How to Become an EMT in Alabama

Who can apply

• You must be 18 years old within 1 year of the date you finish your EMT course.
• You must disclose any convictions when you enroll, and get clearance from OEMS before your classes start.
• You must hold current National Registry (NREMT) certification to be licensed.
• You must prove U.S. citizenship or lawful presence. Since August 1, 2025, an Alabama driver's license is not accepted as proof for an initial license.
• You must be able to perform the essential job functions of an EMS professional.

Step by step

1. Disclose any convictions when you enroll in an EMT course and get OEMS clearance before classes begin.
2. Complete a Board-approved EMT course that follows the national curriculum.
3. Pass the National Registry (NREMT) EMT exams and become nationally certified.
4. Complete a fingerprint-based state and national background check through the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).
5. Mail a typed and signed paper EMS Individual Licensure Application (first-time applicants cannot apply online) with your NREMT card, CPR card, citizenship declaration and document, and the $40 fee.
6. After you are licensed, renew online between January 1 and March 31 of your expiration year.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: You must complete the current national EMT curriculum approved by the State Board of Health. You also need a current approved CPR card. Out-of-state applicants must also complete an Alabama protocols course; OEMS points to its regional offices or an online course. You may not work as an EMT before you are licensed, except during a supervised field internship.

Exam: Alabama does not give its own EMT exam. You must hold current NREMT certification, which means passing the NREMT cognitive (computer) exam and a psychomotor skills exam. NREMT charges $104 for each cognitive exam attempt. NREMT says your course completion is valid for two years for testing.

What it costs in Alabama

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Keeping your certification

Renewal: Licenses run on a 2-year cycle and all expire at midnight on March 31. To renew as an EMT you need a completed application, the $40 fee, an OEMS-approved adult and pediatric protocols update, and current NREMT certification. Renew online January 1 to March 31; OEMS does not guarantee on-time processing for applications received after March 1. From 2026, renewals also need one hour per year of Abram Colin Act training on people with sensory needs or invisible disabilities. If your license expires, you pay a $50 late fee and must redo the fingerprint background check.

Good to know in Alabama

Keep your National Registry: Alabama EMT renewal requires current NREMT certification. Only people licensed before 1986 who never had to get NREMT certification are exempt; they must instead meet OEMS continuing education rules.

Moving from another state: Out-of-state applicants need current NREMT certification, a current approved CPR card, the citizenship declaration, and proof of an Alabama protocols course.

Convictions and health conditions: If you answer yes to a conviction question, send official documents, the current case status, and a personal statement for each one. If you have a condition that may affect safe practice, send a physician-completed Essential Job Functions Analysis Form.

Audits: If your renewal is audited, you have 72 hours to send the documents. Falsely attesting that CE is done can lead to discipline.

EMS Compact: Alabama participates in the EMS Compact. If you hold a current, unrestricted EMT license from another participating Compact state, you can work in Alabama under a Privilege to Practice with no separate application or fee, as long as you work for an authorized EMS agency under a medical director and follow Alabama's scope of practice and protocols.

Alabama protocols certificate: The state rule (Ala. Admin. Code 420-2-1-.08) lists a current Alabama Protocols certificate, along with NREMT certification, a CPR card and the citizenship declaration, for all licensure candidates. OEMS's requirements sheet mentions the protocols course for out-of-state applicants, so confirm with OEMS whether your course covered it.

Sources

• ADPH Office of EMS - Individual Licensure
• ADPH - Alabama EMSP Licensure Requirements (rev. 01/07/2025)
• ADPH - EMS Individual Licensure Application (rev. 04/01/2026)
• Ala. Admin. Code 420-2-1-.08 - Initial Licensure Qualifications
• Ala. Admin. Code 420-2-1-.09 - Licensure for Out-of-State EMS Personnel
• Ala. Admin. Code 420-2-1-.10 - License Expiration, Renewal, and Reinstatement
• NREMT EMT Candidate Handbook - Certification Process
• EMS Compact - Participating States