Occupations Licensed and Certified by NYS

Occupational licensing helps protect the health and safety of citizens by requiring workers in certain occupations to undergo a designated amount of training and education in their field. Legislatures of federal, state, and local governments decide which occupations to license and what the appropriate level of regulation should be to protect the public's health, safety, and welfare. Licensing, certification, and registration are three methods designed to assure the public that credentialed people are qualified and/or competent to perform certain occupations.

Select an occupation from the dropdown menu ‘Select a Licensed/Certified Occupation’. This allows you to retrieve data for a licensed or certified occupation issued by New York State.

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Questions regarding occupations licensed or certified by New York State or how to use the dashboard should be directed to your local labor market analyst.

What is the difference between licensing, certification, and registration?

The terms license and certification are frequently interchangeable. Also, the term certification is occasionally used to describe a simple registration. Nevertheless, these terms are typically defined as follows.
License

Licensing is the most restrictive method of regulation. It requires any person wishing to earn a living in a licensed occupation to obtain permission (license) from a specific government agency, designated by law to issue this license. To receive a license, the applicant usually completes the following requirements:

• Graduate from an approved training program and/or complete a certain amount of work-related experience.
• Pass a qualifying written, verbal, and/or practical examination.
• Qualify on certain personal prerequisites, such as age, citizenship, or bonding.
• Meet comparable standards set by some other state (reciprocation).
• Pay a prescribed initial and renewal license fee.

Certification
This regulatory method governs the use of certain occupational titles. In some instances, regulations do not legally restrict anyone from engaging in the occupation, but those who do not meet the requirements specified may not use the certified title. In other instances, the certification is required to do certain types of work. To obtain certification, the applicant must meet certain training, experience, and/or examination requirements that are similar to those required for a license and apply to the appropriate public agency or private association or certification board for permission to use a given occupational title. A fee may be required.

Registration
Registration is the least restrictive method of regulation. Those wishing to engage in registered occupations must apply to be placed on an official roster maintained by the appropriate organization or agency. The requirements for registration are usually minimal. Individuals may be asked to produce documentation for qualification, character reference, and bonding. Registration can merely be an administrative or professional list of people who are already certified.

This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration.