New York Administration/Principal Certification
New York principal certification currently requires the School Building Leader (SBL) certificate, issued by the New York State Education Department. Candidates need a master’s degree from a state-approved administrator preparation program, three years of teaching and/or pupil personnel service experience, and a passing score on the state’s School Leadership Assessment. New York is phasing out SBL and SDL in favor of a new Administrator Certificate and Superintendent Extension, though current SBL/SDL holders keep their certificates.
Sponsored School(s)
Getting New York principal certification means earning the School Building Leader (SBL) certificate, while superintendents and central-office administrators earn the separate School District Leader (SDL) certificate. Both require a master’s degree, a state-approved preparation program, and a passing score on the state’s school leadership exam. New York is in the middle of replacing these two credentials with a single Administrator Certificate (plus a Superintendent Extension for district-level leaders), so here’s what applies today and what’s changing. If you’re researching general New York teacher certification rather than an administrator credential specifically, see our New York Teaching Certification overview instead.
School Building Leader vs. School District Leader Certification
The New York State Education Department issues School Administration and Supervision certificates at the Pre-K-12 level through its Office of Teaching Initiatives. Principals earn the School Building Leader (SBL) certificate. Superintendents and central-office administrators earn the School District Leader (SDL) certificate.
NYSED is consolidating both credentials into a new Professional Administrator Certificate, with a separate Superintendent Extension for superintendent-level roles. The department stopped registering new preparation programs that lead to the current SBL and SDL certificates as of February 1, 2025, and existing registered SBL/SDL programs are set to be discontinued on or after September 1, 2030. NYSED plans to stop issuing SBL and SDL certificates altogether after September 1, 2031. If you already hold a Professional SBL or SDL certificate, you keep it. You are not required to obtain the new Administrator Certificate, and your current certification remains valid for the positions it covers.
Education Requirements
School Building Leader:
You must complete a state-approved preparation program for school administrators and receive an institutional recommendation from the program. You must also obtain a master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
School District Leader:
You must complete a state-approved preparation program for school administrators and receive an institutional recommendation from the program. You must also obtain a master’s degree from an accredited college or university, along with a combined total of at least 60 semester hours of graduate-level coursework.
Examinations
School Building Leader:
You must pass the New York State School Leadership Assessment for School Building Leader. The assessment is still divided into two parts: Part One and Part Two, each of which can be satisfied through either the Revised (September 2013) or Revised (May 2019) version of the test, though the September 2013 version is being retired after August 31, 2025.
School District Leader:
You must pass the New York State School Leadership Assessment for School District Leader, which follows the same two-part structure.
Experience Requirements
School Building Leader:
For the Initial certificate, you need at least three years of acceptable teaching and/or pupil personnel service experience. For the Professional certificate, you need at least three years of acceptable educational leadership experience, with mentoring from a certified administrator during your first year. A March 2023 regulatory change removed the requirement that any of those three years be specifically in a school-building-leader role, giving districts more flexibility in assigning administrators.
School District Leader:
For the Professional certificate, you need at least three years of full-time classroom teaching, pupil personnel service, or educational leadership experience.
Certificate Renewal and Professional Certification
Your Initial SBL or SDL certificate is valid for five years. Before it expires, you’ll need to meet the experience requirements above and apply for the Professional Certificate through the TEACH system. Professional certificate holders complete ongoing Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) to maintain their certification, per NYSED’s continuing education requirements. For a closer look at the renewal timeline and at reinstating an expired certificate, see our New York Teacher Certification Renewal guide.
Transition to the Administrator Certificate
NYSED’s new Professional Administrator Certificate combines building-level and district-level leadership into a single credential aligned with the New York State version of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders. Educators pursuing a role with “superintendent” in the title also need the Superintendent Extension in addition to the Administrator Certificate. Institutions of higher education were able to begin registering Administrator and Superintendent Extension programs on January 29, 2025. If you’re choosing between an SBL/SDL program and a new Administrator Certificate program, check with your preparation program directly, since availability depends on when your institution registers the new pathway.
New York City Certification Requirements
If you’re pursuing a leadership role in New York City Public Schools, the district recognizes several certificate titles for principal, assistant principal, and education administrator positions: School Building Leader (SBL), School Administrator and Supervisor (SAS), School District Administrator (SDA), or the new Administrator Certificate. For superintendent-level positions, NYC recognizes School District Leader (SDL), School District Administrator (SDA), or the new Administrator Certificate plus Superintendent Extension. Experience minimums also differ by role: assistant principal candidates need at least five years of pedagogical experience, while principal candidates need at least seven.
Document and Application Requirements
Once you meet the educational, experience, and examination requirements, you apply for your administrative certificate online through the TEACH system, where you also pay the application fee. Most of the supporting documentation moves electronically rather than by mail: your preparation program submits your institutional recommendation directly to NYSED, and your testing agency reports exam scores directly to your TEACH account. You’ll still need to arrange for your colleges and universities to send official transcripts directly to NYSED, and you may need to submit an experience verification form through TEACH if your three years of qualifying experience aren’t otherwise on file. Check your TEACH account for the specific outstanding items on your application before assuming anything needs to be mailed.
Criminal History Background Check
New York requires a criminal history background check for certification applicants, processed electronically through IdentoGO rather than through local law enforcement or paper fingerprint cards. You’ll schedule a fingerprinting appointment at an IdentoGO enrollment center using the certification service code, and IdentoGO will transmit your fingerprint results electronically to your TEACH account. You can check your fingerprint status any time by logging into TEACH. For applicants who can’t reach an IdentoGO location, NYSED’s Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability (OSPRA) can be reached at [email protected] for alternative arrangements once every other part of your application is complete.
Contact Information
For details on registered administrator preparation programs, search the Inventory of Registered Programs.
For questions about administrator certification in New York, visit the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives certification pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between the School Building Leader and the School District Leader certification?
School Building Leader (SBL) certification qualifies you to work as a principal or building-level administrator. School District Leader (SDL) certification qualifies you for superintendent and central-office roles. Both require a master’s degree and a state-approved preparation program, but SDL adds a combined 60 semester hours of graduate coursework.
How long does it take to get a New York principal certification?
Most candidates complete a state-approved preparation program alongside or after their master’s degree, then need at least three years of qualifying teaching or pupil personnel service experience before applying. Between coursework and the experience requirement, the path typically takes two to four years, depending on when you start accumulating experience.
Do I need a master’s degree to become a principal in New York?
Yes. New York requires a master’s degree from an accredited college or university as part of School Building Leader certification, along with completion of a state-approved administrator preparation program and an institutional recommendation.
Is New York phasing out the SBL and SDL certificates?
Yes. NYSED is replacing SBL and SDL with a single Professional Administrator Certificate, plus a Superintendent Extension for superintendent-level roles. NYSED stopped registering new SBL/SDL preparation programs in February 2025 and plans to stop issuing SBL and SDL certificates after September 1, 2031. Current SBL/SDL holders aren’t required to switch and can keep their existing certification.
What certificates does New York City require for principals?
NYC Public Schools recognizes School Building Leader (SBL), School Administrator and Supervisor (SAS), School District Administrator (SDA), or the new Administrator Certificate for principal and assistant principal roles. Principal candidates need at least seven years of pedagogical experience, and assistant principal candidates need at least five.
- SBL certifies principals, SDL certifies superintendents. Both are being replaced by a single Administrator Certificate, with a Superintendent Extension required for superintendent-level roles.
- Current SBL/SDL holders aren’t affected. NYSED stops issuing new SBL/SDL certificates after September 1, 2031, but existing certificate holders keep their credentials.
- Three years of qualifying experience is the baseline. NYC principal candidates need seven years of pedagogical experience specifically.
- Applications and fingerprinting are electronic. TEACH handles the application and exam-score reporting, and IdentoGO handles fingerprinting, so there’s little left to mail.
Find accredited educational administration and leadership programs in New York that lead to School Building Leader, School District Leader, or the new Administrator Certificate.
