Emergency Medical Technician

Emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, assess injuries, administer emergency medical care, extricate trapped individuals, and transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
License required by 51 states
74th most burdensome licensing requirements
15th most widely and onerously licensed occupation

All 50 states and D.C. require emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to obtain licenses. On average, these laws require $108 in fees, about a month (34 days) of education and experience, and two exams—the 74th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. However, because EMTs are licensed everywhere, the occupation is the 15th most widely and onerously licensed.

License requirements are somewhat uniform across states. Every state has an age requirement (between 16 and 18 years), one or two exams, and education or experience requirements. (See Appendix B for details on education requirements.) However, fees range from $0 in North Carolina and Vermont to $235 in Oregon. Similarly, education and experience requirements can vary, from about 23 days in Missouri to over three times as much (about 81 days) in Kansas.

Burden Rank State States Licensed Fees Estimated Calendar Days Lost Education Experience Exams Minimum Grade Minimum Age
1 Kansas 51 $130.00 81 11.5 credit hours - 2 12 17
2 Hawaii 51 $184.00 74 180 clock hours 135 clock hours 2 0 18
3 Virginia 51 $80.00 63 9 credit hours - 2 0 18
4 Michigan 51 $120.00 45 194 clock hours - 2 0 18
5 New Mexico 51 $218.30 42 180 clock hours - 2 0 18
6 Alabama 51 $90.00 42 180 clock hours - 2 0 18
7 North Carolina 51 $0.00 43 166 clock hours 24 clock hours 2 0 18
8 Wyoming 51 $39.00 42 180 clock hours - 2 0 18
9 California 51 $129.00 37 160 clock hours - 2 0 18
10 Texas 51 $144.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 12 18
11 Indiana 51 $80.00 37 160 clock hours - 2 0 18
12 Minnesota 51 $80.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 12 18
13 Oklahoma 51 $165.00 36 154 clock hours - 2 0 18
14 Maryland 51 $60.00 39 165 clock hours - 2 0 16
15 Illinois 51 $65.00 37 160 clock hours - 1 12 18
16 Massachusetts 51 $150.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 18
17 Delaware 51 $149.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 18
18 Colorado 51 $98.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 18
19 Idaho 51 $80.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 18
19 New Hampshire 51 $80.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 18
19 North Dakota 51 $80.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 18
19 Ohio 51 $80.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 18
19 South Dakota 51 $80.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 18
19 Wisconsin 51 $80.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 18
25 West Virginia 51 $50.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 18
26 Nebraska 51 $80.00 32 138 clock hours - 2 12 18
27 South Carolina 51 $80.00 34 144 clock hours - 2 0 18
28 Connecticut 51 $80.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 16
28 Pennsylvania 51 $80.00 35 150 clock hours - 2 0 16
30 Kentucky 51 $168.00 28 119 clock hours - 2 12 18
31 Mississippi 51 $145.00 28 120 clock hours - 2 12 18
32 Oregon 51 $234.50 28 110 clock hours 16 clock hours 2 0 18
33 Utah 51 $195.00 28 120 clock hours - 2 0 18
34 Rhode Island 51 $205.00 26 110 clock hours - 2 12 18
34 Tennessee 51 $205.00 26 110 clock hours - 2 12 18
36 D C 51 $125.00 28 4 credit hours - 2 0 18
37 Alaska 51 $105.00 28 120 clock hours - 2 0 18
38 Montana 51 $130.00 26 110 clock hours - 2 12 18
39 New Jersey 51 $145.45 27 110 clock hours 10 clock hours 2 0 18
40 Arkansas 51 $80.00 28 120 clock hours - 2 0 18
41 Nevada 51 $90.00 26 110 clock hours - 2 12 18
42 Washington 51 $80.00 26 110 clock hours - 2 12 18
43 New York 51 $20.00 28 118 clock hours - 2 0 18
44 Georgia 51 $155.00 26 110 clock hours - 2 0 18
45 Louisiana 51 $110.00 26 110 clock hours - 2 0 18
46 Arizona 51 $80.00 26 110 clock hours - 2 0 18
47 Florida 51 $115.00 26 110 clock hours - 1 12 18
48 Iowa 51 $110.00 26 110 clock hours - 2 0 17
49 Vermont 51 $0.00 26 110 clock hours - 2 0 18
50 Maine 51 $121.00 26 111 clock hours - 2 0 16
51 Missouri 51 $80.00 23 100 clock hours - 2 0 18