Are you looking to become an EMT in Virginia?

Your first big step is to pass the NREMT Emergency Medical Technician Exam! The NREMT EMT-Basic Cognitive exam is based on the national curriculum designed by NHTSA, and is accepted in nearly all states as a standard of basic EMT knowledge and competency. Even when a state requires its own exam, it is based on the same curriculum as the NREMT.

Requirements to become an EMT, while similar, vary slightly from state to state. In Virginia, the Virginia Department of Health OEMS oversees the licensing and deployment of EMTs.

All states, and the NREMT, require the prospective EMT to take a rigorous training course, usually of 120 hours of classroom time and field practice. Most states certify their own training facilities, and information on Virginia’s training facilities and requirements can be found here.

The prospective EMT then must pass a practical exam and a cognitive exam, and meet any other state requirements, including to be healthy, drug-free, over the age of 18 at the time of licensing, to hold a Basic Life Support/CPR certification (such as from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association. Many EMT training courses include this), and to undergo a background check. For more information, you can find Virginia’s EMT-Basic application procedure here.

For more information about the national standard for EMT-Basic, visit
NREMT’s EMT-Basic website.

If you have any questions about becoming an EMT, you can reach Virginia Department of Health OEMS
at: 804-888-9100

or at their address:

Virginia Department of Health OEMS

Office of Emergency Medical Services

Virginia Department of Health

1041 Technology Park Drive

Glen Allen, VA 23059-4500