About Excelsior Pass Plus
What is Excelsior Pass Plus?
Excelsior Pass Plus is also a free, voluntary platform and provides interested New Yorkers with a secure, digital copy of their COVID-19 vaccination record or negative test results.
An Excelsior Vaccination Pass Plus provides individuals with safe access to their vaccination record and as such, it does not have an expiration date. It includes vaccine type, site, and date of vaccination, just like a CDC Vaccination Card.
An Excelsior PCR or Antigen Pass Plus provides individuals with safe access to their negative COVID-19 test results and includes test date, time, type, result, site, LOINC code, and descriptor, just like official laboratory results.
There are currently three Excelsior Pass Plus types:
- Excelsior Vaccination Pass Plus (available 15 days after the final dose of the vaccine was administered; as a digital copy of an individual vaccination record, there is no expiration date)
- Excelsior PCR Pass Plus (valid until midnight on the third day after a test)
- Excelsior Antigen Pass Plus (valid for 6 hours from the time of a test)
Excelsior Pass Plus is built using SMART Health Cards Framework and specifications, developed in partnership with VCI. VCI is a voluntary coalition of 800 public and private organizations committed to empowering individuals with access to a trustworthy and verifiable copy of their vaccination records or lab results in digital or paper form using open, interoperable standards.
If you received your COVID-19 booster/additional dose at least 3 – 4 days ago, simply visit epass.ny.gov to retrieve a new Excelsior Vaccination Pass Plus at any time, which will now have this information included.
For more information on Excelsior Pass Plus, please visit the Excelsior Pass Plus FAQs.
Using Excelsior Pass Plus
Excelsior Pass Plus ‘How-to’ Guide for Businesses
The Guide for Businesses is a “how-to guide” for businesses and organizations looking to implement Excelsior Pass Plus.
How can my organization use Excelsior Pass Plus?
Your organization can immediately begin accepting Excelsior Pass Plus by downloading the NYS Scanner app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and completing a short registration form. As of October 1, 2021, the NYS Scanner app has been updated to enable the validation of SMART Health Cards from trusted issuers outside of New York State based on federal and state COVID-19 guidance, including COVID-19 test Passes issued outside New York State that are SMART Health Card Compliant.
Your organization will be responsible for scanning an individual’s Excelsior Pass Plus and only allowing entry into your establishment for those with a valid Excelsior Pass Plus or alternate forms of proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results, in accordance with New York State guidelines for your industry. Your organization is required to verify identification for adults aged 18+ with a photo ID that includes the individual’s name and date of birth.
Once an individual is admitted to your establishment, please remind them to follow any health guidelines that may be in place.
What does it mean to be a trusted issuer?
The NYS Scanner app validates Passes from trusted SMART Health Card issuers nationwide who meet New York State’s standards of issuance, based on federal and state COVID-19 public health guidance. Through the Scanner app’s rule engine, this criteria includes vaccine type, the definition of fully vaccinated, a commitment to accessibility through print and digital, and the protection of individuals’ health data. Please note, the purpose of the app is to solely validate Passes from trusted issuers for proof of vaccination and/or negative COVID-19 test results for business entry against this framework. New York State is not responsible for the underlying data of Passes that were issued outside of New York State.
How can my patrons use Excelsior Pass Plus?
Eligible patrons can retrieve an Excelsior Pass Plus by visiting the Excelsior Pass Web Portal or from the New York State Wallet app. The New York State Wallet app can be downloaded at no cost from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store by any interested organization, business, or venue nationwide. Individual patrons can print their Excelsior Pass Plus or present it on their smartphone.
Is my organization required to use Excelsior Pass Plus?
No, participation is voluntary.
How much does it cost to use Excelsior Pass Plus?
Participation in Excelsior Pass Plus, including the NYS Scanner app, is free. As part of New York State’s commitment to equity and access, organizations and businesses nationwide can download the Scanner app at no cost to validate entry.
Do I need to be a New York organization, business, or venue to download the NYS Scanner app?
No. Any organization, business, or venue nationwide can download and use the NYS Scanner app for free. The Scanner app validates Passes that are issued by SMART Health Card Issuers who meet New York State’s standards as part of their trusted issuer framework, which is based on federal and state COVID-19 public health guidance.
Where should my organization tell patrons to go for more information about Excelsior Pass Plus?
More information about Excelsior Pass Plus is available at the Excelsior Pass Website. Individuals can also visit the dedicated Excelsior Pass Plus FAQ page.
Scanning Excelsior Pass Plus
The following questions outline scanning information for organizations using the NYS Scanner app.
Is my organization required to use the NYS Scanner app?
Participation in Excelsior Pass Plus is free and voluntary. If your organization chooses to participate, you can use the NYS Scanner app to scan an individual’s Excelsior Pass Plus and/or SMART Health Card Pass from a trusted issuer.
What do I do when scanning someone’s Excelsior Pass Plus?
When scanning an individual Pass you are required to verify the identity for adults aged 18+ with a photo ID that includes the individual’s name and date of birth.
In accordance with State guidelines, if no photo ID is available or the Excelsior Pass Plus and/or SMART Health Card issued by a trusted issuer does not match a photo ID, entry should be denied.
Adults can hold an Excelsior Pass Plus for children under 18 years old.
What do I do if something is wrong with the Excelsior Pass Plus I’ve attempted to scan?
If an Excelsior Pass Plus is invalid, please share with the individual the reason for which it is invalid, as it appears within the NYS Scanner app. If an Excelsior Pass Plus is expired, please let the individual know and ask them to confirm that they are sharing the correct one.
If you are unable to validate an Excelsior Pass Plus, you may accept an alternate form of proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results, such as a paper CDC Vaccination Card or paper laboratory results.
Is it okay to scan an Excelsior Pass Plus for multiple people on one device?
Yes, so long as a photo ID with name and date of birth is presented alongside each unique Excelsior Pass Plus for adults aged 18+. Adults can hold an Excelsior Pass Plus for children under 18 years old.
Someone has a valid Excelsior Pass Plus or other SMART Health Card from a trusted issuer but doesn’t have a photo ID with them; what do I do?
In accordance with State guidelines, if identity verification is not possible, entry should be denied.
Accessibility
Can my patrons use Excelsior Pass Plus if they don’t have access to a smartphone?
Participation in Excelsior Pass Plus is voluntary and designed to be inclusive of all New Yorkers, regardless of access to a smartphone. Patrons can easily print an Excelsior Pass Plus via the Excelsior Pass Web Portal.
Patrons can also present your organization with alternate proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results, like a paper form.
Is Excelsior Pass Plus available in multiple languages?
Excelsior Pass Plus and the NYS Scanner app are available in more than 10 languages including English, Spanish, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Russian, Haitian Creole, Korean, Bengali, Arabic, Italian, Polish, and Yiddish.
Is Excelsior Pass Plus accessible to people who may have hearing or vision impairments?
Yes. Excelsior Pass Plus applications have undergone accessibility testing to ensure they are easy to use for those who may have hearing or vision impairments.
Security & Privacy
The following questions outline security and privacy information for organizations using the NYS Scanner app.
Is the data I provide about my organization to download the NYS Scanner app safe and secure?
Data you provide about your organization is maintained in a secure manner and will not be used for sales or marketing purposes or shared with a third party.
What data does the NYS Scanner app collect or store about my organization?
When you register your organization, you will share your organization name, industry, and the zip code where you will be validating each Excelsior Pass Plus on that device. When you scan an Excelsior Pass Plus, the app collects analytics about the type of Pass and the result of the scan. No personal information from an individual’s Excelsior Pass Plus is collected or stored.
Will my organization be able to access an individual’s personal information when scanning their Excelsior Pass Plus?
When scanning an individual’s Excelsior Pass Plus and/or SMART Health Card from a trusted issuer through the NYS Scanner app, the only information your organization will see is the type and status of the Pass, and the user’s name and date of birth, so that it can be validated against a photo ID.
Does the NYS Scanner app track my organization’s location?
No. The NYS Scanner app does not track your organization’s location.
Where can I read the NYS Scanner app Privacy Policy?
You can read the NYS Scanner app privacy policy by visiting the NYS Scanner app Privacy Webpage.
Technical Support
What are the basic requirements for using the NYS Scanner app?
The NYS Scanner app is compatible with smartphones running iOS 13.0+ or Android 7.0+. The NYS Scanner app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
I can’t figure out how to use the NYS Scanner app? What do I do?
If you are having trouble, please consult one of our helpful, step-by-step instructional guides:
NYS Scanner app for iOS | español | אידישע | বাংলা অনুবাদ | 中文翻譯 | KREYÒL AYISYEN | Italiano | 한국어 번역 | Polski | РУССКИЙ ЯЗЫК | عربى
NYS Scanner app for Android | español | אידישע | বাংলা অনুবাদ | 中文翻譯 | KREYÒL AYISYEN | Italiano | 한국어 번역 | Polski | РУССКИЙ ЯЗЫК | عربى
If you are still having trouble, you can fill out the Excelsior Pass support form or reach out to the Excelsior Help Desk at (844) 699-7277 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST Monday — Friday.
How do I submit feedback about Excelsior Pass Plus?
We welcome any feedback you have about Excelsior Pass Plus; please share it via our support form.
Educational Assets
How can my business or organization demonstrate to patrons that we accept Excelsior Pass Plus?
You can utilize downloadable assets to show that your business or organization accepts Excelsior Pass Plus. These include flyers, posters, and digital assets to help inform and encourage patrons to get Excelsior Pass Plus.