Fingerprint Verification / New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) Security Clearance Requirement
COVID-19 Notice
Spring 2021 fingerprint verification deadlines:
Students in childhood, special ed programs in childhood and secondary education, as well as music, physical education, and all middle and secondary education subjects (CBSE and SEED): If you will be in student teaching classes (not fieldwork/observation classes) in spring 2021, you will need a fingerprint verification letter from the Certification Officer by January 15, 2021.
Students in Early Childhood and Art Education (ECAE) programs can register for one course while they work on fingerprinting.
Students in School Psychology, Counseling and Educational Leadership (SPCL): Confirm the fingerprint clearance deadline with Jennifer Millan.
- When Do You Need College-verified Fingerprint Clearance?
- If you already processed your fingerprint records, follow these steps to get a verification letter from the certification officer.
- If you need to have your records processed for the first time (including a scan of your fingerprints at the NYCDOE office).
- Video: Fingerprint Clearance Verification Tutorial
If you will be working in New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) schools while you are a college student, the NYCDOE requires colleges to confirm current fingerprint security status for all college students, including if records are on file already and if you are working already or not. Clearance is confirmed by the certification officer via e-mail using the NYCDOE Personnel Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) database specifically for Brooklyn College students.
Your records will not be verifiable by the college unless you follow the relevant steps below. Most college program offices require students enrolling in education classes to have their college-verified NYCDOE clearance confirmed or reconfirmed before registering for education courses, if your records have been processed previously or not. If your records were already processed by the DOE, the college does not have access to all of the records in the NYCDOE, we have access to records only for Brooklyn College students. To have your records reconfirmed, you will need to follow the steps below. NYCDOE security clearance can take as long as three to six weeks or more in some cases, so allow enough time for your security clearance to be completed and verified by Brooklyn College.
By New York State law, contract, and related regulations, the DOE is required to conduct background investigations on students working in DOE schools. Fingerprint security clearance may be obtained through the NYCDOE and will be verified by Brooklyn College after you follow these steps.
If you had a fingerprint/security clearance letter from Brooklyn College previously and can't find it, you can fill out this form to get a new letter.
If there are any changes in your fingerprint clearance status, and you are not cleared to work in NYCDOE schools, you will be notified and then it will be your responsibility to stop working in NYCDOE schools and complete the steps needed before returning to work.
Be Sure Your Fingerprint Records Are Posted on Your New York State TEACH Account if You Need New York State Certification
Be sure to check your TEACH account to check if your fingerprint status is posted there. You can go to Account Information, Fingerprinting, and click "go." If you see a note on your TEACH account that states "Teach does not have your fingerprint information..." and if you already processed your fingerprint records with the NYCDOE, then you need to release your NYC records so they can be posted on your TEACH account.
To release your records, print, sign, and send the OSPRA 104 form (pdf) by e-mail to the address at the bottom of the form. If the information in section two of the OSPRA 104 form does not apply to you, you can leave it blank.
Allow about one month for your records to be processed, and then check your TEACH account to be sure your fingerprint records were received. When your records are received by TEACH, your account will only indicate if your records were received, not if your records are currently "cleared."
GoPass: If your fingerprint records were processed by GoPass, you will need to confirm with PETS if those records can be used for your New York State certification or not. You can e-mail PETS to ask if they can release your New York City records to the state using an OSPRA 104 form (pdf).
