Certificate of Clearance Instructions For Filing
The State of California requires that all teachers, counselors and administrators working with students in public schools have a Certificate of Clearance. PLEASE NOTE: If you already have a valid Certificate of Clearance issued through the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), or a valid California teaching or service credential (including emergency permits) which require fingerprint clearance, you are not required to do this again.
Fingerprint clearances obtained through other organizations or agencies (e.g. school districts, private schools, group homes, or child care centers) are NOT accepted.
PLEASE carefully review the Notice of Delay policy on the reverse side of this form prior to filing for your Certificate of Clearance.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILING
STEP 1: Do a Live Scan Fingerprint Service.
Complete the “Request for Live Scan Service” application and take it to a Live Scan service location. Your Live Scan fingerprints will be sent electronically to the FBI and the California Department of Justice (DOJ). Please Note: If you are planning on obtaining a substitute teaching permit in Sonoma County, have your fingerprints taken at SCOE or the county you want to sub for. If you don’t plan on getting a substitute teaching permit, have your fingerprints taken at a location of your choice; visit the Attorney General's home page to search for fingerprinting locations throughout the state. You can go to any agency that provides live scan fingerprinting provided you use the appropriate live scan form. Make sure the Live Scan operator gives you a copy of the completed form. Keep this form for your records.
STEP 2: Navigate to the “Commission on Teaching Credentialing” Site (Please note: SAFARI will not work to go through this process) It is important that you allow the site below as a trusted source in your computer prior to starting the process to avoid delays.
STEP 3: On the top bar on the Home Page click the drop-down bar under “I Need To”, Then click "Apply for a New Credential", then click “Create Account”
STEP 4: To create an account, click the “CTC Online Account” Enter your social security number and date of birth. Be ACCURATE when entering information online as it is critical to the clearance process; errors and/or omissions will result in delays on your clearance. Click “OK” Note: If you have previously filed for a permit/certificate with the CTC your information will come up. If your personal information appears, verify that it is correct and proceed to step 8. If no information appears you will get the following message “The information entered does not exist in the database, re-enter your Social Security Number and Date of Birth” if you get this message proceed to Step 5-10.
STEP 5: A page titled “Create New Educator” will appear. Please enter in all requirement information, name, address, create username and password, and challenge questions. Once all required information is filled in hit the “next button”. You will then be asked to log in with the account you just created.
STEP 6: Then you will be brought to a page to enter in information under “Self-Identifcation” fill out the required information.
STEP 7: A new page will appear, on the bottom of the page there will be 5 blue boxes. Please select the box that states “ COC/ASCC application”, then click “create new” , then click the drop down arrow under “Document/Authoriztion Title:” and click “Certificate of Clearance”, then click next.
STEP 8: After completing the “Professional Fitness Questions” complete the Oath and Affidavit section and click “Proceed to Payment”, a new window will appear to process your payment. Please do not click the BACK or REFRESH button.
STEP 9: Using a VISA or Mastercard debit or credit card, complete the authorized transaction fee of $50.00. Note: A $2.50 processing fee will also be added by CTC.
STEP 10: Immediately following the successful submission of the online application, an e-mail will be sent containing a confirmation number and a link to the Track Payment web page.
Please note: CTC asks that you submit supporting materials to complete the process. This is required only if you answered “yes” to any of the Professional Fitness Questions.
You will not be allowed to begin program coursework until all steps listed above have been completed and your Certificate of Clearance is granted. It is, therefore, to your advantage to apply for clearance as soon as possible.
GENERAL NOTES
Keep copies of all emails and live scan receipts.
The CTC will issue your Certificate of Clearance online only (it can take up to three months for CTC to receive reports from the FBI and the DOJ and then issue the actual Certificate of Clearance online). To follow the progress of your Certificate of Clearance application or print documentation of the issued Certificate, visit CTC's homepage.
If you have questions, please telephone the Credentials Office at (707) 664-2832 or email at Credentials Office.
When a person applies for a Certificate of Clearance or a credential via the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), a thorough background check is performed by the CTC. In some cases, if an applicant has a previous record, the CTC requests additional documentation before a Certificate of Clearance or credential can be granted. This may result in an applicant appearing on a Notice of Delay list. The policy below describes the implications appearing on such a list would have on a College of Eduction, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies student.
If you have a previous record and would like to discuss the clearance process prior to applying for your Certificate of Clearance, please email the Credentials Office or call 707-664-2832.
Notice of Delay Policy
When students in our programs are placed by CTC’s Professional Practices Division on a Notice of Delay list, they will be immediately placed on a leave of absence from our program (not necessarily removed from the program) until the issue that placed them on the Notice of Delay list is resolved. Individuals on a Notice of Delay list, by law, are not allowed to participate in pk-12 classrooms.
Students on a Notice of Delay list are not allowed to continue in coursework, field related or not, until the Division of Professional Practices has made a determination about their status. Should a student appear on a Notice of Delay list, he or she must immediately contact the appropriate program coordinator in the College of Eduction, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies to address this issue.
If a student is removed from courses, and they are otherwise making satisfactory progress in the program, the withdrawal will be grade neutral (w); fees will not be refundable under this type of withdrawal unless otherwise allowed by University policy. If a school district continues to allow a student on a Notice of Delay list to participate in a pk-12 classroom, as an intern, substitute teacher or in any other capacity, it is clear that the student will be under the responsibility of the school district and not Sonoma State University.
Important: Being placed on a leave of absence from the College of Eduction, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies program does not indicate that you are on a leave of absence from the University. If an enrolled student does not resolve a Notice of Delay issue & re-enrolls within 1 semester after being removed from coursework, the student will need to reapply for University admission in order to register for courses in a subsequent semester.