Becoming an EMT can be a very satisfying career, both financially and emotionally. Individuals of this profession are responsible for transporting needy patients to the hospital safely while providing key medical treatment. EMT professionals can choose between multiple different paths of careers. In some cases, they might be able to hone their abilities and branch out to other medical affiliations like advanced EMTs and paramedics. The majority of the EMT professionals get started with the basic certificate and move up the ranks after gaining some experience. Starting from basic certification can also give you the chance to consider different career paths and choose the best one.
In this guide, we’ll look at the application process and show you how to become an EMT in Texas. We’ll go over the prerequisites for becoming the EMT in the Lone Star State, license renewal, and educational EMT programs in Texas.
- 1. Requirements
- 2. EMTs Who Received Out-of-State or Military-Based Education
- 3. Application
- 4. Understand The Texas EMT Examination
- 5. State Certification Status
- 6. Certificate
- 7. Contact Department of State Health Services
- 8. Texas EMS Programs
- 9. The Texas EMT Recertification Process
- 10. Additional Resources Regarding License (Late Renewal, Inactive, Lapsed)
- 11. How to Transfer EMT License to Texas?
- 12. Verify EMT License in Texas
- 13. The Current EMT Salary in Texas
- 14. Final Thoughts
Requirements
There are five distinct grades of certificates in Texas. Licensed Paramedic is the most optimal grade, with EMT-Paramedic coming after it, which is followed by Advanced EMT, then EMT-Basic, and ECA.
Many colleges offer EMS programs on their campuses. There are some EMS programs offered outside the college as well. Instructional courses in Texas are governed by the personnel in field offices who operate all around the state. Reach out to the nearest field office to learn more about EMS training programs.
Check out Texas Health and Human Service to better understand the EMT certification process in this state. The sheer volume of information available on their website might be confusing. We’ve put a lot of effort into summarizing the most important factors needed for becoming an EMT in Texas. So here it goes:
- In order to obtain a license, you have to be 18 years old or older. Most EMT instructional courses are very clear about this requirement. They make it clear that you can participate in a course while you’re underage, but you must have reached the legal age to obtain NREMT and EMS certificates.
- To obtain a certificate, you must have graduated from high school or have received a GED. Most training programs have this prerequisite as well. You can see their requirements while you’re going through our list of EMT instructional courses.
- Go through a DSHS certified EMS instructional program.
- Go through the EMS Personnel Certification application from start to finish and cover the associated costs. To get started, you’ll have to pay $64.
- Get a passing grade on the National Registry test. Learn more about that below.
- Provide fingerprints so that the officials can check your criminal records.
Background Check Requirements
All candidates must go through background checks. Certain crimes might make your candidacy ineligible. Other crimes are judged on a case-by-case basis. The process is described in Title 25: Part 1: Chapter 157 of the state code. People with a criminal record can inquire about their crimes before entering an instructional course. This will cost you $50.
EMT candidates must submit their fingerprints during the application process. They must use the service of certified vendors. Identogo candidates should wait until their application is filed with the department. It’s possible to arrange fingerprint procedures online through https://uenroll.identogo.com, or by reaching out over the phone at 888-467-2080. You will be asked to provide information from the application packet.
If you’re unable to reach the locations of certified vendors, EMS Compliance and Quality Assurance might be able to make an exception for you and let you leave fingerprints on regular cards. However, if you go with this route, the application might take longer to process.
You’ll have to answer questions about your license as well as any criminal conduct from the past.
EMTs Who Received Out-of-State or Military-Based Education
Individuals holding EMT certificates issued by other states may be given the same rights by the state of Texas depending on their National Registry standing. Those who don’t have status with NR can still be allowed to use their certificate after passing a test.
According to The State Department of Health, military courses don’t have to get approved by the state. Regardless of the military members’ training location, they can apply by reciprocity. When it comes to exam prerequisites, military members are treated the same way as regular people.
However, service members can ask for their application process to be accelerated. The same principle applies to military wives and husbands, as well as former members. Officials will consider each request individually.
Application
Once you satisfy all the prerequisites for state certification and have obtained a national registry certificate, you can proceed to submit your candidacy to be considered for Texas certification. Afterward, you can Apply Online and create a new account. Once you’ve accessed your dashboard, click on Initial EMT and fill out the application entirely. Fill in the NR number, specify when it expires, the approval number (which can be found on the graduation document and starts with 6), and the finishing date of the course. Afterward, submit the application and cover the associated cost. Once you’re done, you should get a notification about approval.
Your application is considered to be approved once it satisfies the prerequisites and can be processed. It can take up to a month to process the application. Don’t forget to arrange your fingerprint submission through IdentoGO by specifying the DSHS digits. if your application is missing something, you’ll be informed by email.
Understand The Texas EMT Examination
The regulating body for the EMT field of work is the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. A candidate must pass the exam within two years of graduating from an EMT training course certified by the state. The cognitive part of the test can be taken at Pearson VUE. Psychomotor Exam will be conducted by a state official, with oversight from the EMS Office. Here are the most important concerns to remember:
- If the candidate has graduated from a certified EMT instructional course within the last two years and his/her EMT license is still active, then an applicant must prove that they’ve gone through a refresher instructional program certified by the state. Alternatively, they can show proof of 24 straight education hours accumulated during the last two years.
- If an applicant doesn’t hold an EMT license in the state and they’ve graduated from a certified EMT training program more than two years ago, they must participate in state-certified EMT training once again before they can apply for National Certification.
Let’s get an inside look at Cognitive and Psychomotor tests.
Cognitive Exam
The cognitive part of the EMT test follows the CAT principle. The participants will have to answer around 70 to 120 questions. 60 to 110 questions will make up your final score. Ten questions are intended for practice and don’t actually make a difference in terms of scores. You have two hours to think about the questions on the test. If you don’t pass right away, you can take the test again after half a month.
Candidates can try six times to get the passing score on the cognitive part of the EMT test. After three unsuccessful attempts, the applicant must go through the instructional course offered by a state-approved instructor. Once he/she has completed the remedial training, a candidate will get three more attempts to pass the cognitive part of the exam. Candidates must start the entire process from scratch if they fail all six times.
Psychomotor Exam
The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians does not arrange for you to take Psychomotor Exam. You must take this part of the test at the State EMS Office or on the site of your educational institution. State EMS Office must oversee the process of the examination. The psychomotor exam will check crucial abilities necessary for the job,such as:
- assessment and diagnosis of someone who suffered trauma,
- assessment, and diagnosis of someone with a medical condition,
- taking care of cardiac arrest,
- BVM ventilation of a patient in need,
- caring for patients with broken long bones,
- helping patients with dislocated joints,
- stopping the bleeding process,
- giving mouth-to-mouth with extra oxygen and supplying oxygen to someone who’s breathing.
Check out this page to understand the process better – Cognitive and Psychomotor exam modules.
State Certification Status
After taking the test, you should look out for test results by checking the certification search website.
The exact score that you got on the test will not be displayed here. If you did get a passing score, you’ll be assigned a “certified” status. It will say “Pending deficiencies” if there are additional actions that you must take. The state office will not be informed about your NR problems. Instead, you will be directly informed. If you’re curious about possible deficiencies while going through the state application, reach out to us at 512-834-6734.
If you’re still unsure about exam content, grading, or other details, get in touch with National Registry.
Certificate
Once you’ve filed your application with all the necessary information, it can take about a month or month and a half to receive a Texas certificate. The application that lacks some of the information won’t be duly processed. EMS Officials will reach out to you to let you know.
Contact Department of State Health Services
Reach out to us at EMSCert@dshs.texas.gov to get a better understanding of the certification process. You can send us a letter at the address: Department of State Health Services, Attn: EMS, MC2003, PO Box 149347, Austin, Texas 78714-9347.
Texas EMS Programs
Type | Program | Address | City | Phone # | Website |
EMT, Paramedic | Alvin Community College | 3110 Mustang Rd | Alvin | 281-756-5640 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Amarillo College | 2201 S Washington Ave | Amarillo | 806-354-6077 | website |
Paramedic | Angelina College | 3500 South First Street | Lufkin | 936-633-5420 | website |
EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | Austin Community College | 3401 Webberville Rd | Austin | 512-223-5924 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Blinn College | 8441 State Hwy 47 | Bryan | 979-691-2129 | website |
EMT, AEMT | Brazosport College | 500 College Dr | Lake Jackson | 979-230-3432 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Brookhaven College | 3939 Valley View Lane | Farmers Branch | 972-860-7860 | website |
EMT | Central Texas College | 6200 West Central Texas Expressway | Killeen | 254-526-1888 | website |
EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | College of the Mainland | 1200 Amburn Rd | Texas City | 409-933-8198 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Collin County Community College District | 2200 West University Dr | McKinney | 972-548-6848 | website |
ECA, EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | Del Mar College | 101 Baldwin Blvd | Corpus Christi | 361-698-1724 | website |
Paramedic | El Centro College | 801 Main Street | Dallas | 214-860-2414 | website |
EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | El Paso Community College | 10700 Gateway East | El Paso | 915-831-7070 | website |
AEMT, Paramedic | Galveston College | 4015 Avenue Q | Galveston | 409-944-1481 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Grayson College | 6101 Grayson Dr | Denison | 903-463-8677 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Hill College | 2112 Mayfield Pkwy | Cleburne | 817-760-5929 | website |
EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | Houston Community College System | 555 Community College Dr | Houston | 713-718-7694 | website |
EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | Howard College- San Angelo | 3501 North US Hwy 67 | San Angelo | 325-481-8300 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Kilgore College | 300 South High St | Longview | 903-753-2642 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Lamar Institute of Technology | 802 E Lavaca | Beaumont | 409-839-2087 | website |
EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | Laredo College | One West End Washington Street | Laredo | 956-721-5397 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Lone Star College-Cy Fair | 9191 Barker Cypress Road | Cypress | 281-290-5906 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Lone Star College-Montgomery | 3200 College Park Dr | Conroe | 936-271-6327 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Lone Star College-North Harris | 2700W Thorne Dr | Houston | 281-618-5753 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | McLennan Community College | 1400 College Dr | Waco | 254-299-6504 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Midland College | 3600 N Garfield | Mildland | 432-685-4705 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Navarro College | 1900 John Arden Dr | Waxahachie | 972-923-6447 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | North Central Texas College | 1500 North Corinth Street | Corinth | 940-498-6254 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Odessa College | 201 W University Blvd | Odessa | 432-335-6840 | website |
EMT | Panola College | 1109 W Panola | Carthage | 903-693-1153 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Paris Junior College | 2400 Clarksville St | Paris | 903-782-0750 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | San Antonio College | 1300 San Pedro Ave | San Antonio | 210-486-1502 | website |
EMT | San Jacinto College North | 5800 Uvalde Road | Houston | 281-998-6150 | website |
EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | South Plains College | 819 Gilbert Dr | Lubbock | 806-716-4635 | website |
EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | South Texas College | 1101 E Vermont | McAllen | 956-872-3048 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Tarrant County College – Northeast Campus | 828 West Harwood Road | Hurst | 817-515-6448 | website |
EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | Temple College | 2600 South First Street | Temple | 254-298-8563 | website |
EMR, EMT, Paramedic | Texarkana College | 2500 North Robinson Rd | Texarkana | 903-823-3411 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Texas Southmost College | 80 Fort Brown | Brownsville | 956-295-3511 | website |
EMR, EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | Texas State Technical College-Abilene | 650 E Hwy 80 | Abilene | 325-201-2605 | website |
EMR, EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | Texas State Technical College-Harlingen | 1902 North Loop 499 | Harlingen | 956-364-4739 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Trinity Valley Community College | 2970 North State Hwy 19 | Palestine | 903-723-7052 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Tyler Junior College | 1400 Fifth Street Hwy 64 East | Tyler | 903-510-2695 | website |
Paramedic | University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio | 7703 Floyd Curl Drive | San Antonio | 210-567-7839 | website |
EMT, AEMT, Paramedic | Victoria College | 2200 E Red River | Victoria | 361-572-6447 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Weatherford College | 225 College Park Drive | Weatherford | 817-598-6234 | website |
EMT, Paramedic | Wharton County Junior College | 911 East Boling Hwy | Wharton | 979-532-6540 | website |
The Texas EMT Recertification Process
EMT professionals are required to renew their certificate once every couple of years. A candidate must satisfy one of the two requirements to renew a certificate: take a cognitive test or satisfy continuing education requirements. The process is thoroughly covered on this page: – Emergency Medical Technician Recertification Information.
Additional Resources Regarding License (Late Renewal, Inactive, Lapsed)
In the event of late renewal, and you haven’t provided an application before the end of March, you’re obligated to pay $50.00 and provide your application by the end of April. Education prerequisites must be satisfied before the end of March.
During the renewal process, you’ll be asked to specify whether your license is active or inactive. An active status signifies that you are eligible to enjoy the benefits afforded by the license. The opposite is true if the current status is inactive. It’s possible to switch to active status after gaining an active affiliation.
Lapsed Certification Status (0 – 24 months) – If you don’t meet the necessary prerequisites for renewing your certificate by the time it expires, your license has lapsed. If you keep your certification in this status for no more than two years, or you presently hold an EMT status, it’s possible to obtain your National EMS Certification again by succeeding at cognitive and psychomotor tests. If you meet at least one of the conditions outlined above, follow these steps.
You’ll need permission to test and provide proof of training credentials. You can provide these documents as proof: proof of refresher program certified by the state or graduate from a course that is equivalent to EMT refresher. If an NCCP state issued your license, you can complete the national component to satisfy the prerequisites.
Lapsed Certification Status (more than a couple of years) – you’ll be eligible to get into National Registry again if you go through this:
- A refresher program certified by the state
- The national part of the NCCP course or a practical test arranged by the state.
- The cognitive test
- Hold BLS CPR certificate.
How to Transfer EMT License to Texas?
If you presently hold a working EMT license that was issued by another state, you may be eligible to obtain the Texas certificate through reciprocity. Remember that ECA, FR, EMR do not qualify. It is only EMS professionals who can obtain a certificate through reciprocity.
An applicant must satisfy these prerequisites:
- Have reached the legal age
- Provide an Out of State Verification Form A, filled out by every state where you presently hold a certificate or have ever been issued a certificate in the past.
- Candidates who want to use reciprocity to obtain an Advanced EMT certificate must have proof of education that contained information about airway intubation devices, and IV commencement specified by the Texas code of conduct for Advanced EMT certificates.
- Fill out this application online.
- Go through the background check. Follow these steps:
- Each applicant will be obligated to submit their fingerprints to let the FBI conduct the check of criminal records using IdentoGo.
- Provide fingerprints by utilizing the Texas Fingerprint Service Code Form
- Schedule the submission of fingerprints through IdentoGo.
You can find the guidelines for arranging an appointment by checking out The Texas Fingerprint Service Code. You’ll have to cover the associated costs.
Verify EMT License in Texas
The present status of your license can be found on the Texas Health and Human Services page. Check out this link: Verify Your EMT License Status.
The Current EMT Salary in Texas
EMT personnel command a compensation of $28,111.
Click here to find the most recent numbers regarding EMT wages in Texas.
Final Thoughts
When you’re considering different EMT training programs in Texas, check out the educational institute’s website and look at their offerings. Some instructional courses are more generous in assistance. They might provide job assistance, financial help, thorough education, and more time spent on clinical rotations. Above all things, an educational program must prepare you for passing the Texas EMT examination. We will make sure to inform you about the most important factors: the educational program’s rating, its duration, the summary, and its approval status. Some educational courses offer advanced programs like EMT Advanced courses. These programs can help you advance your career further than others.
We hope our guide was useful in helping you become an EMT in Texas. We’ve written this guide to explain the basic steps of the process and help you succeed in this profession.