diff --git a/change/react-native-windows-2020-04-13-21-42-56-elevateForCert.json b/change/react-native-windows-2020-04-13-21-42-56-elevateForCert.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f4d95f3f6d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/change/react-native-windows-2020-04-13-21-42-56-elevateForCert.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "type": "prerelease",
+  "comment": "Elevate to install app certificate if necessary",
+  "packageName": "react-native-windows",
+  "email": "asklar@microsoft.com",
+  "dependentChangeType": "patch",
+  "date": "2020-04-14T04:42:56.761Z"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vnext/local-cli/runWindows/utils/WindowsStoreAppUtils.ps1 b/vnext/local-cli/runWindows/utils/WindowsStoreAppUtils.ps1
index eb0c3c072c4..8aa87fdbaa0 100644
--- a/vnext/local-cli/runWindows/utils/WindowsStoreAppUtils.ps1
+++ b/vnext/local-cli/runWindows/utils/WindowsStoreAppUtils.ps1
@@ -132,14 +132,26 @@ function Install-App {
         [string] $Path, <# Full path to Add-AppDevPackage.ps1 #>
         [switch] $Force = $false
     )
-    if (!$Force -and ((CheckIfNeedDeveloperLicense) -or (CheckIfNeedInstallCertificate (Join-Path $Path ".."))))
+    $needInstallCertificate = CheckIfNeedInstallCertificate (Join-Path $Path "..");
+    $runningElevated = [bool](([System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).groups -match "S-1-5-32-544");
+
+    if (!$Force -and ((CheckIfNeedDeveloperLicense) -or ($needInstallCertificate)))
     {
         # we can't run the script with -force param if license/certificate installation step is required
         Invoke-Expression ("& `"$Path`"")
     }
     else
     {
-        Invoke-Expression ("& `"$Path`" -force")
+        if (!$runningElevated)
+        {
+            $Path = [System.IO.Path]::GetFullPath($Path);
+            $process = Start-Process Powershell -ArgumentList "$Path -force" -Verb RunAs -ErrorAction Stop -PassThru
+            $process.WaitForExit();
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            Invoke-Expression ("& `"$Path`" -force") -ErrorAction Stop
+        }     
     }
 }