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Instruction for C-14 Application

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  • A C-14 is a Certificate of Fitness for Non-Production Laboratories issued by FDNY. FDNY requires that permitted labs in New York City must be under the supervision of a C-14 holder. This means there must be at least one person on the ground floor of the ASRC if there is anyone working in the lab. During regular operating hours, facility staff are on-site and fulfill this requirement, but during after-hours, there is no guarantee that there are other C-14 holders on-site, so all members who wish to enter the cleanroom during after-hours must have a C-14.

  • There are different options for obtaining a C-14 for the ASRC address depending the level of degrees or certifications held by the member: (1) Members with a masters or doctoral degree or members with a bachelor’s degree and 2 years of post-baccalaureate experience in the operation of chemical laboratories may apply for alternative issuance, thus may apply online; (2) Those not eligible for the alternative issuance program will need to take the test at FDNY; (3) If you already have a C-14 issued for an address other than the ASRC, then you will only need to submit a copy of your current C-14 with a dual request letter from the ASRC.

  • APPLY ONLINE:

  • For 1st time C-14 applicants for the ASRC address, or if previous C-14 is more than 90 days past the expiration date, who are eligible to apply without taking a test (alternative issuance program), apply directly for your C-14 at https://nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/cof-c14. You will need the following forms ready for the application:

  • Completed and notarized Applicant Affirmation Form - find a notary at local bank branches, UPS, FedE, online, amongst other locations.

  • Letter of recommendation and fee exemption – ASRC’s designated coordinator will need to physically sign the letter.

  • Application form A-20 – your name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, gender, social security number, date of birth, weight, height, and work location MUST be included, or your application will be rejected.

  • An electronic copy of your diploma or license file – your records must be translated to English by a certified translator if the original was not issued in English.

  • A recent ID photo – must be a 2x2 color head shot in JPG or JPEG format.

  • Copy of government issued ID – examples include US driving license, US permanent resident card, or passport issued by any country.

  • Copy of ASRC ID card.

  • APPLY IN PERSON:

  • For those not eligible for the alternative issuance program, the test must be taken at FDNY, located at 9 MetroTech Center, 1st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

  • A map of a cityDescription automatically generated

  • C-14 will be issued the same day at the FDNY office when the test has been satisfactorily completed.

  • Further instructions for applying in person can be found at https://nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/cof-c14/apply.

  • APPLY BY MAIL:

  • If a member already has a C-14 for an address other than the ASRC, they do not need to apply for a new certificate. They will need to submit a dual request letter with a copy of their current C-14 in order to receive an additional card specific to the ASRC address. Contact Tom Dickson (tdickson@gc.cuny.edu) in order to request the dual request form letter and provide a copy of the current C-14. Once the form letter is filled and then signed by ASRC’s designated coordinator, they will mail the request into FDNY for processing.

  • FURTHER INFORMATION

  • Once you have received your new C-14 card, you must bring it to the ASRC to be logged. Contact Tom Dickson (tdickson@gc.cuny.edu) in order to do this.

  • All C-14s have expiration dates, and any renewals must be submitted within 90 days past the expiration date. If your C-14 is over 90 days expired it will no longer be considered valid and you will lose after-hours access.

  • FDNY is sometimes inconsistent with issuing certificates, so if a member has successfully applied for a C-14 but FDNY has failed to issue the certificate in a timely manner, they may request after-hours from staff.

  • Keep in mind that a C-14 is not the only requirement for members to receive after-hours. Simply receiving a C-14 does not automatically impart after-hours access.