Kansas certifies EMTs through the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS), and you can be certified at 17. Everything below comes from the Board's initial certification guide (revised March 1, 2026) and K.A.R. 109-15-3, 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
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.
A healthcare-provider CPR card
AHA BLS or an equivalent your state accepts, usually before clinicals.
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.
Your state's license or certification
The card comes from the state, not the Registry. The state's own steps are below.
Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS)
Course: a Kansas-approved initial EMT course.
Exams: within 24 months of finishing the course, pass the state certifying exams within 12 months of each other: the BLS skills exam (up to 4 attempts) and the knowledge exam (up to 6). Ask your program how the knowledge exam is scheduled and whether it is the National Registry's.
Background check: first-time Kansas applicants submit a fingerprint card, a waiver and a $60 criminal history fee through the KEMSIS portal; skip it if you were ever Kansas-certified.
Age: at least 17.
Application: the Initial EMS Provider Certification application in KEMSIS, with the $50 EMT fee. Incomplete or unpaid applications are denied after 15 days.