Emergency Medical Care Personnel certifications issued by the Texas officials need to be renewed once every four years. 25 TAC §157.34(a)(4)(A).
To extend the status as certified personnel, an applicant must provide one of these documents:
- The proof of passing the exam organized by the National Registry Assessment
- Uninterrupted periods of education
- Files that prove your record with National Registry
- Going through officially approved recertification training
To ensure that there’s enough time for you to extend your certification, start making arrangements at least three months before your certificate’s expiration date. Your current license will be stripped after the expiration date. This is the default setting for all cases, considering your post-expiration renewal options.
- 1. Fingerprinting Requirement for Renewal
- 2. Recertification/Relicensure Applicants
- 3. Recertification Options
- 4. Coordinator or Instructor
- 5. Inactive Certification
- 6. Requirements for returning to active certification/licensure:
- 7. Late renewal
- 8. Additional information about Texas EMS continuing education
Fingerprinting Requirement for Renewal
Starting from June 1, 2020, only the applicants who go through a fingerprint-based background check can get their application accepted. Arrange such background checks while your certificate is still active so that you aren’t left without a certificate, even for a short period. Submit your certificate application as soon as possible if you can’t locate your name on the list and you went through a fingerprint-based background check.
If an applicant still hasn’t submitted a fingerprint on record for a background check, he must arrange fingerprint submission for the background check by entering the DSHS code into IdentoGO. Once you apply, you’ll receive an email with this code inside. You can reach out to emscert@dshs.texas.gov to obtain the code.
You’re required by law to complete a background check specifically for DSHS/EMS, and it must include your fingerprint records. You must complete the check even if you’ve already gone through that process for another purpose.
To ensure that your background check has registered with DSHS or EMS, check out the relevant file from the table.
Emergency Care Attendant | EXCEL |
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) | EXCEL |
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) | EXCEL |
Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic and Licensed Paramedic
(EMT-P) (LIC-P) |
EXCEL |
Information on this list is updated twice every month, on the 1st and 15th days. If these days coincide with being a weekend or holiday, the information will be updated on the next working day. If you’ve gone through a DSHS background check and have submitted your fingerprints, but can’t find your name on the list, reach out to EMS/Trauma Systems over the phone: 512-834-6766.
Recertification/Relicensure Applicants
ECA, EMT, Advanced EMT, EMT-P, LP application submission
Access your EMS account at https://vo.ras.dshs.state.tx.us/datamart/login.do and make sure your license details are clearly visible.
Pick the application under the label of “Time to Review”, fill out the form completely, submit and cover the associated cost.
Once you’re done, head over to the main page, see the details and pay attention to the expiration date. If you did everything right, it must’ve changed.
Make sure you comply with the rule concerning renewal options. It’s possible to check your certification status and expiry date by utilizing the Regulatory Services Online Licensing System tool.
To renew a certificate, All EMS candidates must pass an EMS jurisprudence course that is acknowledged by the Department. While going through this examination, you’ll be learning about EMS-related laws and codes of conduct in the state of Texas. CE organizes this examination. If you’re in the line of work that falls under an EMS category, ask your manager for a recommendation for the CE program or the reference to many CE programs responsible for arranging the EMS jurisprudence exam. Use this link as a reference: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/emstraumasystems/formsresources.shtm#Open.
Recertification Options
While filling out the application, select one of these four possibilities:
Option 1 – Examination
- DSHS considers National Registry Assessment Exam to be an equivalent of the exam certified by the state.
- Arranging an examination will be up to you. Visit the website www.nremt.org to do so.
- Except for non-refundable costs associated with the state application, an applicant also has to cover the cost of testing. Everyone, including volunteers, has to cover NR testing costs.
- You must pass the exam by getting a score of 7 out of every 10 questions.
- If you don’t get a passing grade, you won’t be permitted to get certified by following another route.
- If you don’t get a passing grade, you’ll be allowed to participate in an exam.
Option 2 – Continuing Education
- Follow the outlines provided above to successfully submit an application.
- CE ought to:
- Be certified and in recognized content areas.
- Satisfy the prerequisites for minimum hours in content areas and specified total hour requirements for the duration of four years.
- At this time, communicating CE is not obligatory. (Only in the case of audit)
- The responsibility of taking notes about participation falls on you. You must secure an uninterrupted flow of CE records for half a decade. Audits might be ordered to go through your records.
- The educational prerequisite for ECAs is to have 36 straight hours of training.
- The educational prerequisite for EMTs is to have 72 straight hours of training.
- The educational prerequisite for AEMTs is to have 108 straight hours of training.
- The educational prerequisite for Paramedics is to have 144 straight hours of training.
Workers with EMS occupations are obligated to renew their license certificate once every 4 years.
You can follow one of the four routes to postpone your license expiration. Getting a new EMS certificate is a complex process, read the information here to learn more.
Option 3 – National Registry
- Follow the outlined instructions while submitting an application
- You must have an active NR certificate at the moment of certificate renewal.
- While filling out an application, indicate your NR digits and specify the time of certificate expiration.
Option 4 – Formal Recertification Course
- Use the outlined instructions while submitting an application.
- During your four-year certificate, go through the training program whenever you want.
- You must accumulate the following number of contact hours: ECA – 24; EMT – 48; Advanced EMT – 72; EMT-P and Licensed Paramedic – 96
Option 5 – Comprehensive Clinical Management Program (CCMP) Recertification
Someone associated with an EMS supplier is eligible for certificate renewal if:
- The candidate is noted in the CCMP document of the arranging organization.
- The candidate has been a part of the organization’s CCMP continuously for half a year or more.
- The candidate must provide a department with an official document that bears the medical doctor’s signature who represents the CCMP. The document must be a testament to the candidate’s fruitful participation.
- The candidate has gone through the jurisprudence state that acts as proof of the candidate’s qualifications regarding the EMS code of conduct imposed by the state.
Coordinator or Instructor
This is the process for submitting an application for EMS coordinator, EMS tutor, and EMS information operator:
Renew online. You might have to wait about a month before your application is processed. You might be late to get your renewal approved if your application is missing crucial files or data. The agency will contact you to notify you of missing documents or problems associated with your application and guide you through fixing those problems. To better understand the steps involved in the application process, get in touch with the local DSHS information center.
Locate your local DSHS field office and obtain its contact information. It’s possible to verify your certification standing and find out when it expires by using Regulatory Services Online Licensing System.
Inactive Certification
Submitting a dormant application:
Change active certification/licensure to inactive
The inactive status of your certificate will expire at about the same time as your existing certification. You must provide an inactive certification/licensure application and an obligatory 30$ fee to make up for administrative costs. ECA certificates can’t be inactive. Inactive condition is not permitted if there’s less than one year left until the expiration date arrives. Renewal must be performed while you have an inactive status.
Renew active or inactive certification as inactive
Supply the state officials with inactive certification/licensure application, renewal files for EMS staff, application fee specified on the form that you can’t get back, and cover inactive renewal administration cost. If your certification is presently inactive, it can be renewed without paying an Inactive Administrative Fee. Four years after the certificate expires is considered an inactive certification period.
Renew expired, active or inactive certification as inactive
Supply the state officials with inactive certification/licensure application, renewal files for EMS staff, late fees specified on the form that you can’t get back, and cover inactive renewal administration costs. When you’re trying to renew your certificate within 90 days from the expiration day, you’ll have to pay a non-refundable fee that is 150% of the regular fee. If you’re applying later than 90 days but within one year from expiration, you’ll have to pay double the application fee. The inactive status period will extend to four years.
Your certification will have an inactive status for one year after this has been expired. Once a year has passed, you’re obligated to satisfy initial certification/licensure prerequisites.
To perform the activities outlined in Health and Safety Code, Chapter 773, your certificate must have an active status. You may not volunteer or get paid for doing these tasks. If you do, your certification might be void. You are permitted to perform as a regular person: you can give first aid, CPR, or automatic external defibrillation.
Vetting your application can take up to a month. Afterward, you’re supposed to arrange for an exam to be held with National Registry through the www.nremt.org website.
Requirements for returning to active certification/licensure:
The EMS Rule regarding the transition from inactive to active is 157.34(f).
(1) When someone holds a certificate that’s not active before four years has passed, can receive active certification by applying to the department and covering the non-refundable cost. This path is best described in subsection (a)(4). Go through the steps to get the desired outcome:
- (A) Option 1 – satisfy the prerequisite specified in subsection (b)(2) of 4 straight years of education to renew your certificate. You must file an assessment of your skills from a certified training program and get a passing grade on the national registry qualification exam.
- (B) Option 2 – Go through a recertification program that has been certified by the department. In addition to that, you must take part in and pass the national registry exam that checks your qualification.
Late renewal
Applicants who satisfy all prerequisites within one year of the expiration date can decide between four different options to get their certificate renewed. In addition to that, the applicant must also submit a skills verification.
Applicants who’ve waited for longer than one year after their expiration won’t be able to renew their certificate. An individual can get certified by meeting the requirements of initial or equivalency certification.
Application submission
- If you hope to renew your certificate no later than 90 days after it expired, this is the fee structure: base-level fee for applying (ECA or EMT) that contains a late fee is $94. The cost for an advanced application that contains a late fee is $141. The fee for paramedics who hold a license is $186.
- When an applicant wants to renew his/her certificate after 90 days but no later than one year after it has expired, this is the fee structure: base-level fee for applying (ECA or EMT) that contains late fee is $124. The cost for an advanced application that contains a late fee is $186. The fee for paramedics who hold a license is $246.
If you filed your application and paid the associated fee before that but your renewal wasn’t granted, you must apply again and pay doubled associated fees again.
Additional information about Texas EMS continuing education
Contact Information:
Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
Location:
8407 Wall Street
RM N-430
Austin, TX 78714-9347
Mailing Address:
PO Box 149347
MC 1876
Austin, TX 78714-9347
Phone: (512) 834-6734
Fax: (512) 834-6736
Website: www.dshs.texas.gov/emstraumasystems/