Substitute Certificates

Substitute certificates are required for the following positions: Substitute teachers, Special Education Staff Assistants, Coaches (paid and volunteer) and most Advisors (paid and volunteer). The exceptions to the advisors are Ticket Sales Chairperson and Costuming. NOTE: A substitute certificate is NOT required for these positions if the staff member has any type of valid teacher certificate.

The cost of obtaining the substitute certificate is the responsibility of the staff member.

The requirements needed to obtain a substitute certificate: 30 college credits from an accredited college and a criminal history approval obtained within 5 months of applying for the substitute certificate.

Substitute-How to get a Credential:

Note: The term educator is referring to the staff member applying for a substitute certificate.

• To apply for a substitute credential (initial or renewal), please refer educators to https://www.nj.gov/education/certification/substitutes/index.shtml. The educator should click on Step Three: Applying for a Substitute Credential Online, then click on NJEdCert (in blue type).
• Please note that there is a $125 + $3.00 processing fee for the substitute certificate, which is valid for 5 years.
• The educator must forward to the state (to the email: certapplication@doe.nj.gov) transcripts electronically sent directly from his/her college or college clearinghouse showing at least 30 college credits.
• The educator will need to be fingerprinted and have a criminal history approval issued by the state of New Jersey. If the educator was fingerprinted for a NJ Public school in the past (2004 or sooner), he/she may be able to archive the fingerprints. The educator must apply, pay any fees and schedule the fingerprinting appointment through the NJ Office of Student Protection at the website: https://www.nj.gov/education/crimhist The County is Morris (27), District is Morris Hills Regional (3370) and School is None (000)
• Check weekly to see if this criminal history approval has been issued. Once issued, download and send this approval to the educator as the educator will need to upload this approval into the substitute application on NJEdCert.
• It can take up to two weeks after all information has been received by the NJEdCert before the substitute certificate is issued.
• If the educator is renewing a substitute certificate, then print out and send to the educator his/her past criminal history approval and create and send a Letter of Continuous Employment. The educator will not need archive his/her fingerprints in this case.