StateLicensed

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) License Requirements in Mississippi

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
—
Upfront cost
$144
Exam
NREMT EMT Cognitive and Psychomotor Examinations (via NCCP)
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Office of Emergency Medical Services and Acute Care Systems (OEMSACS)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Pass a criminal background check. MSDH requires an FBI background check for initial licensure/certification for EMTs, AEMTs, and Paramedics not previously licensed in Mississippi, per Miss. Code Ann. 41-59-101, administered through MSDH SAFER (registration fee $50, plus $25 for electronic fingerprinting at MSDH County Health Departments, results in about 48 hours plus processing). No minimum-age figure for EMT certification was located on an official MSDH page during this research session (third-party training sites cite 18, but that was not independently confirmed against a primary Mississippi source), so left null rather than guessed. Note: direct fetch of the MSDH background-check page (msdh.ms.gov/page/47,29309.html) returned repeated connection errors during this research session and no Wayback snapshot was available; the background-check fact above is based on a search-engine-cached quotation of that specific official page rather than a direct page load. [4]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete training at a state-approved program. MSDH's EMT Training Programs page states EMT curriculum 'must conform, at minimum, to the Mississippi approved guidelines,' delivered by Mississippi Community College System programs or OEMSACS-recognized EMS districts, with written OEMSACS permission required before a course begins -- but no fixed statewide classroom-hour figure is published on MSDH's own pages. Left null rather than citing a third-party estimate. [1]

  3. 3

    NREMT EMT Cognitive and Psychomotor Examinations (via NCCP)

    Pass the NREMT EMT Cognitive and Psychomotor Examinations (via NCCP) (fee: $104). Cognitive exam: computer-adaptive test at Pearson VUE test centers or via OnVUE remote proctoring. Psychomotor exam administered locally by NREMT/OEMSACS-approved examiners. Mississippi does not run a separate state exam: the EMT/Paramedic certification application requires a copy of current National Registry of EMTs Certification, and MSDH's certification page states examinations are administered under NREMT's National Continued Competency Program (NCCP). Fee is NREMT's published national cognitive-exam rate, paid to NREMT/Pearson, not to MSDH. [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Office of Emergency Medical Services and Acute Care Systems (OEMSACS). Typical processing time: Approximately 4-6 weeks for a complete recertification application. [3]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Office of Emergency Medical Services and Acute Care Systems (OEMSACS) issues your Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for Mississippi.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [2] None specified
License fee [2] $40
Renewal fee [2] $40
NREMT EMT Cognitive and Psychomotor Examinations (via NCCP) [2] $104
Reciprocity fee (MSDH completes verification for certification in another state) [2] $25
Reinstatement fee (lapsed or suspended Mississippi certification) [2] $40
Background check registration (MSDH SAFER, initial certification only) [2] $50
Electronic fingerprinting (at MSDH County Health Departments) [2] $25

MSDH's published fee schedule lists EMT Certification and EMT Re-Certification both at $40.00 flat (no separate one-time 'application' fee distinct from the certification fee itself). A $3.00 + 2.2% processing fee is added for debit/credit card payment. Reciprocity, reinstatement, and background-check fees are listed separately in 'other' above.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years.

MSDH's certification page states examinations for recertification are administered under NREMT's National Continued Competency Program (NCCP), and both initial and re-certification applications require a current copy of National Registry of EMTs Certification -- since Mississippi ties its EMT certification to holding current NREMT status, and NREMT's NCCP recertification cycle is 2 years, the Mississippi cycle is recorded as 2 years (not independently stated as a fixed number of years on an MSDH page, so treated as inferred from the NREMT tie rather than an MSDH-published figure). No fixed MSDH-published CE-hour figure was found for EMT renewal (CE is governed through the NCCP/NREMT process), so ceHours is left null. It is recommended to begin the recertification process 3-4 months prior to expiration; application processing takes approximately 4-6 weeks.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available. Participates in: EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA / EMS Compact).

Mississippi's own certification and training page states: 'Mississippi is a member state of the EMS Compact, an interstate agreement that permits EMS clinicians to practice across many states with their Mississippi license,' granting a 'Privilege to Practice' to clinicians licensed in other member states. For non-compact reciprocity, an out-of-state EMT submits an Out of State Reciprocity Verification Form along with a reciprocity agreement from their home state; MSDH charges a $25 reciprocity fee when it completes verification paperwork for certification in another state.

9 state-approved training providers in Mississippi — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $40
  • $104
Total$144

Frequently asked questions

Does Mississippi require NREMT certification for EMTs?

Yes. Mississippi's EMT/Paramedic certification application requires a copy of current National Registry of EMTs Certification, and exams are administered under NREMT's National Continued Competency Program (NCCP) rather than a separate Mississippi-only exam.

How much does it cost to get an EMT certification in Mississippi?

MSDH's published fee schedule lists EMT Certification and Re-Certification both at a flat $40.00, plus a $3.00 + 2.2% fee for card payments. This is separate from the NREMT cognitive exam fee (about $104, paid to Pearson VUE).

Does Mississippi require a background check for EMT certification?

Yes, for initial certification. MSDH requires an FBI background check for anyone not previously licensed in Mississippi, per Miss. Code Ann. 41-59-101, administered through the MSDH SAFER system with a $50 registration fee plus a $25 electronic fingerprinting fee.

Is Mississippi part of the EMS Compact?

Yes. Mississippi's own OEMSACS page confirms it is a member state of the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA), granting EMS clinicians licensed in other member states a 'Privilege to Practice' in Mississippi, and vice versa.

Can an EMT certified in another state transfer their certification to Mississippi?

Yes. If the other state is not an EMS Compact member (or the applicant wants standard reciprocity), they submit an Out of State Reciprocity Verification Form and a reciprocity agreement from their home state; MSDH charges a $25 fee when it handles that verification.

Sources

  1. [1] msdh.ms.gov/page/47,6490,307,368.html — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] msdh.ms.gov/page/47,0,307.html — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] msdh.ms.gov/page/47,0,307,374.html — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] msdh.ms.gov/page/47,29309.html — accessed 2026-07-12