HOW TO REGISTER

Before anyone can be licensed as an EMT-Basic, he or she must have taken a minimum 110-hour EMT-Basic course modeled on the National Standard Curriculum given by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Most state requirements exceed the 110-hour minimum. The average EMT-Basic course now runs between 130 and 150 hours and includes all of the modules in the National Standard Curriculum. These modules are: Preparatory, which includes anatomy and physiology; Airway; Patient Assessment; Medical Emergencies; Trauma Emergencies; Pediatrics; and Ambulance Operations. 

To register for the NREMT exam, visit www.nremt.org and to apply online or download an application. 

STATE LICENSING EXAMS

Not all states utilize the NREMT exam.  35 states are members of the National Registry and utilize the National Registry exam for licensure as an EMT-Basic. The remainder utilize their own exams and may require both a written and a practical examination.

The advantage of NREMT certification is that it facilitates the movement of one’s license from one state to another. For example, in order to be licensed in Rhode Island, a NREMT-certified EMT-Basic from Tennessee has only to successfully complete several update courses and he or she will receive a RI EMT-Basic license after completing the normal license application process.

An EMT-Basic coming from a non-NREMT-Basic state must submit documentation showing that the EMT-Basic course he or she has taken meets the minimum requirements of the NREMT, then complete any required updates, and then achieve a passing grade on the NREMT written exam.