StateLicensed

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) License Requirements in Hawaii

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
—
Upfront cost
$156
Exam
NREMT EMT Cognitive Exam, NREMT EMT Psychomotor Exam
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Hawaii Medical Board — Emergency Medical Services Certification (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Pass a criminal background check. Hawaii Administrative Rules §16-85-54 requires certification applicants to disclose 'any conviction of any crime which has not been annulled or expunged,' confirming a background-disclosure requirement, but does not itself state a minimum age for EMT (Transport) certification. Non-official aggregator sites commonly cite 18 as a minimum age, but this was not independently confirmed against §16-85-54 or the EMP-01 application, so it is left null rather than guessed; individual state-approved training programs may set their own admission age policy. [4]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete training at a state-approved program. The Hawaii Medical Board does not itself publish a fixed total classroom-hour minimum for EMT (Transport); it instead requires completion of a state-approved EMT training program (which follows the national EMS Education Standards used to qualify for NREMT certification) plus didactic training in cardiac defibrillation and IV access, plus 96 hours of clinical training experience through a board-approved agency. Applicants must also hold a current NREMT EMT certificate. [1]

  3. 3

    NREMT EMT Cognitive Exam

    Pass the NREMT EMT Cognitive Exam (fee: $104). Computer-adaptive test (CAT); item count and length vary per candidate based on ability estimation. Covers Scene Size-Up/Safety, Primary Assessment, Secondary Assessment, Patient Treatment & Transport, and Operations domains. Hawaii requires holding a current NREMT EMT certificate rather than running its own state cognitive exam. The $104 fee is paid directly to NREMT, not to the Hawaii Medical Board, and is NREMT's nationally published EMT cognitive exam fee (NREMT's own site did not render the dollar figure to automated fetch; corroborated via secondary sources citing the NREMT EMT Candidate Handbook) — verify current pricing in the official Candidate Handbook before publishing a verified page. [2]

  4. 4

    NREMT EMT Psychomotor Exam

    Pass the NREMT EMT Psychomotor Exam. No separate psychomotor exam fee is published by the Hawaii Medical Board or DOH; psychomotor skills testing is conducted through the candidate's state-approved training program as part of course completion rather than billed separately. [1]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Hawaii Medical Board — Emergency Medical Services Certification (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) with the $20 application fee. [1]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Hawaii Medical Board — Emergency Medical Services Certification (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) issues your Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-Transport) for Hawaii.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [1] $20
License fee [1] $32
Renewal fee [1] $38
NREMT EMT Cognitive Exam [2] $104
NREMT EMT Psychomotor Exam [1] None specified
Compliance Resolution Fund (initial license issued Feb 1 of an even-numbered year through Jan 31 of the following odd-numbered year) [1] $100
Compliance Resolution Fund (initial license issued Feb 1 of an odd-numbered year through Jan 31 of the following even-numbered year) [1] $50

Application fee ($20, non-refundable) and License fee ($32) are fixed; the Compliance Resolution Fund fee and the pro-rated 'renewal fee' portion vary depending on where in the biennial (Jan 31, even years) cycle the applicant is issued a license, per the EMP-01 application fee table. The table shows a '1/2 Renewal fee' line item of $19 for one cycle position, implying a full biennial renewal fee of $38 (used here). Total initial-license cost shown on the form is $171 or $102 depending on cycle timing. The NREMT cognitive exam fee ($104) is separate and paid directly to NREMT, not included in these figures.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years. 48 continuing education hours required per cycle.

All EMT (Transport) licenses are subject to renewal on or before January 31 of each even-numbered year (Hawaii Administrative Rules §16-85-55), regardless of issue date. Two recertification pathways: (1) hold a current NREMT EMT certificate, or (2) complete a 24-hour minimum state-approved EMT refresher course, maintain annual CPR certification, and complete 48 additional continuing-education hours in HAR §16-85-56(a) subject areas. The 48-hour figure recorded here is the 'additional CE' component beyond the 24-hour refresher; certificate holders in their first recertification cycle, or certified in the first calendar year of the prior two-year cycle, owe reduced or no CE.

Reciprocity

No reciprocity or endorsement route was found.

Hawaii is not a current member of the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA), per the compact commission's own commissioner roster. Hawaii has no separate abbreviated 'licensure by endorsement' license type: an applicant previously certified/licensed elsewhere must still hold a current NREMT EMT certificate and file the standard EMP-01 application, additionally sending a Verification of License/Certificate (AT-05) directly to any state(s) where they are or were licensed, and a Verification of National Registry Certificate (AT-06) directly to NREMT.

1 state-approved training provider in Hawaii — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $20
  • $32
  • $104
Total$156

Frequently asked questions

Does Hawaii require its own state EMT exam, or is NREMT certification enough?

Hawaii does not run a separate state cognitive or psychomotor exam for EMT (Transport). Applicants must hold a current NREMT EMT certificate, obtained via NREMT's computer-adaptive cognitive exam (delivered by Pearson VUE) plus a psychomotor skills exam completed through their state-approved training program.

How many clinical training hours does Hawaii require for EMT (Transport)?

96 hours of clinical training experience through a board-approved agency, in addition to completing an EMT training program with didactic training in cardiac defibrillation and IV access.

How often do Hawaii EMTs need to renew their certification?

Every two years, with all licenses expiring January 31 of even-numbered years regardless of issue date. Certificate holders can renew either by maintaining a current NREMT certificate, or by completing a 24-hour state-approved refresher course plus 48 additional continuing-education hours and annual CPR certification.

Is Hawaii part of the EMS interstate licensure compact?

No. Hawaii is not currently a member of the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA), so EMTs moving to Hawaii from another state must still complete Hawaii's standard EMP-01 application and hold a current NREMT EMT certificate rather than practicing on a compact privilege.

Sources

  1. [1] cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/files/2025/09/EMP-LicApp_09.25R1.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] nremt.org/Handbooks/EMT/Certification-Process — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] health.hawaii.gov/ems/home/ems-laws-and-administrative-rules-that-relate-to-ems-2/subchapter-7-certifying-emergency-medical-service-personnel/%C2%A716-85-55-recertification-requirements/ — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] health.hawaii.gov/ems/home/ems-laws-and-administrative-rules-that-relate-to-ems-2/subchapter-7-certifying-emergency-medical-service-personnel/%C2%A716-85-54-certification-application/ — accessed 2026-07-12
  5. [5] emscompact.gov/the-commission/commissioners — accessed 2026-07-12