A Georgia EMS license comes from the Department of Public Health’s Office of EMS and Trauma. To get one, you finish an approved education program at the level you want, pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam at that level, clear a fingerprint-based criminal background check, and pay a $75 application fee. The license lasts two years and renews through the Department’s online License Management System once you’ve completed the required continuing education.1Georgia Department of Public Health. Georgia EMS Personnel Licensure
The Four License Levels
Georgia issues licenses at four primary levels, plus two legacy types (EMT-Intermediate and Cardiac Technician) that sit between AEMT and Paramedic.1Georgia Department of Public Health. Georgia EMS Personnel Licensure Each level sets what you can legally do on a call.
- Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) is the entry level. EMRs handle basic airway maneuvers, AED use, blood glucose checks, epinephrine auto-injectors for anaphylaxis, and intranasal naloxone for opioid overdoses. They don’t start IVs or give most medications.
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) does everything an EMR does, plus glucagon by auto-injector, assisting with certain prescribed medications, and obtaining and transmitting 12-lead ECGs (without independent interpretation).
- Advanced EMT (AEMT) can start peripheral IVs, give a wider medication list including epinephrine for cardiac arrest and tranexamic acid for bleeding control, and place supraglottic airway devices.
- Paramedic is the highest standard level. Paramedics perform endotracheal intubation, rapid sequence intubation, surgical airways, manual defibrillation, intraosseous access, ECG interpretation, and the full range of EMS medications.2Georgia Department of Public Health. Georgia Office of EMS and Trauma – EMS Scope of Practice
Paramedic programs have one extra requirement at the education stage: they must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Delegation also follows level. You can only delegate a skill if it falls within your own scope and within the receiving provider’s scope, so a Paramedic cannot direct an EMT to intubate regardless of the order.
How to Apply
Applications go through the Office of EMS and Trauma’s online License Management System (LMS). Before you can submit, you need two things in hand: completion of an approved Georgia EMS initial education program at your chosen level, and current NREMT certification at that same level.1Georgia Department of Public Health. Georgia EMS Personnel Licensure
Once you have those, you create an LMS account, pick your license level, upload documentation, and pay the $75 fee. The Department accepts credit card, debit card, money order, or cashier’s check. No cash, no personal checks.1Georgia Department of Public Health. Georgia EMS Personnel Licensure
Fingerprint Background Check
Every applicant has to complete a fingerprint-based criminal history check through the Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS). As of January 2025, the sole vendor is Idemia (IdentoGO), and you’ll need Service Code 2TGJY5 when you schedule. The Department will not accept results you obtain from any other source.3Georgia Department of Public Health. Georgia Department of Public Health – Emergency Medical Services You pay the fingerprinting fee directly to the vendor; it’s separate from the $75 application fee.
Under O.C.G.A. § 31-11-51, the Department can pull conviction data from both the Georgia Crime Information Center and the FBI. A felony conviction is not an automatic disqualifier. If the conviction occurred more than five but fewer than ten years before your application, you may still qualify if you completed a Department of Corrections training program and meet all other requirements. Convictions older than ten years are reviewed case by case; convictions within the past five years are the hardest to overcome.4Justia Law. Georgia Code 31-11-51 – Licensing of Emergency Medical Services Personnel
Renewal and Continuing Education
Georgia EMS licenses run on a two-year cycle. The renewal window opens in the LMS well before your expiration date, but don’t start the application until your continuing education is actually complete.
Required CE hours depend on your level:
- EMR: 16 hours per cycle, including CPR recertification and all modules in the NREMT’s EMR National Continued Competency Program.5Legal Information Institute. Georgia Comp R and Regs R 511-9-2-.13 – Licensure Renewal for Emergency Medical Services Personnel
- EMT, EMT-I, AEMT, CT, and Paramedic: 40 hours per cycle. Coursework has to include cardiac care, pediatric care, and trauma care.5Legal Information Institute. Georgia Comp R and Regs R 511-9-2-.13 – Licensure Renewal for Emergency Medical Services Personnel
Cardiac Technicians and Paramedics also have to keep current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification and upload a scanned copy of the ACLS card during renewal. All levels need current CPR certification.6Georgia Department of Public Health. Renew EMS License with LMS
Every CE course has to be approved or recognized by the Department and consistent with the appropriate-level curriculum or above. O.C.G.A. § 31-11-58 gives the Department authority to set hours, approve courses, and specify subjects, and lets it waive CE requirements in cases of hardship, disability, or illness.7Justia Law. Georgia Code 31-11-58 – Recertification of Emergency Medical Technicians
If You Miss the Deadline
If your license expires without a renewal on file, you’re classified as “Lapsed — Failure to Renew” and cannot legally practice EMS in Georgia. There’s no informal grace period: your license is inactive, and working under it exposes you to discipline.6Georgia Department of Public Health. Renew EMS License with LMS
Georgia does offer a formal late renewal window. For the 2025–2026 cycle, EMTs, EMT-Is, AEMTs, CTs, and Paramedics have from April 1, 2026 through September 30, 2026 to renew late. The late fee is an additional $75 on top of the standard renewal fee, and you use the “Late Georgia Medic Renewal” application in the LMS rather than the standard one.6Georgia Department of Public Health. Renew EMS License with LMS Miss the late window too, and you may have to start the licensure process over from scratch.
Practicing Across State Lines
Georgia belongs to the EMS Compact, an interstate agreement among 25 member states. A valid, unrestricted Georgia EMS license carries an automatic “Privilege to Practice” in every other Compact state, which matters for mutual aid, disaster response, and calls near state borders.8EMS Compact. The United States Emergency Medical Services Compact The license has to be unrestricted. Any disciplinary condition or limitation on your Georgia license cancels the interstate privilege.
Military Medics Transitioning In
Army 68W combat medics and Navy Hospital Corpsmen often arrive with training that overlaps heavily with civilian EMS curricula. The NREMT runs a pathway letting military medics with current or recent training sit for the EMT cognitive and psychomotor exams without finishing a full civilian EMT course. If you earned NREMT certification during service (many 68W programs now include it), that certification may still be valid or eligible for reinstatement.
For AEMT and higher, military medics usually have the clinical hours but may still need a bridge course for curriculum gaps. Georgia requires NREMT certification at the appropriate level for every applicant, so the practical sequence is: work through the NREMT’s military credentialing process first, then apply to the Office of EMS and Trauma with that certification in hand.1Georgia Department of Public Health. Georgia EMS Personnel Licensure Contact the office directly about which military training credits Georgia will recognize toward the education requirement.
If You’re Denied, Suspended, or Facing Revocation
Under O.C.G.A. § 31-11-56, the Department can revoke an EMS certificate “for good cause” as defined in its rules. Before any revocation takes effect, you’re entitled to written notice of the charges and a hearing under the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act.9Justia Law. Georgia Code 31-11-56 – Revocation of Certificates Issued to Emergency Medical Technicians Common grounds for discipline include practicing outside scope, substance abuse, patient abandonment, falsifying records, and failing to maintain required certifications. For minor infractions, the Department may issue a corrective action plan instead of moving to suspension or revocation.
The appeals process has two stages with strict deadlines. First, you have ten days from the date the notice is transmitted to request an administrative hearing in writing. That clock does not wait for you to open the mail.10Georgia Secretary of State. Georgia Administrative Code Chapter 350-4 – Administrative Review, Hearings and Appeals – Section: Rule 350-4-.05 Hearing Requests At the hearing you can present evidence and testimony, and a hearing officer issues a decision on the record.
If you disagree with the outcome, you can appeal to the Superior Court of Fulton County or the superior court in the county where you live. That filing is due within 30 days of the final administrative decision, and you must have exhausted the administrative hearing first; you cannot skip it and head straight to court.11Legal Information Institute. Georgia Code R 350-4-.30 – Appeal of the Commissioners Decision The court reviews whether the process was conducted properly and whether substantial evidence supported the decision.