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How to Become an HHA in New York

Step-by-step guide to getting your New York HHA (Home Health Aide) certification, based on the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) documents: the training, how you are tested, the registry, and how long certification lasts.

New York HHA Requirements

  • Training: 75 hours at a program approved by NYSDOH or NYSED: 59 hours of classroom instruction and 16 hours of supervised practical training. (NYSDOH Guide, 2021, p.3)
  • Testing: There is no state exam. Your program gives you a written test (80% minimum) and checks your skills. (NYSDOH Guide, 2021, pp.4-5)
  • Certificate and registry: Your program issues the certificate. For aides trained after September 25, 2009, the NYSDOH Home Care Registry generates it and records your training. (NYSDOH FAQ, Q2 and Q3)
  • Background check: The agency that hires you runs a fingerprint-based criminal history check. (10 NYCRR 402.6)

Step 1: Find an Approved Training Program

Training only counts if it comes from a Home Health Aide Training Program approved by NYSDOH or by the State Education Department (NYSED). A program cannot be approved by both. (NYSDOH FAQ, Q1)

Trained in another state? If you trained as a home health aide or nurse aide in another state, you can take a competency evaluation (a written exam and a skills demonstration) at an agency that runs a training program, instead of the full training. (NYSDOH FAQ, Q22 and Q23)

Cost: A program approved by NYSDOH may not charge tuition, and its materials fee cannot exceed $100. A program approved by NYSED is allowed to charge tuition. (NYSDOH FAQ, Q13 and Q14)

Duration: Classroom training, supervised practical training and the competency evaluation must all be finished within 60 calendar days of your start in the program. (NYSDOH Guide, 2021, p.5)

See approved New York HHA training programs →

Step 2: Complete Your Supervised Practical Hours

16 of your 75 hours are supervised practical training. It is done on a person, a volunteer or a pseudo-patient, not on a mannequin. (NYSDOH Guide, 2021, p.3)

Step 3: Pass Your Program's Evaluation

New York has no state HHA exam. Each approved program tests its own trainees:

  • Written test: questions from a test bank published for home health aide training, covering every area of the curriculum. A minimum score of 80% is required, and a retake must be a different version. (NYSDOH Guide, 2021, p.5)
  • Skills: an approved Nurse Instructor checks each skill taught, using the procedure checklists in the appendices of the state Home Care Curriculum and Health Related Tasks Curriculum. (NYSDOH Guide, 2021, pp.4-5)

Prepare with practice questions. Do not just memorize terms, understand how to apply them. Take a full timed practice exam before your test.

Step 4: Your Certificate and the Registry

When you complete the program, the program issues your HHA certificate. For aides trained after September 25, 2009, the NYSDOH Home Care Registry generates the certificate and records your training. (NYSDOH FAQ, Q2 and Q3)

How Long Certification Lasts

There is no fixed renewal date. You stay certified as long as you work for a home health agency that NYSDOH certifies or licenses. If you go 24 consecutive months without working as an HHA at such an agency, you have to take a competency evaluation (or retrain) before working again. (NYSDOH FAQ, Q7; NYSDOH Guide, 2021, p.7)

Pay in New York

In May 2025, 663,140 home health and personal care aides were employed in New York State. The median wage was $19.05 an hour ($39,620 a year), and the mean was $19.78 an hour ($41,130 a year). BLS reports home health aides and personal care aides together, so these figures cover both jobs. (BLS, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, released May 15, 2026)

Common Questions

What are the steps to become an HHA in New York?

Enroll in a training program approved by NYSDOH or NYSED. Complete its 75 hours, 59 in the classroom and 16 of supervised practical training, within 60 days of starting. Then pass the program's written exam and its skills check, and the program issues your certificate. (NYSDOH Home Health Aide Training Program FAQ, question 1; NYSDOH Guide to Operation of a Home Health Aide Training Program, 2021, pages 3 to 5)

Is there a state HHA exam in New York?

No. Each approved training program tests its own trainees. The written test comes from a published test bank and needs a minimum score of 80%, a retake must be a different version, and an approved Nurse Instructor checks each skill. (NYSDOH Guide to Operation of a Home Health Aide Training Program, 2021, pages 4 and 5)

What do I have to do to stay certified as an HHA in New York?

Keep working as a home health aide for an agency that NYSDOH certifies or licenses. There is no fixed renewal date to watch. What ends it is a gap: after 24 consecutive months without that work, you need to take a competency evaluation (or retrain) before you can work as an aide again. (NYSDOH Home Health Aide Training Program FAQ, question 7; NYSDOH Guide, 2021, page 7)

Who issues the New York HHA certificate?

Your training program issues it when you complete the program. For aides trained after September 25, 2009, the NYSDOH Home Care Registry generates the certificate and records your training. (NYSDOH Home Health Aide Training Program FAQ, questions 2 and 3)

I trained as a home health aide in another state. Do I have to retrain in New York?

Not necessarily. Aides trained as home health aides or nurse aides in another state can take a competency evaluation, a written exam and a skills demonstration, at an agency that runs a training program, instead of the full training. (NYSDOH Home Health Aide Training Program FAQ, questions 22 and 23)

How much do home health aides earn in New York?

In May 2025 the median wage for home health and personal care aides in New York State was $19.05 an hour, or $39,620 a year. BLS reports home health aides and personal care aides together. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025)

Next Steps

  1. Pick an approved program. Approved by NYSDOH or NYSED.
  2. Complete the 75 hours. 59 classroom and 16 supervised practical, within 60 days.
  3. Prepare for the test. Use practice questions and take a full mock exam.
  4. Pass your program's evaluation. 80% minimum on the written test, plus the skills check.
  5. Get your certificate. Your program issues it through the NYSDOH Home Care Registry.

The New York path: an approved program, 75 hours of training, your program's evaluation, and your certificate on the NYSDOH registry. Keep working for an agency and your certification stays valid.

Practice for the NY Exam

PassHHA offers a free New York-specific practice exam, with questions built on the state's rules and instant feedback.

Take New York practice exam →

Sources

Checked against these sources on 2026-10-01. State processes change without notice, so confirm with your program before you rely on them.