Frequently Asked Questions

No. You must bring your course completion certificate and any other required documentation to a local EMS Agency to complete the certification process.

Q3. How long is my EMT-I certification valid?

Your EMT-I certification is good for two (2) years from the time you complete all the requirements for certification.

Q4. How often do I have to take the written and skills exams to maintain my EMT-I certification?

There is no on-going testing requirement as long as your certification has not lapsed for more than 12 months. Continuing education hours and skills verification is required every two years for recertification.

Q5. I have an out-of-state or National Registry EMT certificate and would like to get a California certificate. What do I need to do?

If you have an out-of-state EMT certificate, you will need to successfully complete the Naitonal Registry EMT exam and apply for certification at the EMS Agency. See question 1 for additional information. The expiration date on your California certification will be the same date as listed on your out-of-state certification.

If you have a current National Registry certification, you will need to apply for certification at the EMS Agency. See question 1for additional information. The expiration date on your California certification will be the same date as listed on your National Registry certification.

Q6. Is my Contra Costa EMT-I certification valid throughout the state?

Yes. Any EMT-I certification issued in California is valid throughout the state.

Q7. Is there a "grace period" for renewing my EMT-I certification?

No. You may not function as an EMT-I once your certification has expired. You have two (2) years from the date of expiration to complete the certification process without repeating the full EMT-I training program.

Q8. My EMT-I certification has expired. What do I need to do to be eligible for recertification?

For a lapse of less than six (6) months:
a) Provide a copy of the expired EMT-I certificate
b) Successfully complete an approved EMT-I twenty four (24) hour refresher course within the prior two (2) year period
- OR -
c) Provide documentation verifying completion of a minimum of twenty four (24) hours of approved BLS continuing education within the prior two (2) year period.
d) Provide a valid and current CPR card.
e) Submit a completed skills competency verifiaction form, (EMSA-SCV 07/03).
f) Complete a Contra Costa EMT-I certification application.
g) Complete a Department of Justice Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background check, if not already on file with the Contra Costa EMS Agency (See question 1 for additional information.)
h) Pay the established recertification application fee.

For a lapse of six (6) months or more, but less than twelve (12) months:
a) Provide a copy of the expired EMT-I certificate
b) Successfully complete an approved EMT-I twenty four (24) hour refresher course within the prior two (2) year period
- OR -
c) Provide documentation verifying completion of a minimum of twenty four (24) hours of approved BLS continuing education within the prior two (2) year period.
d) Provide documentation of an additional twelve (12) hours of continuing education for a total of thirty six (36) hours.
e) Provide a valid and current CPR card.
f) Submit a completed skills competency verifiaction form, (EMSA-SCV 07/03).
g) Complete a Contra Costa EMT-I certification application.
h) Complete a Department of Justice Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background check, if not already on file with the Contra Costa EMS Agency. (See question 1 for additional information).
i) Pay the established recertification application fee.

For a lapse of twelve (12) months or more, but less than twenty four (24) months:
a) Provide a copy of the expired EMT-I certificate
b) Successfully complete an approved EMT-I twenty four (24) hour refresher course within the prior two (2) year period
c) Provide documentation of an additional twenty four (24) hours of continuing education for a total of forty eight (48) hours.
d) Provide documentation of successful completion of the Naitonal Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certification exam within the past two (2) years.
e) Provide a valid and current CPR card.
f) Submit a completed skills competency verifiaction form, (EMSA-SCV 07/03).
g) Complete a Contra Costa EMT-I certification application.
h) Complete a Department of Justice Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background check, if not already on file with the Contra Costa EMS Agency. (See question 1 for additional information).
i) Pay the established recertification application fee.

For a lapse of twenty four (24) months or more, complete an entire EMT-I basic course.

Q9. What is "certification" testing?

Certification testing is required by state regulation to be eligible for certification as an EMT in California [Title 22, Div 9, Chap 22, Art 4, section 100079(a)(3)]. The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians EMT-Basic exam is the approved certification exam.

Q10. Do the final written and skills exams I took through my EMT training program count as the certification exam?

Your training program skills exam is accepted as the practical portion of the National Registry exam. You will need to complete the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians written exam, in addition to the training program final written exam.

Q11. I completed my EMT training at a program in another county. What do I need to do to get certified through Contra Costa EMS?

You will need to provide a course completion certificate, proof of AED training, proof of successful completion of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians EMT-Basic certification exam within the past two years, complete a Department of Justice background check (see question 1 for additional information, provide a valid and current CPR card, pay the certification fee and complete a Contra Costa EMT Certification application (33k PDF, 1p.).

Q12. How long does the fingerprint background check process take?

The time varies depending on a number of factors. There may be a delay in getting an appointment to be "rolled" (have your fingerprints taken). Once the Department of Justice receives the information, there may be delays depending on whether you have a criminal record or if the DOJ is unable to read the prints submitted. In addition, the DOJ may have internal delays related to work load. Currently, the EMS Agency is experiencing turnaround times that vary between same-day and 4 months. At this time, there is no way to predict how long it will take.
The majority of records are sent to us within 3-5 working days, but there is no guarantee of that. It is advised that you do the background check early if you rely on your EMT certification for any reason.

Q13. How do I sign up for the National Registry exam?

Here is a summary of the testing process. Go to the National Registry web site to register for an exam.

Paramedic Questions

Q1. What do I need to submit to maintain my paramedic accreditation in Contra Costa County?

A copy of your new California paramedic license, current ACLS card, skills verification form (24k PDF, 2pp.) and an updated application (33k PDF, 1p.).

Q2. How long is my paramedic accreditation valid?

Your accreditation runs concurrent with your license, so when your license expires, your accreditation also expires.

General Questions

Q1. How do I know if a course is offering continuing education credit for prehospital personnel?

The course provider must issue a certificate with their California Prehospital Continuing Education provider number and the number of hours for which the course is approved. CME and BRN numbers/hours are not valid for EMT-I or paramedic continuing education. (approved Contra Costa CE providers)

Need Help with PDF files?

Viewing PDF files requires a free program called Adobe Acrobat Reader [download Acrobat].

If you do not wish to or cannot run Acrobat Reader, you may still view PDF files by using Adobe's [PDF to text conversion].

EMT-I Questions

Q1. What do I need to be certified as an EMT-I?

Q2. Does my EMT-I course completion certificate mean I am certified as an EMT-I in California?