How to become an EMT in Delaware

Delaware certifies EMTs through the State Fire Prevention Commission, and you need a Delaware fire company or other authorized EMS provider to sponsor you. Everything below comes from the Commission's 2026 EMT application and its regulation, 1 Del. Admin. Code 710-18.0, checked October 18, 2026.

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.

Delaware, step by step

Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission

  1. Age: 18.
  2. Sponsor: be a member in good standing of a Delaware fire department or another authorized Delaware EMS provider; its head signs your initial application.
  3. Course: the EMT full course through the Delaware State Fire School (students from other approved providers must meet the Commission's requirements).
  4. Exam: pass the National Registry exam and hold current Registry certification.
  5. Background check: state and federal checks through the Delaware State Bureau of Identification (SBI), naming "EMT Certification" as the purpose; SBI sends results to the Commission.
  6. Documents and fee: the application, a BLS CPR/AED card, your Registry card, a current Delaware EMS Protocol Certificate, a face-only color photo, and the $25 processing fee (card, cash or check to SFPC).
  7. Renewal: keep your National Registry card; Delaware certification expires with it, recertifying for two years at a time with the EMT refresher course through the State Fire School.

Sources: Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission, EMT application and information (2026); 1 Del. Admin. Code 710-18.0 (Cornell LII). 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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