How to Become a Firefighter: Certification Requirements by State
Checked against official state sources ·
Firefighters are hired by fire departments — city, county or district — or serve as volunteers, and departments usually run their own written aptitude test and physical ability test (often the CPAT). The state's role is certification: most states run a Firefighter I and II system based on the national NFPA standard, through a state fire marshal, fire academy or standards commission. In some states certification is required for paid firefighters; in others it is voluntary.
Of the 49 states covered here, 32 offer or require a state certification exam (required for paid firefighters in some, voluntary in others) and 37 set state minimum training. The guides below cover the state rules; your department may add its own hiring requirements.
The steps most states share
- Meet the basic requirements — usually at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED.
- Apply to a fire department (career or volunteer) and pass its hiring process, often a written test and a physical ability test such as the CPAT.
- Complete Firefighter I (and often Firefighter II and hazmat operations) training through your state or department academy.
- Pass the state written and practical skills exams to earn state certification, where your state offers or requires it.
- Keep your skills current with the training hours or recertification your state requires.
Requirements by state
| State | Exam | Training | Term | State fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Alaska | Yes | Yes | — | AFSC fees (non-refundable): $25 written test, $25 practical test, $25 per certificate. Firefighter I with Hazmat Awareness/Operations totals $100; Firefighter I only is $75. |
| Arizona | Yes | Yes | — | AzCFSE testing fee (effective July 1, 2025): $250 for combined Firefighter and Hazmat written and practical exams when taken together (same date, or written on day one and practicals on day two); otherwise $150 for each certification program's written and practical exams. |
| Arkansas | Yes | Yes | — | AFTA seal fees: $25 each for Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Hazmat Awareness and Hazmat Operations. EMT registration in the program is $250 per student. |
| California | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Colorado | Yes | Yes | 5 yrs | CDFPC fees: $35 per initial written exam application, $35 per written retake, $45 for renewal, $40 for reinstating an expired certification, $40 for reciprocity. |
| Connecticut | Yes | Yes | — | CFPC certification fees (as of July 1, 2026): Firefighter 1 or Firefighter 2 alone $35; Firefighter 1 with Hazmat (HM-A/HM-O) $65; Firefighter I/II with Hazmat $95. Retesting $35; reciprocity application $35; challenge request $35. |
| Delaware | Yes | Yes | — | DSFS Firefighter I & II certification testing: $250 in-state; $500 out-of-state and unaffiliated. Firefighter II alone: $150 in-state, $300 out-of-state. If you lack Pro Board/IFSAC Hazmat certificates, Hazmat Awareness and Hazmat Operations challenges are $50 each in-state ($100 each out-of-state). |
| Florida | Yes | Yes | 4 yrs | $30 initial state certification exam fee, paid online through your Florida State Fire College student profile. |
| Georgia | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Idaho | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes | — | $50 initial registration fee (one attempt at the written and practical exams); each retake is $50 per exam. |
| Kansas | Yes | No | — | $35 certification fee (includes one free retest) for Kansas public-sector emergency responders and Kansas high school and college fire science students; $250 for out-of-state, international and private-sector candidates (fee schedule effective July 1, 2026). |
| Kentucky | No | Yes | — | The training regulations set no fee for Basic I or Basic II certification. The Commission's optional IFSAC Firefighter I/II certification charges a written exam fee per attempt: $50 for Kentucky firefighters and, since July 1, 2026, $100 for non-Kentucky firefighters. |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Maine | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Maryland | No | Yes | — | MFSPQB certification fee (covers MFSPQB, Pro Board and IFSAC): $15 for in-state applicants; $50 for out-of-state applicants under options 1, 3 and 4; $250 for out-of-state applicants under option 2 plus a separate $500 processing fee to the University of Maryland. Returned checks cost $10. |
| Massachusetts | No | No | — | — |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Minnesota | Yes | Yes | 3 yrs | $75 firefighter license fee for a three-year license (may be prorated); $75 to renew. |
| Mississippi | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Missouri | No | No | — | — |
| Montana | No | No | — | FSTS Firefighter I Certification Academy: $1,950 for Montana fire service members, or $2,950 for private and out-of-state students (each includes a $200 non-refundable application fee). Payment is due in full before class starts. |
| Nebraska | No | No | — | The Training Division's Certification Payment Form (dated 2015) lists a $50 registration fee, payable to the State of Nebraska or billed to your department. Payment must arrive before the test date. |
| Nevada | No | No | — | Under NAC 477.325, certification costs are based on training hours but may not exceed $50. No fee is charged for initial Firefighter I and II certification for a member of a volunteer fire department. Retests cost the same as initial testing. The State Fire Marshal does not collect the fee from you if a third party, such as your employer, pays it. All fees must be paid before the certificate is issued. |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes | — | CPAT: $200 non-refundable (paid after your application and medical release are approved); retest $75. |
| New Jersey | No | No | — | Civil Service Commission entry-level Firefighter application: $35 for the 2026 announcement, an application processing fee under N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.17. |
| New Mexico | No | Yes | — | — |
| New York | No | Yes | — | — |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| North Dakota | No | No | — | — |
| Ohio | Yes | Yes | 3 yrs | — |
| Oklahoma | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Oregon | No | Yes | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| South Carolina | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| South Dakota | Yes | No | — | — |
| Tennessee | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Texas | Yes | Yes | 1 yrs | $85 certification application processing fee per certificate; $55 test application processing fee per exam ($35 per sectional exam). Fees for certificates required for appointment are the employing entity's responsibility. |
| Utah | No | No | 3 yrs | UFRA fee schedule (September 2026): Firefighter I and II tests $10 first attempt, $50 second, $75 third; recertification $10 every three years; reciprocity $20 per level (maximum $200). Departments in fifth- and sixth-class counties get a free first attempt at Firefighter I and II and Hazmat Awareness and Operations. |
| Vermont | Yes | Yes | 1 yrs | — |
| Virginia | No | No | — | — |
| Washington | No | Yes | — | — |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Wisconsin | No | Yes | — | $80 statewide practical skills examination fee, paid to the WTCS test site district. |
| Wyoming | No | No | — | DFPES does not charge for certificates, patches or rockers. Its policy says a fee may be charged for certification exams, but no amount is published. |
More states are added only once their rules are checked against the state's own commissioning office.
General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with your state's commissioning office before you apply.