RECERTIFICATION
Our vision is to provide customer support to Training Officers, Medical Directors, and providers while validating that the EMS Professionals have maintained continued competence through education and practice for quality patient care to ensure public safety.
The recertification process encourages providers to remain current in EMS knowledge and maintain proficiency to renew their certification. Recertification requirements increase confidence in the public, employers, and other stakeholders and gives you recognized credibility across the nation.
Detailed Recertification Requirements By Level
Use the links below to see the specific recertification requirements or learn more about each certification level.
EMR
EMT
Advanced-EMT
Paramedic
HOW DO I SUBMIT MY RECERTIFICATION APPLICATION
On-Line Recertification (Preferred)
Processing time is generally within 24 hours of submission.
Step 1: Login To Your National Registry Account
From the homepage, log in to your account. If you do not already have a National Registry account with a username and password, create a New Account on the National Registry homepage. If you forgot your username or password, use the Password Recovery Page for assistance.
Login To My Account
Step 2: Update User Profile
When prompted, update your user profile information.
Verify we have your correct email and mailing address.
Step 3: Submit Electronic Recertification
Click on ‘Recertification' to
- Enter your education, and
- Submit your application
Keep all recertification supporting documentation for at least three years. The National Registry is required to conduct random audits of applications.
You must submit your application no later than midnight, Eastern Standard Time, on the day your certification expires.
Step 4: Payment
Submit online payment with a credit card for your recertification.
Step 5: Print Your Card
After your education and skills are validated by your Training Officer and/or Medical Director, your application will be processed. Check your account and print your new National EMS Certification!
Learn About Recert 2.0
This video shows how to add a NCCR or Refresher course to your transcript.
Add a NCCR Class
This video shows how to add a NCCR or Refresher course to your transcript.
Print Your Card
This video shows how to print your card in Recert 2.0.
Step 1: Print a Paper Application
Step 2: Fill Out The Application
- Fill out the application. Make sure the information provided is printed in black or blue ink and easily readable.
- Sign the Form
Keep all recertification supporting documentation for at least three years. The National Registry is required to conduct random audits of applications.
Step 3: Obtain Signatures
- Obtain the required signatures (Training Officer and/or Medical Director)
Step 4: Mail Form & Payment
- Include your recertification fee AND the additional $5 paper processing fee
-
Mail the form and payment to:
National Registry
PO Box 29233
Columbus, OH 43229
Frequently Asked Recertification Questions
The goals of recertification include: Assessing knowledge and skill in the field of EMS, encouraging continual professional development, ensuring continual competence, and it promotes lifelong learning.
The NCCA defines continued competence as “the ability to provide service at specified levels of knowledge and skill, not only at the time of initial certification, but throughout the individual’s professional career.”
Continued competence should increase the provider’s professional development and is supported by continued training in the knowledge and methods of the field. The need for continuing competency is a direct response to requirements of accreditation as well as public expectation of competency of certified individuals and the best practices of the industry.
If you submitted your online application, please do not mail your forms to the National Registry. Your Training Officer and Medical Director (if applicable) will electronically approve your application, and it will be automatically be sent to the National Registry.
Log into your National Registry account and select the ‘My Certification’ role. On your Dashboard, under the ‘Agency Affiliation’ selection it will display any agencies you are currently affiliated with or have requested affiliation. You may also add and delete any affiliation, by clicking the ‘Add or Remove Agency Affiliation’ link. Note: you may affiliate with multiple affiliations.
Your agency has not approved your affiliation request. Please contact your Training Officer to request approval.
Please contact your agency’s Training Officer and ask them to set up an agency with the National Registry.
On the Dashboard, click Recert Application. When all sections are showing complete, you will be able to submit your recertification application.
For electronic recertification, you may use a credit card, eCheck or pre-purchased voucher. The National Registry does not take credit card payments over the phone.
The National Registry accepts state and CAPCE approved education. These include, but are not limited to, community colleges or universities, vocational schools, local EMS agencies, or online education providers. EMS conferences, symposiums, and workshops are also accepted.
For more information on approved online providers, go to www.capce.org
State Office information: https://www.nremt.org/rwd/public/states/state-ems-agencies
Distributive education (DE) is defined by the Commission on Accreditation for Prehospital Continuing Education (CAPCE) as “...an educational activity in which the learner, the instructor, and the educational materials are not all present at the same time, and students and instructors are not able to interact in real time. CAPCE courses will have an F3 designation in the listed course number. Examples include, but are not limited to, video review, recording of instruction, directed studies, online courses that are not virtual instructor led (VILT F5), etc.).
You should contact your State EMS Office and/or your local EMS educational institution for the location of approved EMS education course in your state. You can also check with your agency training officer.
Teaching topics is the same as taking or attending the topic. Instructing topics obtain the same credit as learns on an hour-for-hour basis. Instructor hours may be used for instructional EMS programs, full courses, individual topics, EMS certificate courses, and standardized courses. All course instruction or teaching must be EMS related and state or CAPCE approved. Note: Courses to become an instructor or instructor methods are not accepted.
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), your Training Officer/Supervisor, can approve the skills verification.
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) and Paramedic (NRP), your Medical Director must approve the skills verification.
If you are renewing as unaffiliated and requesting ‘Inactive’ status, you are not required to provided verification of skills.
No. Individuals who are not affiliated with an agency in which out-of-hospital skills are utilized, but who meet the education requirements may recertify as ‘Inactive.’
The National Registry requires all individual applying for ‘Active Status’ recertification to be affiliated with an agency and using their EMS skills at their provider level. An agency may include fire departments, EMS response units, hospitals, hazmat response teams, rescue teams, private companies who provide EMS care to employees.
Providers who wish to declare Inactive Status must continue to meet the National Registry continuing education recertification requirements for their current level. Inactive Status is not for those who are unable to obtain and meet the educational requirements or those who have had limitations or revocation of the health care license.
Inactive status may be helpful for EMS professionals who:
- are not actively engaged in ambulance/rescue service or health/patient care activity.
- must be inactive for a period of time – such as, moving, illness, pursuit of education, family responsibilities, etc.
Providers who request Inactive Status do not need to obtain skills verification. The provider is eligible to recertify by examination if they so choose. If you are not currently affiliated with an agency when you submit your recertification application, your account will update to ‘Inactive Status’. You can also request Inactive Status once your application has been submitted to your agency.
Moving from Inactive to Active status requires you to complete the ‘Inactive to Active’ form. Please ensure that your current or future employer is willing to verify competency of the skills found on the recertification form. You must print and complete the ‘Inactive to Active’ form. Inactive to Active Request
.No fee is required to move from inactive to active status.
If you are unsuccessful with recert by examination, you will need to complete the recertification education requirements before your appropriate expiration date.
You can request to drop their certification to a lower level during your appropriate Oct 1 – March 31 recertification cycle. Please email the request to recertification@nremt.org.
If you choose to go back up to a higher level, you will be required to test both cognitive and psychomotor exams.
We hope you will consider recertifying on-line. Submitting an electronic application reduces errors, it's faster, and it saves you $5!