StateLicensed

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) License Requirements in Vermont

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
110 hrs
Upfront cost
$104
Exam
NREMT EMT Cognitive Examination, NREMT Psychomotor (Skills) Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Vermont Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services Office

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. Vermont requires EMT-level (and higher) license applicants to be at least 18 years old and to affiliate with a Vermont-licensed ambulance or first responder agency (or a medical facility requiring the license). The Department's own license and renewal application forms require disclosure of criminal convictions, drug use, prior professional license actions, child-support/tax/unemployment-compensation compliance, and Vermont Adult/Child Protection Registry findings, with a Vermont Crime Information Center (VCIC) verification step performed by the EMS Office as part of processing. [2]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 110 hours of training at a state-approved program. A person who successfully completes a Vermont-approved EMT course and passes the exam earns National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) certification, which is the basis for Vermont's EMT license. The Vermont Department of Health's EMS Education Resources describe the EMT course as 110 hours, evenly divided between lectures and practical skills labs. [1]

  3. 3

    NREMT EMT Cognitive Examination

    Pass the NREMT EMT Cognitive Examination (fee: $104). All initial Vermont EMS personnel licenses are based on NREMT certification -- a candidate who completes a Vermont-approved EMT course and passes the NREMT cognitive exam earns the National Registry credential that Vermont licensure requires. $104 is NREMT's own published national EMT cognitive-exam fee; the Vermont Department of Health's own pages do not republish this number, so verify current pricing directly with NREMT before publishing a verified page. [2]

  4. 4

    NREMT Psychomotor (Skills) Examination

    Pass the NREMT Psychomotor (Skills) Examination. Required alongside the cognitive exam to earn NREMT certification, which Vermont licensure is based on. No separate published fee specific to the psychomotor component was found, so left null. [2]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Vermont Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services Office. [3]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

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

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] None specified
License fee [3] None specified
Renewal fee [3] None specified
NREMT EMT Cognitive Examination [2] $104
NREMT Psychomotor (Skills) Examination [2] None specified

No application, license, or renewal fee was found on the Vermont Department of Health's EMS licensing page or on its own official EMT License Renewal Application and EMS Reciprocity Application forms (both of which include full application fields but no fee line item). Vermont's EMS system relies heavily on NREMT certification (which carries its own separate exam fee) and free EMS Office-provided online continuing education, and this session found no evidence of a distinct state licensing fee, so all three fields are left null rather than assumed to be nonzero.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years. 40 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Vermont EMS licenses are timed to expire three months after the license holder's NREMT certification expiration date, and Vermont's continued-competency requirements are explicitly identical to NREMT's own recertification requirements. Since NREMT recertifies on a 2-year cycle nationally, this produces an effective ~2-year-plus-3-month Vermont license cycle; cycleYears is recorded as 2 to reflect the underlying NREMT-aligned cycle length, with the 3-month grace/offset noted here rather than in the field itself. The Department's official EMT License Renewal Application form states that a licensee without a current NREMT certification must independently meet 40 total hours of continuing education (covering National, State/Local, and Individual component topics) to renew.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

To be eligible for Vermont EMS licensure by reciprocity, an applicant must hold a current National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) certification for the level at which they are applying and be affiliated with a Vermont-licensed EMS agency (or a medical facility requiring the license); the Department's own EMS Reciprocity Application form requires no fee and the same criminal-history/VCIC disclosures as initial licensure. Vermont was not listed among current member states on the EMS Compact Commission's own member-state page (emscompact.gov) as of the accessed date, so compacts is left empty.

Cost calculator

  • $104
Total$104

Frequently asked questions

Does Vermont require the NREMT exam to become an EMT?

Yes. All initial Vermont EMS personnel licenses are based on National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) certification -- candidates complete a Vermont-approved EMT course (110 hours) and pass the NREMT cognitive and psychomotor exams to earn the credential Vermont licensure requires.

How much does it cost to get an EMT license in Vermont?

No separate Vermont Department of Health application, license, or renewal fee was found; the Department's own license and renewal forms do not include a fee line item. The main cost is the NREMT exam fee.

How often do Vermont EMT licenses need to be renewed?

Vermont licenses expire three months after the holder's NREMT certification expiration date, effectively aligning with NREMT's 2-year national recertification cycle. Licensees without a current NREMT certification must complete 40 hours of continuing education to renew instead.

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

At least 18 years old for EMT-level licensure and higher, per the Vermont Department of Health's EMS licensing requirements.

Can an EMT certified in another state get licensed in Vermont?

Yes, through Vermont's reciprocity pathway: applicants need a current NREMT certification for the level sought and must affiliate with a Vermont-licensed EMS agency or qualifying medical facility. Vermont is not currently a member of the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA).

Sources

  1. [1] healthvermont.gov/emergency/emergency-medical-services/ems-education-resources — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] healthvermont.gov/emergency/emergency-medical-services/licensing — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/DEPRIP.EMT%202019%20Renewal%20App.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12