StateLicensed

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) License Requirements in Alaska

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
—
Upfront cost
$25
Exam
EMT-I Cognitive Examination, EMT-I Psychomotor (Skills) Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Alaska Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services Section

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. 7 AAC 26.030(a)(1): applicant must be 18 years of age or older (with limited exceptions referenced in the same section). All applicants, regardless of level, must declare their criminal history on the application; applicants who disclose a conviction must additionally submit an affidavit and an Alaska Interested Persons Report criminal background check, and certain 'barrier crimes' under 7 AAC 26.950 bar certification outright. This is a disclosure-triggered background check rather than a universal fingerprint check for every applicant. [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete training at a state-approved program. Alaska Admin. Code 7 AAC 26.030(a)(2) requires successful completion of a 'department-approved EMT-I training course' but the regulation text itself does not state a fixed clock-hour minimum; hour figures (commonly cited around 140-160 hours) appear only on third-party/training-vendor pages, not on a primary Alaska state page I could access, so left null rather than guessed. health.alaska.gov and akleg.gov returned 403/connection-refused to automated fetches during this research session, so this fact was verified via Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute mirror of the current Alaska Administrative Code (law.cornell.edu/regulations/alaska/7-AAC-26.030) rather than a live fetch of the state's own page; a Wayback Machine snapshot was not obtainable in this environment either. [1]

  3. 3

    EMT-I Cognitive Examination

    Pass the EMT-I Cognitive Examination. Alaska is one of the few states offering a dual pathway: 7 AAC 26.030 allows the cognitive exam requirement to be met either by the NREMT cognitive exam ($104, paid to NREMT/Pearson VUE) or by a State of Alaska-administered cognitive exam. The state does not publish a separate fee for its own cognitive exam option, so fee is left null rather than assuming the NREMT figure applies to both paths. A $25 certification application fee (7 AAC 26.080) is owed to the department regardless of which cognitive exam path is used. [1]

  4. 4

    EMT-I Psychomotor (Skills) Examination

    Pass the EMT-I Psychomotor (Skills) Examination. Unlike the cognitive component, Alaska uses the NREMT psychomotor exam for all EMT-I candidates regardless of which cognitive exam path they choose, so results apply to both state and National Registry certification. No separate NREMT-published national fee for the psychomotor component was found; it is typically coordinated through the candidate's training program rather than billed directly, so left null. [1]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Alaska Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services Section with the $25 application fee. [2]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Alaska Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services Section issues your Emergency Medical Technician-I (EMT-I) for Alaska.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [2] $25
License fee [2] None specified
Renewal fee [2] $25
EMT-I Cognitive Examination [1] None specified
EMT-I Psychomotor (Skills) Examination [1] None specified
Late recertification fee (application received after certificate expiration date) [2] $50
Certification extension fee (request received before expiration date) [2] $25

7 AAC 26.080 sets a flat nonrefundable $25 application fee for each initial certification or recertification application for EMT-I (and other individual EMS levels); there is no separate 'license issuance' fee distinct from the application fee, so license is left null to avoid double-counting the $25 already captured under application/renewal.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years.

7 AAC 26.100: an EMT-I's initial certification expires on December 31 of the year following (or second year following, depending on when training was completed), and each subsequent recertification expires on the second December 31 following the prior expiration -- functionally a 2-year cycle. 7 AAC 26.110 requires 'department-approved continuing medical education' completed within the 2 years before recertification, plus skills verification from a department-approved instructor, but the regulation text located does not state a single fixed CE-hour number, so left null rather than guessed. Recertification applied for more than 1 year (but less than 3 years) after expiration requires an additional 24 hours of continuing education on top of the standard requirement.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

7 AAC 26.150 allows an out-of-state applicant to qualify with either a valid equivalent EMT-I/AEMT certification from another state or territory, OR a valid National Registry (NREMT) certification, plus a current CPR credential and proof of Alaska-specific scope-of-practice training; a $25 nonrefundable application fee applies. Regarding the EMS Compact (REPLICA): as of the accessed date, Alaska had reportedly enacted EMS Compact legislation (per news coverage) but was NOT listed among the seated Member State commissioners on the compact commission's own commissioners page (emscompact.gov/the-commission/commissioners), so compacts is left empty per the rule to only list compacts confirmed on the commission's own current member roster -- this should be rechecked as Alaska's participation may activate later in 2026.

Cost calculator

  • $25
Total$25

Frequently asked questions

Does Alaska require the NREMT exam to become an EMT?

Not exclusively. Alaska allows the cognitive exam requirement to be met by either the NREMT cognitive exam or a State of Alaska-administered cognitive exam. The hands-on psychomotor (skills) exam, however, is the NREMT psychomotor exam for all candidates.

How old do you have to be to become an EMT-I in Alaska?

18 years of age or older, per 7 AAC 26.030, with limited exceptions specified in that regulation.

How much does it cost to apply for EMT-I certification in Alaska?

The state charges a flat $25 nonrefundable application fee for both initial certification and recertification (7 AAC 26.080). A $50 late fee applies if a recertification application is filed after the certificate's expiration date.

How often do Alaska EMT-I certifications need to be renewed?

On a functional 2-year cycle: certifications expire on a fixed December 31 date determined by the training completion date, and each recertification then expires on the second December 31 following the prior expiration.

Can an EMT certified in another state get certified in Alaska?

Yes, via reciprocity under 7 AAC 26.150: an applicant with a valid equivalent out-of-state EMT-I/AEMT certification or a valid NREMT certification, plus a current CPR credential and evidence of Alaska-specific scope-of-practice training, can apply for a $25 fee.

Sources

  1. [1] akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp — accessed 2026-07-12