Sick-leave notes for NYPD civilian employees, without an office visit
For Police Communications Technicians, School Safety Agents, Traffic Enforcement Agents, and other civilian titles. A state-licensed provider evaluates you and, when it's medically appropriate, completes documentation naming the dates you were out and when you could return. Your agency decides whether to accept it.
Start My Intake- $29 flat, completed and signed by a state-licensed provider
- Usually within about an hour after we have everything needed
- Kept private and never sent to your agency without your say-so
Does my agency accept an online doctor's note?
The NYC Citywide Agreement, which covers most civilian titles, asks for proof of illness that is satisfactory to the agency. It doesn't specify where you were seen. What it cares about is whether the documentation is complete and comes from a licensed provider who evaluated you.
That's what your note is built to be: a real evaluation, a provider licensed in the state where they practice, the dates named, and a contact your agency can use to verify it.
No public City or Department rule says telehealth documentation is automatically accepted, so we won't tell you it's guaranteed. Your agency makes that call.
What the rule asks for
What your note provides
What has to be on the note?
Your note names you, the dates you were unable to attend work, and the date you could return. It's on letterhead, dated, and signed by the provider who evaluated you, with their credentials.
Your diagnosis is not on it unless you ask for it to be. Most people don't. What your agency asks for is proof that you were evaluated and when you can return. Your diagnosis is generally not part of that.
If your agency needs to check the note is real, there's a contact on it for exactly that. More on how the service works is in the FAQ.
What's on your note — illustration only, not a real note
Tap a number to see what each part is.
What if a provider decides a note isn't appropriate?
Then you don't get one, and you get your money back.
That happens. A provider may decide the evaluation doesn't support the documentation you're asking for, or that what you need is in-person care instead. Paying isn't the same as buying a note.
There are also limits on length. One note covers up to 3 absence days, and across all your notes we can cover up to 6 absence days in any 30-day period. If your request goes past either limit, we'll tell you why and refund you.
One note, one evaluation. Nothing is charged before you complete the intake.
Secure online intake. Your information is reviewed by Certicare and is not sent to your agency without your authorization.
A provider evaluates you and completes documentation when it's medically appropriate. Payment isn't a purchase of a note: a provider may follow up with questions, or decide a note isn't appropriate. Your agency makes the final call on whether to accept what we send. If we can't complete your documentation, you get a full refund.
Certicare is not affiliated with or endorsed by the New York City Police Department, the City of New York, or any union. Your agency makes the final decision on sick leave, medical leave, and accommodation requests. This page is general information, not legal advice.
How fast will I get it?
Usually within about an hour after we have everything we need, delivered to the email address you give us.
That last part matters. If the intake leaves a question open, a provider may come back to you first, and that adds time. Answering carefully the first time is the fastest route.
Can a nurse practitioner write my note?
Yes. The Citywide Agreement accepts documentation from a health practitioner licensed to diagnose and certify illness. In New York, that includes nurse practitioners.
What if I'm a sworn officer?
Then this isn't the right service for you, and we'd rather say so now.
Your sick status runs through the Department's Medical Division and your district surgeon. They decide when you go out and when you return. A note from an outside provider can't place you on sick report, so it wouldn't get you what you need. The intake will tell you this before you pay.
Founded by a licensed nurse practitioner
Rebecca Martel, APRN, FNP-BC, is the founder of Certicare and a family nurse practitioner who has completed hundreds of these forms.