How to become an EMT in Hawaii

In Hawaii, EMTs are licensed by the Hawaii Medical Board in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), the same board that licenses physicians. It certifies two EMT levels: EMT (transport, on ambulances) and EMT 1 (non-transport). Everything below comes from the Board's 2026 EMS personnel FAQ and the state statute, 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.

Hawaii, step by step

Hawaii Medical Board, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

  1. Levels: EMT ("EMT Transport," for emergency ambulance work) and EMT 1 ("Non-Transport"), plus advanced EMT and paramedic.
  2. Requirements: current National Registry certification at your level, an approved EMS training course and the Board's other standards, including its examination (HRS 453-32). Requirements differ by level; the application's information and instruction pages break them down.
  3. EMT 1: a Board-approved EMT course meeting the National EMS Education Standards, current CPR and BLS proficiency, and the National Registry EMT cognitive and psychomotor exams; the fees match the EMT's. EMT 1s practice basic care under a physician.
  4. Application and fees: download the materials from the Board's applications page; the fees are listed there. No inactive status and no temporary licenses.
  5. Renewal: every two years by January 31 of even-numbered years, with the Board's continuing education (documents only if audited). Miss it and you can restore within two years by mail.
  6. Registry lapsed over two years: you need Registry re-entry: a state-approved refresher (or the NCCP national component), a state-run practical exam, the cognitive exam and current BLS CPR.

Sources: Hawaii Medical Board, emergency medical personnel FAQ (2026); HRS 453-32 and HRS 453-34; rules at HAR 16-85. 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.

Official pages