Getting EMT certified in California generally takes between 2 to 6 months, depending on the length of your EMT class, and how long your County EMS Authority takes to process your EMT Application.
The process generally begins with completing all of your required prerequisites, including shots, applicable medical records, fingerprint cards, as well as your CPR certification. Some programs will permit you complete some of these requirement after gaining entry into the class. CPR is typically required prior to entry in any EMT program.
The EMT class itself can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 months to finish. We currently have an EMT Boot Camp course which is completed within a 2-3 week period, a Fast Track EMT class which takes about a month to finish, an EMT Accelerated (Weekend or Evening) course, and finally a Traditional EMT class which takes 3-4 months to complete.
Once EMT school is finished, will take your NREMT (national examination) cognitive examination and upon successful completion, you’ll be able to apply for your specific California County certification. The California EMS Authority delegates responsibility for certification to each particular County EMS Authority and your County may require that you complete a county specific protocol course in order to become fully certified. This process can generally take a few weeks to a month.
But when everything is said and done, you are looking at 2-6 months long to get EMT certification.
Questions? Call or Text (800) 728-0209
