How to become an EMT in Connecticut

Connecticut certifies EMTs through the Department of Public Health's Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS), and you can be certified at 16. Everything below comes from the OEMS "EMT certification by examination" page and its general policies, checked October 18, 2026. Confirm with OEMS before you pay.

Study aid, not a protocol. Nothing on this site replaces your course, your medical director or your agency's protocols. Built by an RN and former EMT. Headed In LLC is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) or any state EMS office; their names appear here only to point you to the real thing.

The national steps, briefly

  1. A state-approved EMT course

    Every state approves its own programs, all taught to the National EMS Education Standards. Most run 150 to 300 hours over three to six months.

  2. A healthcare-provider CPR card

    AHA BLS or an equivalent your state accepts, usually before clinicals.

  3. The cognitive exam

    The National Registry (NREMT) EMT exam: 70 to 120 adaptive questions in 2 hours, $104 per attempt, six attempts within two years of your course.

  4. Your state's license or certification

    The card comes from the state, not the Registry. The state's own steps are below.

The full national walk-through: How to become an EMT.

Connecticut, step by step

Connecticut Department of Public Health, Office of EMS

  1. Age: at least 16; under 18, a parental consent form.
  2. Course: an OEMS-approved EMT training program in Connecticut of at least 150 hours.
  3. Exams: the National Registry cognitive exam and a Connecticut OEMS-approved psychomotor exam, both passed within two years of finishing the course. You pay the Registry's registration fee.
  4. Application: the online EMT application on Connecticut eLicense. Fees are non-refundable even if you are found ineligible, and a complete application takes four to six weeks to decide. No state certification fee amount appears on the OEMS pages; ask your program.
  5. Record: the Department can deny an applicant for acts contrary to public health and safety, reviewing each case individually.
  6. From another state: have every licensing authority send the OEMS verification form; ask OEMS ([email protected]) about your route.

Sources: CT DPH OEMS, EMT certification by examination; EMS certification general policies. Checked October 18, 2026.

Practice for the exam, freeOur own questions, written to the national standards and tagged to the exam's 28 job tasks, with a Pass Meter.

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