Substitute Teacher Certification

You may contact your local school districts Human Resources office and request a “Substitute Teachers Packet”. The HR department will then send you a packet containing all the forms and paperwork needed to successfully complete your Substitute Certification. Certification is valid for five(5) years. If you wish to print and fill out the forms on your own, please see the information below:

STEP 1: Get fingerprinted

• MorphoTrak (Sagem Morpho) Fingerprinting - $70.25 fee
  - Fingerprinting application instructions [CLICK HERE]
  - Fingerprinting application form [CLICK HERE]
  - Register, pay and make appointment at: www.bioapplicant.com/nj
  + Bring a valid photo ID & a hard copy of the Fingerprinting form with you at your    appointment time. 
  - Once you are fingerprinted, you will receive a receipt, keep this. You will not receive anything special in the mail for getting fingerprinted, all it does is log you into the county database.

STEP 2: Submit application for the New Jersey State Criminal History Review Unit

As of July 1st, 2010, the New Jersey Department of Education is no longer accepting applications in the mail using the USPS. You must fill out an online application and pay a fee of $11 for a criminal background check. [CLICK HERE] - select "New Admin. Fee Request", then option 1

STEP 3: Apply for a substitute license 

Forward the following to your OFFICE OF THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT:
You must receive your approval letter from the Criminal History Review Unit (above) with the Blue Seal FIRST before submitting the following forms to the Office of the County Superintendent in the county you live in or would like to teach in. 

• Official College Transcript with at least 60 college credits
• Original Approval Letter from Criminal History Review Unit (above) with the Blue Seal
• "Substitute Certificate Application" - [CLICK HERE]
• "Oath of Allegiance", notarized - [CLICK HERE]
• A fee of $125 made payable to "Commissioner of Education" in the form of a money order

• "Employee Roster" - [CLICK HERE] *Only needed for employment
• "Transmittal Form" - [CLICK HERE] *Only needed for employment

Once you have completed ALL of the information and have sent it out to the state, you will get a valid substitute teachers license in the mail. Once you have this license, you are free to apply to any school district in the state of New Jersey for employment. Call the district office and show your interest in subbing and then you will get called for an interview (bring resume).

Once you are approved by the principal who interviews you, you will then be placed on the substitute roster. Some school districts use the online program, Aesop, to contact their substitutes to work. You will be set up with an account for this once you have completed the school districts requirements for hire.