Certification Requirements for Histotechnician

Practice as a histotechnician and the use of the title "histotechnician" in New York State require certification, unless otherwise exempt under the law.

To be certified as a histotechnician in New York State you must meet all requirements, including:

• submit the application and fee for initial certification;
• be of good moral character;
• be at least 18 years of age;
• meet education or alternative to education requirements; and
• meet examination requirements.

You must file an application for certification and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for certification and definition of practice are contained in Title 8, Article 165 of New York's Education Law and Subpart 79-16 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. The laws and regulations are available on this website.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

The certification and first registration fee is $245.

The limited permit fee is $50 (the limited permit fee is not refundable).

The fee for a provisional permit is $50 (the provisional permit fee is not refundable).

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• If you apply for certification electronically using the online Application for Certification, you will be required to pay by credit card.
• Other payments must be made by personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail any required forms and fees to the indicated address on the form.

NOTE: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by credit card, check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Clinical Laboratory Technology Unit by e-mailing opunit2@nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 260 or by faxing 518-402-2323.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State certification at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the certification and registration fees and meet the certification requirements in place at the time you reapply.

NOTE: Different certification requirements may apply to persons who had applied for certification as a histotechnician in New York State prior to September 1, 2013. For additional information, email CLINLABD@nysed.gov.

To meet the education or alternative to education requirement for certification as a histotechnician, you must meet ONE of the five criteria described below.

You must document that:

1. You are currently certified as a Histotechnician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification with the ASCP (HT) or ASCPi (HT) credential. (Use ASCP’s online system to submit verification of your certification to the Department to document meeting this criteria.)
   Or
2. You are licensed and in good standing in West Virginia as a Histologist. (Use Form 3 to document meeting this criteria.)
   Or
3. You graduated from an associate degree histotechnician program (or a similarly named program) while the program was fully accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS) as a histotechnician or histotechnology program at the time you graduated. (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria.)
   Or
4. You graduated from an associate or higher degree histotechnician program registered by the Department as certification qualifying at the time of graduation (A list of certification-qualifying programs can be found on the Inventory of Registered Programs available at http://www.nysed.gov/heds/IRPSL1.html under "HISTOLOG TECHN"). (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria.)
   Or
5. You graduated from a program that is determined by the Department to be "substantially equivalent" to a registered program in that leads to certification as a histotechnician. (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria.)

   Substantial Equivalence

   For a program to be determined substantially equivalent to a registered histotechnician program, it must lead to an associate or higher degree and be designed and conducted by a degree-granting institution to prepare students for professional practice as a histotechnician using independent judgment and responsibility. It should be recognized by the appropriate civil authorities of the jurisdiction in which the program is offered as a program to prepare individuals for professional practice as a histotechnician. In addition, the program must meet all criteria described below to the satisfaction of the Department;

   Provide didactic and clinical education that integrates pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical components of laboratory services, including the principles and practices of quality assurance/quality improvement;

   1. include didactic and laboratory coursework in each of the following subject areas (or equivalent subject areas) as determined by the Department:
      1. inorganic chemistry;
      2. anatomy and physiology
      3. histology, to include microscopic analysis
      4. histological techniques, to include microtome techniques, chemistry of stains and staining techniques
      5. infection control and universal precautions
      6. ethics; and
   2. include a supervised clinical experience of at least 30 hours per week for at least 8 weeks (i.e., 720 hours) in histotechnician practice or its equivalent.

Note: If you are current ASSCP (HT) or ASCP (HTL) certified, you have already met the examination requirement for certification as a histotechnician. If you were originally ASCPi (HT) certified on or after April 1, 2015, and are currently ASCPi (HT) certified, you have already met the examination requirement for certification as a histotechnician. If you were originally ASCPi (HTL) certified on or after October 1, 2014, and are currently ASCPi (HTL) certified, you have already met the examination requirement for certification as a histotechnician.

To meet the examination requirements for certification as a histotechnician, you must pass ONE of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification's examinations, as described below, with a converted score of at least 75. Refer to the chart below for the effective dates for acceptance of these exams.

Examination Eligibility

Before you will be made eligible to take an examination for New York State, you must:

• Apply for certification, pay the $245 fee for certification and first registration and submit all required documentation;
• The Department will review your application to determine your eligibility. You will be notified when you are eligible for the examination; and
• after the Department notifies you that you are eligible to take the examination, you must sign up directly with the ASCP Board of Certification by completing the New York State Licensure Application found at www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed/#state-licensure. The ASCP Board of Certification will inform you of next steps, including how to schedule an appointment to take the examination. You should schedule an appointment to take the examination within the assigned three-month examination period.

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

If you have a disability and may require reasonable testing accommodations for the examinations, please contact the ASCP Board of Certification at the website above or at:

ASCP Board of Certification
33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: 1-800-267-2727
Fax: 312-541-4845

A limited permit authorizes an individual who has met all requirements for certification as a histotechnician, except for the examination requirement, to practice as histology in a specific setting.

The permit is valid for not more than 24 months and is not renewable. The permit holder shall be under the general supervision of the director of a clinical laboratory. Limited permit holders may not work at more than one clinical laboratory at a time. A limited permit holder who seeks to work in a different clinical laboratory must submit a new limited permit application to practice in such clinical laboratory and may not start practice until the limited permit is issued for the new setting and supervisor.

The supervising clinical director must serve the laboratory full-time, or on a regular part-time basis; ensure the supervision and technical performance of the limited permit holder, and be readily available for consultation with the limited permit holder, as needed; shall be responsible for the performance and findings of all tests carried out by the limited permit holder, either by directly overseeing such testing or by assigning qualified supervisors to provide onsite supervision of the permit holder.

If the clinical laboratory director named on the limited permit ceases to supervise the limited permit holder or is replaced by another clinical laboratory director, the limited permit holder must submit a new limited permit application form identifying the new director to the Department. The limited permit holder may only practice under the supervision of the clinical laboratory director when the new permit is issued; the limited permit will be issued for the unused portion of the 24-month limited permit period.

You may apply for a limited permit by submitting the Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) and limited permit fee of $50 at the same time or any time after you submit your application for certification (Form 1), $245 certification and first registration fee, and evidence of meeting the education or alternative to education requirements.

The Department may issue a provisional permit to individuals who have submitted the application and fee for initial certification as a histotechnician and has not met the education or alternative to education requirements and/or examination requirements for certification. The provisional permit holder may work in a clinical laboratory under supervision while meeting the education or alternative to education requirements and/or examination requirements for certification.

An applicant for the provisional permit in histotechnology shall:

1. Be of good moral character;
2. Be at least 18 years of age;
3. submit to the Department the application and fee for certification as a histotechnician;
4. submit the application and fee for a provisional permit; and
5. document the completion of an education acceptable to the Department, which shall include an associate or higher degree that includes at least 15 credit hours in the biological, chemical, or physical sciences (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria).

Provisional permit holders must work under the general supervision of a clinical laboratory director at the clinical laboratory named on the provisional permit. The supervising clinical laboratory director must: serve the laboratory full-time, or on a regular part-time basis; ensure the supervision of the technical performance of the provisional permit holder, and be readily available for consultation with the provisional permit holder, as needed; shall be responsible for the performance and findings of all tests carried out by the provisional permit holder, either by directly overseeing such testing, or by assigning qualified supervisors to provide onsite supervision of the provisional permit holder.

The provisional permit identified the clinical director responsible for supervision of the provisional permit holder. If the clinical laboratory director ceases to supervise the provisional permit holder or is replaced by another clinical laboratory director, the provisional permit holder must submit a new provisional permit application identifying the new director who has assumed responsibility for the provisional permit holder. The permit holder may not practice until a new permit is issued for the specific setting and supervisor.

A provisional permit is valid for up to 24 months and is not renewable. Provisional permit holders may not practice for more than 24 months or work at more than one clinical laboratory at a time. A provisional permit holder who seeks to work in a different setting must submit another provisional permit application for the new setting and supervisor for review by the Department. The permit holder may not practice until a new provisional permit is issued for the unused portion of the 24-month provisional permit period.