EMT

EMT Initial Certification

An individual is eligible for EMT certification upon successful completion of the following requirements:

• Be 18 years of age.
• Apply for certification within two years of completing your EMT course.
• Complete the MCEMSA EMT Application using the online application button below.
• Submit a copy of your California Department of Justice and FBI Live Scan background form:
  • Live Scan Application. Print three copies: one for the Live Scan agency, one to submit to MCEMSA with your application, and one for your records.
  • Live Scan locations statewide (California DOJ website), to find where to get fingerprinted.
  • After your Live Scan, wait 24 hours, then call the office at (209) 529-5085 to verify it was received before submitting your application. Results can take up to 30 days.
• Submit a copy of your course completion certificate from an approved EMT training program.
• Submit a copy of your current NREMT card and your NREMT certificate.
• If not included in your EMT training program: submit a Certificate of Training or CE certificate for Naloxone, Epinephrine, and Glucometer training, and the State of California EMT Skills Competency Verification Form with item 9 (Epinephrine and Naloxone administration) signed off. Effective July 1, 2019.
• Submit the 4 MCI Field Operations Module CE certificates (available at www.mvemsa.org), dated no earlier than 90 days before certification, per Agency Policy 853.00, Prehospital Standards. These are required every two years.
• Submit a copy of a photo ID: current driver's license, ID card, or valid military ID.
• Submit a copy (front and back) of a current CPR card taught to the curriculum standards of the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or the National Safety Council, at the Healthcare Provider or equivalent level (Professional Rescuer or BLS, Basic Life Support). Online CPR/AED classes without a hands-on skills demonstration are not accepted.
• Provide a current passport-style photo: an actual passport photo, or a clear head-and-shoulders shot against a plain background.
• Pay the non-refundable $140.00 application fee: $65.00 for MCEMSA plus $75.00 for the state Emergency Medical Services Authority fee (cash, check, money order, cashier's check, debit, or credit; PayPal card payments add the $5.00 processing fee).

An EMT certificate is issued upon successful completion of these steps. The expiration date is the last day of the month two years from the effective date of initial certification. An EMT certificate issued by Mountain Counties EMSA is valid statewide. A duplicate card for a lost or stolen certificate requires a $30.00 duplicate card fee before the request is processed.

Initial EMT Online Application

EMT Recertification

EMT certification is valid for two years. To maintain certification, you must recertify every two years by completing the following requirements. Out-of-state applicants should read the Out-of-State Applicants section.

• Possess a current California EMT certificate or National Registry EMT certificate.
• Complete the MCEMSA pdf EMT Certification Application(292 KB) (hard copy), or use the online application button below.
• If a Live Scan is required (see the transfer note above): Live Scan Application (print three copies: one for the Live Scan agency, one to submit to MCEMSA, one for your records). Find a location on the California DOJ Live Scan locations page. After your Live Scan, wait 24 hours, then call (209) 529-5085 to confirm MCEMSA has received your results before submitting your application. Results can take up to 30 days.
• Complete one of the following:
  • An approved EMT refresher course (submit the course completion certificate); or
  • 24 hours of continuing education through an approved CE provider, obtained during the current certification period. CE must be documented by CE certificates (a list of courses and hours is not acceptable), each course must be at least one hour (shorter courses do not count), or by an MCEMSA-approved training log signed by your employer's training officer. If expired, CE must be dated within 24 months prior to applying for reinstatement. Examples of CE: classes and conferences, organized field care audits, and online and media-based productions.
• Submit the 4 MCI Field Operations Module CE certificates (www.mvemsa.org), dated no earlier than 90 days before recertification, per Agency Policy 853.00. These 4 hours count toward your CE requirement and are required every two years.
• Submit documentation, every two years, of a skills competency verification (all 10 skills must be signed off). This can be done by:
  • Skills testing at the completion of a 24-hour approved refresher class, or
  • Skills testing at an approved EMT training program, or
  • Skills testing by an employer-approved trainer documented on file with MCEMSA.
• If required: submit a Certificate of Training or CE certificate for Naloxone, Epinephrine, and Glucometer training (effective July 1, 2019).
• Submit a copy (front and back) of a current CPR card taught to the curriculum standards of the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or the National Safety Council, at the Healthcare Provider or equivalent level. Online CPR/AED classes without a hands-on skills demonstration are not accepted.
• Submit a copy of a photo ID: current driver's license, ID card, or valid military ID.
• Provide a current passport-style photo (passport photo, or a clear headshot against a plain background).
• Pay the non-refundable $102.00 application fee: $65.00 for MCEMSA plus $37.00 for the state Emergency Medical Services Authority fee (PayPal card payments add the $5.00 processing fee).

When to apply

• Within six months of expiration: the new certificate runs two years from your current expiration date.
• More than six months before expiration: the new certificate runs two years from the last day of the month all requirements are met.

EMT Recertification Online Application

Lapsed EMT Certificates

You may not work as an EMT, or represent yourself as one, with a lapsed certificate. There are no extensions. Once a certificate has expired, submit everything required for recertification (above) plus the additional requirements for how long the certificate has been expired:

A $25 late fee is assessed for certifications processed after the expiration date.

EMT Recertification Online Application

Practical Examination Workbook

For a copy of the Practical Examination Workbook: pdf Practical Examination Workbook for the EMR and EMT(3.52 MB) .