Requirements: EMT

California does not certify EMTs at the state level. Your certification comes from a local EMS agency (LEMSA), and it is good statewide. Here is the usual sequence.

The steps

1. Complete an approved EMT course. Community colleges, private schools and some fire or ambulance agencies offer them. The state page does not list a number of hours, so check each program.
2. Pass the National Registry (NREMT) exams. There is a written (cognitive) exam and a hands-on (psychomotor) skills exam.
3. Apply to a local EMS agency (the county where you plan to be certified). In at least one California county, you also need to be at least 18, show a photo ID, and hold a current NREMT card.
4. Pass a background check. It is completed on the agency's form, usually with fingerprints, and you cannot work as an EMT until it is finished.
5. Receive your EMT number and card. Fees vary by county.

Keeping it current

• Certifications last two years.
• To renew, you need 24 hours of approved continuing education (or a 24-hour refresher) and a skills competency form.
• If it lapses, you cannot work as an EMT until you fix it. A lapse of 6 to 12 months needs 36 hours, and a lapse of 12 months or more needs 48 hours, plus other steps.
• California does not require you to keep your NREMT card to renew your California certification, but some agencies and employers still ask for it.

Before you enroll

• Ask whether the course prepares you for the NREMT and whether it includes ambulance ride-along time.
• Ask what the agency you want to work for expects. Some employers add their own requirements.
• Plan for the cost of the course, books, uniform, exam fees and the background check.

Rules and fees change, so confirm the details with your own county's EMS agency.