NYSED Form 1 is the initial application for licensure that every professional must file with New York’s Office of the Professions before practicing a regulated occupation in the state. Each of the more than 60 professions governed under Title VIII of the Education Law has its own version, so the first step is finding the one that matches your profession at op.nysed.gov. The form itself covers your identifying information, education, exam history, and moral character disclosures. It is one piece of a larger package that usually includes forms completed by your school, past employers, and any other state that has licensed you.
What to Gather Before You Start
The online version of Form 1 times out if you leave it idle, and a paper copy cannot be saved half-finished. Have everything in front of you before you begin:
- Your Social Security number. The form asks for it, but the instructions say to leave the field blank if you do not have one.
- Your full legal name and mailing address, exactly as you want them on file. Typos here cause real delays because this is how the office reaches you about missing items.
- The names of every post-secondary institution you attended, your enrollment dates, and the exact titles of the degrees or certificates you earned. These entries need to match the transcripts your schools will send on Form 2.
- Your exam history in other states. The nursing version, for example, asks for the state, exam name, and date of any prior NCLEX or state-constructed nursing exam.
- Dates, jurisdictions, and outcomes for any criminal convictions, pending charges, or actions ever taken against a professional license you have held anywhere.
- Payment for the application fee plus the first registration fee, by credit card online or by check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department for paper filings.
If your education was completed outside the United States, you also need a credential evaluation from a recognized service. Nursing applicants use the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). For other professions, the Office of the Professions lists which agencies it accepts, typically members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
The Other Forms in the Package
Form 1 is the part you fill out yourself. Depending on your profession, the state also needs some combination of these, completed by third parties and sent directly to NYSED:
- Form 2, certification of professional education, sent by your school.
- Form 3, verification of licensure in another state, sent by that state’s licensing authority if you hold an out-of-state license.
- Form 4, report of professional experience, completed by a supervisor or employer to document qualifying work history.
Not every profession needs every form. A new graduate of an approved New York nursing program may only need Form 1 and Form 2. An engineer seeking licensure by endorsement from another state would likely need all four. Your profession’s page spells out which ones apply.
The Citizenship and Immigration Status Statement
New York requires a separate Statement of Citizenship/Immigration Status, sometimes called the CZI form, submitted alongside Form 1. Education Law Section 6506 lists citizenship or lawful immigration status as a statutory requirement for licensure. The statement lists categories you can check:
- U.S. citizen or national
- Lawful permanent resident
- Asylee or refugee granted protection under the Immigration and Nationality Act
- Parolee admitted for at least one year
- DACA recipient or someone with similar relief from deportation
- Non-immigrant temporarily in the U.S. (list the visa type)
- Not residing in the United States
If you fall into a non-citizen category, attach a copy of the relevant immigration document. The statement is a legal declaration, and inaccurate information here can damage this application and any future ones.
Answering the Criminal and Disciplinary Questions
Every version of Form 1 asks whether you have been found guilty of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to, any felony or misdemeanor in any court, and whether criminal charges are currently pending. It also asks whether any professional licensing board in any jurisdiction has revoked, suspended, or accepted the surrender of a license you held.
A yes answer does not automatically disqualify you, but it triggers a longer review. Attach a written explanation covering what happened, the outcome, and any steps you have taken since, whether that is completion of probation, rehabilitation programs, community service, or professional retraining. Include certified copies of court dispositions, sentencing documents, or formal orders from other licensing authorities. The more complete your documentation on the first pass, the less likely the state is to come back asking for more.
Concealing a past conviction is worse than disclosing one. Obtaining a license through fraud is defined as professional misconduct under Education Law Section 6509, and if the office discovers the omission after issuing your license, it can revoke, suspend, or annul the license and impose fines or other penalties under Section 6511.
Fees
Every Form 1 filing bundles two payments: the application fee and the first registration fee. The total varies widely by profession. Dental assisting costs $45 and massage therapy costs $50 at the low end; physician licensure costs $735 and acupuncture licensure runs $788 at the high end. Common examples:
- Registered Professional Nurse: $143 ($70 application plus $73 registration, which includes a $15 Nurse Fund fee)
- Licensed Practical Nurse: $143 ($70 application plus $73 registration)
- Certified Public Accountant: $135
- Architecture: $135
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker: $115
- Clinical Laboratory Technologist: $175
- Physician: $735
- Acupuncture: $788
The full fee schedule is posted on the Office of the Professions website. The fee in effect on the date the office receives your application is the one you owe. If fees rise between the time you download the form and the time you submit it, you will be billed for the difference.
Members of the U.S. military and their spouses relocating to New York can request expedited review of Form 1 under Education Law Section 6501(2). Military spouses also receive a 50 percent reduction in the initial application fee. Include a copy of the relevant military orders and note your affiliation when you submit.
How to Submit Form 1
Most professions now offer an online Form 1 through the NYSED eServices portal at eservices.nysed.gov. The online version takes credit card payment at checkout and produces a confirmation screen that acts as your filing receipt. If you started an online application within the past 30 days but did not finish it, you can resume using your Application ID, Social Security number, and date of birth.
Paper submission is still available for some professions. Mail the completed form, the citizenship/immigration statement, your fee by check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department, and any required attachments to the Division of Professional Licensing Services at the Office of the Professions in Albany. Using a tracked mailing service is worth the few extra dollars, because these are original legal documents and a lost envelope means starting over.
Whichever method you use, remember that Forms 2, 3, and 4 travel separately. Your school sends Form 2 directly to NYSED. Another state’s board sends Form 3. Your supervisor sends Form 4. The office will not begin final review until every required piece has arrived, so follow up with those third parties and confirm that they actually mailed their forms.
After You Submit
Staff first check your application for completeness, then route it for substantive review. Processing time depends on your profession and the complexity of your file. For registered nursing, the office asks applicants to wait at least six weeks after submitting all documentation before requesting a status update. Engineering and land surveying applications take at least 12 weeks. Files involving education from outside the United States usually take longer than domestic ones.
If the department needs something missing or has a question about a disclosure, it will contact you using the information on your Form 1. An online verification search tool on the Office of the Professions site shows whether a license has been issued, but not mid-process updates. For real-time status questions after the minimum waiting period, use the Contact Us form on your profession’s page.
Practicing Under a Limited Permit
Some professions allow you to work under supervision while your full application is pending, through a limited permit. To qualify, you generally must have already submitted Form 1 and your fee and the department must have confirmed that you meet the education requirements. You then file Form 5 with an additional $70 fee, identifying your employer, practice site, and supervisor. Your supervisor signs the form and attaches a copy of their own license.
The rules are strict. You cannot begin practicing until the permit has actually been issued. Working before it arrives means the experience will not count toward licensure and can support a charge of unauthorized practice, which is a class E felony. Each permit is tied to a specific practice site and supervisor, so if you work at more than one location, you need a separate permit for each. Duration and renewal terms vary by profession; marriage and family therapy permits, for example, last 24 months and can be extended for up to an additional 24 months.