How to Become an EMT in Vermont

Who can apply

• You must be at least 18 years old for an EMT license.
• You must hold current National Registry (NREMT) certification at the EMT level or higher.
• You must be sponsored by a Vermont-licensed ambulance or first responder agency at or above the EMT level, or be affiliated with a medical facility that requires the license for your job.
• You must pass background screening for criminal convictions, tax and child support liabilities, and actions on other professional licenses.
• You must not have a substantiated report of abuse in the Vermont Adult Abuse Registry or Child Protection Registry.

Step by step

1. Take a Vermont-approved EMT course. Agency affiliation is not needed to take the course, but agencies often cover some or all of the cost.
2. Register for a psychomotor exam site through the Vermont EMS LIGHTS public portal (Practical Exam Registration Application).
3. Pass the state-run psychomotor (skills) exam and the NREMT cognitive exam to earn NREMT EMT certification.
4. Affiliate with a Vermont-licensed EMS agency (or a medical facility that requires the license).
5. Apply for your Vermont EMT license in the LIGHTS portal and complete background screening.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: You must complete a Vermont-approved EMT course. All Vermont initial training follows the NHTSA National EMS Education Standards. No prior training or license is needed to take an EMT course. The state does not set its own hour minimum.

Exam: Vermont uses the NREMT cognitive and psychomotor exams as the basis for licensure. You register for a Vermont psychomotor exam site through the LIGHTS portal. NREMT charges $104 per EMT cognitive exam attempt.

What it costs in Vermont

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: Renew your NREMT certification (40 hours of CE under the NREMT NCCP model, which Vermont has used since July 2015) and keep meeting the initial requirements, including agency affiliation. Anyone who has ever held NREMT certification must keep it as long as they hold a Vermont license. If you never held NREMT, you must meet the same NREMT renewal requirements and document them on the Vermont renewal application. Apply at least 30 days early; you may not practice on an expired license. A license lapsed under six months can be reinstated by meeting renewal requirements; over six months, you must meet initial requirements again.

Good to know in Vermont

NREMT is permanent: Under EMS Rule 8.3.6, if you have ever held NREMT certification, you must maintain it for as long as you hold a Vermont EMS license.

Agency affiliation required: You cannot hold a Vermont EMT license without sponsorship by a licensed Vermont ambulance or first responder agency, or a medical facility that requires the license. The Vermont National Guard counts as an agency for this purpose.

Nurses, PAs and military medics: RNs, physician assistants and military-trained medics can skip the EMS course through the RN/PA/Military Advanced Placement route. Submit the Advanced Placement application in LIGHTS, then work with a Vermont instructor/coordinator who is an NREMT Program Director; that person attests to NREMT that your prior training meets the education standards. You then earn NREMT certification and apply for your Vermont license.

Extensions: The Department may extend a license for good cause, but only if you ask in writing before it expires.

Free CE platform: Licensed Vermont EMS personnel get free access to the Vector Solutions online learning system for continuing education.

Sources

• Vermont Department of Health - EMS Licensing
• Vermont Department of Health - EMS Education Resources
• Vermont Emergency Medical Services Rule (effective 2/1/2022)
• NREMT - EMT Recertification
• NREMT - EMT Candidate Handbook, Certification Process