StateLicensed

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) License Requirements in New Jersey

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
—
Upfront cost
$80
Exam
NREMT EMT Cognitive Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 3 years
Issuing board
New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 16 years old, pass a criminal background check. N.J.A.C. 8:40A-5.2 sets the minimum age to enroll in an EMT-Basic training program at 16 by the first day of the program, with signed parental consent and additional restrictions (no operating machinery/power tools/hydraulic equipment/torches, no firefighting duty) for students under 18. Students under 18 who pass the NREMT assessment exam receive only a provisional EMT license; full EMT certification is issued upon turning 18. New Jersey's reciprocity/certification materials state that applicants with a criminal history must complete a Department criminal background investigation and be cleared before registering for the certification exam; the Department may deny certification-process access if the criminal history is adverse to providing EMS. [4]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete training at a state-approved program. N.J.A.C. 8:40A governs EMT-Basic training program requirements, including student qualifications (8:40A-5.2), but no fixed statewide classroom-hour figure for the initial EMT course was confirmed directly in the regulation text reviewed; approximately 240 hours is commonly cited by New Jersey training providers, but that figure could not be independently verified against the primary regulatory text during this research session, so hours is left null rather than citing an unverified figure. Training must be at a DOH-accredited EMT training institution. [1]

  3. 3

    NREMT EMT Cognitive Examination

    Pass the NREMT EMT Cognitive Examination (fee: $80). Computer-adaptive test, 60-120 items, 2 hours, administered at Pearson VUE testing centers (all NJ EMT Education Programs are within 30 miles of a testing site). Effective September 1, 2018, New Jersey shifted from its own 100-question paper EMT written exam (previously the Atlantic EMS Council exam) to requiring the NREMT cognitive exam for initial EMT students, re-entry, and reciprocity applicants testing for the first time (per N.J.A.C. 8:40A-6.1(a) and OEMS's official FAQ on the change); this does NOT apply to already-licensed EMTs. OEMS's own FAQ states the fee is currently $80 for non-volunteer candidates (and any subsequent attempts by volunteer candidates); a volunteer candidate's first attempt is covered by the EMT Training Fund. This $80 figure is state-published but the FAQ document is undated beyond its 2018 policy-change context, so it may not reflect NREMT's current national rate (~$104) -- verify before publishing a verified page. Once NREMT-certified, New Jersey automatically generates the EMT license. [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS). [2]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) issues your Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for New Jersey.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [2] None specified
License fee [2] None specified
Renewal fee [2] None specified
NREMT EMT Cognitive Examination [2] $80

No separate OEMS state application, license, or renewal fee was located across the education page, reciprocity instructions, or NREMT-shift FAQ reviewed during this research session -- New Jersey's EMT license is generated automatically once NREMT certification is obtained, and the confirmed cost is the $80 NREMT cognitive exam fee (recorded under exams). Left null rather than guessed.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 3 years. 48 continuing education hours required per cycle.

New Jersey EMT certification runs on a 3-year cycle (the EMS Training Fund eligibility form references the 'initial three-year certification period' for volunteer EMTs), expiring the last day of June or December depending on initial certification date. Recertification requires 48 total continuing-education hours: 24 hours from three 8-hour NJ-OEMS-approved Refresher modules (A: airway, B: medical emergencies, C: trauma) plus 24 elective CEU hours, all through NJ-OEMS-approved courses. EMTs are not required to maintain NREMT certification to keep their New Jersey license -- recertification is maintained through this NJ-specific continuing education instead. (Paramedic recertification, by contrast, runs on a 24-month cycle per N.J.A.C. 8:41A-4.3 -- a different figure that does not apply to EMT-Basic.)

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

New Jersey is not a current member of the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA) per the compact commission's own commissioners list (as of access date). New Jersey instead runs its own Reciprocity process through NJEMS.US: the applicant submits a Verification of Certification/License form to every state/NREMT agency that has ever certified them as an EMT, along with a current CPR card and copy of their out-of-state/NREMT card. Reciprocity applicants certified under the 2009 National Education Standards from any state/territory or NREMT are exempt from the NJ refresher course and written exam; those certified under the older 1994 DOT curriculum must complete a NJ-approved refresher program and pass the (now NREMT) certification exam.

5 state-approved training providers in New Jersey — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $80
Total$80

Frequently asked questions

Does New Jersey use the NREMT exam for EMTs?

Yes, as of September 1, 2018. New Jersey shifted from its own 100-question paper written exam to requiring the NREMT computer-adaptive cognitive exam for initial EMT students, re-entry, and first-time reciprocity applicants; already-licensed EMTs were not affected by the change.

How old do you have to be to become an EMT in New Jersey?

16, to enroll in an EMT-Basic training program (N.J.A.C. 8:40A-5.2), with parental consent required under 18. Students under 18 who pass the NREMT assessment receive only a provisional license; full EMT certification is issued at age 18.

Does New Jersey require an ongoing NREMT card for EMTs?

No. New Jersey uses NREMT certification only as the entry-level requirement to obtain an initial license; ongoing recertification is maintained through New Jersey's own continuing-education process, not by maintaining NREMT status.

How often do New Jersey EMTs need to recertify?

Every 3 years. Recertification requires 48 total continuing-education hours: 24 hours across three 8-hour NJ-OEMS Refresher modules (airway, medical, trauma) plus 24 elective CEU hours, through NJ-OEMS-approved courses.

Does New Jersey require a background check for EMT certification?

Applicants with a criminal history must complete a Department criminal background investigation and be cleared before registering for the certification exam; the Department can deny access to the certification process if the criminal history is adverse to providing emergency medical services.

Sources

  1. [1] nj.gov/health/ems/documents/reg-enforcement/njac840ar.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] nj.gov/health/ems/documents/NREMT_FAQ.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] nj.gov/health/forms/ems-62.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-8-40A-5-2 — accessed 2026-07-12
  5. [5] nj.gov/health/ems/documents/education/recipro.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12