Birth.
Upload Additional Documentation
If you have already completed an application, but you have additional documents or files to include in your previous submission, use this link to upload additional documentation. You will need your Application ID and Date of Birth.
Change Address or Name You are required to notify us within 30 days of any address or name changes. Please read the instructions to request this change.
This form must be submitted directly from the professional school.
For approved New York State Registered or AOTA Accredited Programs: Complete Section I. Be sure to sign and date item 8 and forward the form to your school. Your school must complete Section II and send the form directly to the Office of the Professions at the address at the end of the form.
If your education was obtained in another country, do not use Form 2. You may arrange for the NYSED to receive your foreign credentials, either directly from the institution issuing the credential using Form 2F or from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), who will verify the authenticity of your foreign occupational therapy education credentials using CGFNS’s Credential Verification Service for New York State. If you use CGFNS, you must contact CGFNS directly to sign-up and pay for CGFNS’ Credential Verification Service for New York State. For more information, visit CGFNS’ Website: www.cgfns.org. After you sign-up and pay for CGFNS's service, CGFNS will send a report regarding your foreign education credentials directly to NYSED.
Non-AOTA Accredited Programs In The U.S.: Contact the Bureau of Comparative Education at comped@nysed.gov or 518-474-3817 ext. 300.
Occupational Therapy Assistant:
For approved New York State Registered or AOTA-Accredited Programs: Complete Section I. Be sure to sign and date item 8 and forward the form to your school to complete Section II.
Use this form ONLY if your school is located outside the United States or its territories and you were advised that the credentials verification service you are using did not obtain full documentation needed for a New York State professional license review or you are not utilizing a credentials verification service.
The Office of the Professions will not accept this form if submitted by the applicant.
The Office of the Professions (OP) will accept official electronic transcripts and forms from educational institutions (i.e. colleges/universities) or designated third-party* transcript entities located in the United States, Canada, Brazil and the Philippines provided that:
*OP will only accept third-party submissions after we have determined that the arrangement between the educational institution and the third party is consistent with our security and verification standards.
**Transcript documents with expiration dates cannot be accepted. Expirations on links to the document are acceptable.
***Do NOT use this email to submit a question, as we will be unable to provide a response. Submit a Contact Us Form for questions regarding specific applications or to check the status of a licensure application.
Complete this form if you hold, or have ever held, a license or certificate to practice any profession* in any jurisdiction.
This form must be submitted directly by the licensing/certifying authority. The Office of the Professions will not accept this form if submitted by the applicant.
NOTE: A Form 3 is not required for licenses/certificates issued by the New York State Education Department. Also, If the certification/verification documentation provided by a U.S. jurisdictions contains the same information requested in the Form 3, completion of a Form 3 for that jurisdiction is not necessary. For certification/verification documentation that does not contain the same information, a Form 3 will need to be completed for that jurisdiction.
*Profession is defined as professional titles licensed under New York State Education Law.
Electronic Verification of Licensure, Certification and/or Examination
The Office of the Professions (OP) will accept electronic verifications of licensure, certification and examination completion from other licensing authorities located in the United States provided that:
*DO NOT use this email to submit a question, as we will be unable to provide a response. Submit a Contact Us Form for questions regarding specific applications or to check the status of a licensure application.
All applicants for a limited permit must initially submit Form 5 along with the $70 limited permit fee. You must also submit a Form 5CS - Certification of Supervisor for Limited Permit and Operating certificate or certificate of incorporation along with your application.
Continuing Your Application
If you have started an application within the past 30 days, and have not yet completed it, you can use this link to continue your application. You will need your Application ID and Date of Birth.
Upload Additional Documentation
If you have already completed an application, but you have additional documents or files to include in your previous submission, use this link to upload additional documentation. You will need your Application ID and Date of Birth.
Changes to Supervisors and/or Settings
If you change supervisors and/or settings, or you have to add or remove a supervisor or setting, after a permit is issued, you must obtain an amended permit using the Limited Permit Change Form. After changes are processed you will receive an amended permit. A fee is not required for an amended permit issued as a result of a change in supervisor or setting. You must also submit a Form 5CS - Certification of Supervisor for Limited Permit for each new supervisor you are adding (see Upload Additional Documentation above).
Use this form ONLY if you are applying/have applied for a New York State Limited Permit as an Occupational Therapist or Occupational Therapist Assistant online.