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How to Become an EMT in Oregon

Checked against Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Emergency Medical Services Program ·

Exam
Required
Training
Required
Term
All EMT licenses expire June 30 of odd-numbered years, so your first license may be shorter or longer than two years; an initial license can run up to 30 months.
State fee
$110 initial EMT license fee, prorated if you apply with less than 12 months left before the June 30 expiration. $140 for reciprocity. $55 to renew.
Certified by
Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Emergency Medical Services Program
Take the free EMT practice test →

Who can apply

  • You must be at least 18 years old (OAR 333-265-0025).
  • You must have a high school diploma, a GED, or a degree from an accredited college.
  • You must hold current NREMT EMT certification and a current AHA BLS Provider (or equivalent) CPR card that included a skills evaluation.
  • You must pass an FBI fingerprint-based criminal records check. If you have a conviction, you can pay $50 to ask OHA, before you start training, whether it would stop you from getting licensed.

Step by step

  1. Complete an OHA-approved EMT course, including its clinical and field experience. The course includes OHA's competency-based assessment, and you must meet every performance outcome to be eligible for certification testing and Oregon licensure.
  2. Pass the NREMT EMT cognitive exam and get your NREMT EMT certification.
  3. Create an account on Oregon eLicense and submit the initial EMT application with your NREMT card, CPR card, government ID and proof of high school completion. Pay the $110 fee.
  4. Get fingerprinted through Fieldprint using the instructions in the online application.
  5. OHA issues your Oregon EMT license.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Your EMT course must meet or exceed the National EMS Education Standards and have an EMS medical director and a qualified course director. It must include clinical and field experience and cover Oregon EMS laws and rules, medicolegal issues and professional ethics (OAR 333-264-0050, effective November 1, 2024). OHA says an initial EMT course is about 160 hours, and you must meet all EMT student performance outcomes in OHA's competency-based assessment. The current rules do not set minimum clinical or field hours for EMTs.

Exam: Oregon uses the National Registry EMT cognitive exam. Oregon no longer gives a separate formal psychomotor (skills) exam: since the November 1, 2024 rules (OAR 333-264-0070), EMT courses verify your skills through OHA's competency-based assessment built into the course. NREMT charges $104 per attempt for the cognitive exam.

Practice for the NREMT EMT exam free — airway, cardiology, trauma, medical and EMS operations →

What it costs in Oregon

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

  • $110
  • $104
  • $
  • $
  • $140
  • $55
Estimated total in Oregon$214Plus 2 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.
Cost details from the state
  • NREMT EMT cognitive exam: $104 per attempt.
  • Fieldprint fingerprinting fee (amount shown in the online application).
  • EMT course tuition varies by school.
  • Criminal conviction petition (optional): $50.
  • Late renewal fee: $40 if you renew on or after June 1.

Keeping your certification

Renewal: Renew on eLicense between April 1 and June 30 of odd-numbered years. The fee is $55, plus a $40 late fee on or after June 1. You need current CPR and either 24 hours of CE (3 trauma, 3 medical, 3 pediatric and obstetric, 4 airway/breathing/cardiology, 2 culture, race, gender and ethnicity, and 9 other EMS topics) or all NREMT EMT recertification requirements. Every renewal includes a criminal history check. You do not have to keep NREMT certification if you meet Oregon's CE.

Good to know in Oregon

Moving from another state: If you hold a current EMT license in another state and current NREMT certification, apply for reciprocity on eLicense ($140). If you have NREMT but no state license, apply for an initial license instead. Fingerprints are required either way.

Expired license: If your EMT license expired less than three months ago, apply with the $40 late fee and a CE audit. If it expired three months to two years ago, you also need current NREMT certification or OHA's reinstatement program.

Military members and spouses: Active-duty service members stationed in Oregon and their spouses can apply with an out-of-state EMS license, military orders and proof of good standing, if they actively used the license in the two years before moving.

Hospital jobs: An Oregon EMS license is only needed for prehospital care. You can work in a hospital with EMT training without an Oregon license, but you may not represent yourself as an EMS provider there.

Sources

Other states

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General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Emergency Medical Services Program before you apply.