What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Emergency Medical Technician Occupational Licensing
License required in 51 states
72nd most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$140
What They Do
Emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, assess injuries, administer emergency medical care, extricate trapped individuals, and transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
Emergency Medical Technician Licensing Overview
All 50 states and D.C. require a licence to work as an Emergency Medical Technician. On average, these laws require $140 in fees, 36 days of education and about 2 exam. Emergency Medical Technician Licenses have the 72nd most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied.
Where is an Emergency Medical Technician the most regulated?
Out of the 51 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Emergency Medical Technician has the highest burden in Kansas. Kansas requires $148 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 10 credit hours education.
Where is an Emergency Medical Technician the least regulated?
Out of the 51 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Emergency Medical Technician has the lowest burden in Florida. Florida requires $133 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 110 clock hours education.
Where is an Emergency Medical Technician license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Emergency Medical Technician costs the most in Oregon. Oregon requires $253 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 150 clock hours education.
Where is an Emergency Medical Technician license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Emergency Medical Technician costs the least in New York. New York requires $0 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 150 clock hours education.
Where does it take the longest to obtain an Emergency Medical Technician license?
An occupational license for a Emergency Medical Technician takes the longest to obtain in Kansas. It takes 70 days (0 years and 10 days). Kansas requires $148 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 10 credit hours education.
Where is it fastest to obtain an Emergency Medical Technician license?
An occupational license for a Emergency Medical Technician takes the least time to obtain in New Jersey, Missouri, Florida (26 days).
What states require exams for an Emergency Medical Technician license?
To obtain an occupational license for an Emergency Medical Technician there is at least one exam required in: Kansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Michigan, Alabama, Delaware, Mississippi, California, Texas, Maine, Maryland, Indiana, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Tennessee, Montana, Arkansas, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Georgia, Ohio, Louisiana, Hawaii, Iowa, Colorado, New Hampshire, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming, South Carolina, Minnesota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Illinois, Connecticut, Idaho, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Alaska, Arizona, Utah, District of Columbia, New Jersey, Missouri, Florida. Texas requires 3 exams.
All 50 states and D.C. require emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to obtain licenses. On average, these laws require $108 in fees, about a month (34 days) of education and experience, and two exams—the 74th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. However, because EMTs are licensed everywhere, the occupation is the 15th most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements are somewhat uniform across states. Every state has an age requirement (between 16 and 18 years), one or two exams, and education or experience requirements. (See Appendix B for details on education requirements.) However, fees range from $0 in North Carolina and Vermont to $235 in Oregon. Similarly, education and experience requirements can vary, from about 23 days in Missouri to over three times as much (about 81 days) in Kansas.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 35 | $148 | 70 | 10 credit hours | None | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 42 | $183 | 59 | 252 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 66 | $106 | 56 | 240 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Michigan | 48 | $138 | 45 | 194 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 5 | Alabama | 63 | $110 | 42 | 180 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 6 | Delaware | 42 | $173 | 42 | 180 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | Mississippi | 65 | $138 | 39 | 165 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 8 | California | 75 | $147 | 40 | 170 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 9 | Texas | 38 | $162 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 3 | 12 | 18 |
| 10 | Maine | 46 | $119 | 39 | 5.5 credit hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 11 | Maryland | 58 | $85 | 39 | 165 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 12 | Indiana | 37 | $98 | 37 | 160 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 70 | $223 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 14 | Kentucky | 38 | $163 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 15 | Tennessee | 69 | $160 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 16 | Montana | 32 | $148 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 17 | Arkansas | 72 | $118 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 18 | Nevada | 75 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 18 | Washington | 76 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 20 | Oregon | 69 | $253 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | 50 | $248 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 22 | Georgia | 41 | $225 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 23 | Ohio | 40 | $98 | 36 | 155.5 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 24 | Louisiana | 77 | $209 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 25 | Hawaii | 64 | $200 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 26 | Iowa | 71 | $178 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 27 | Colorado | 34 | $150 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | 37 | $146 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 29 | Nebraska | 61 | $143 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 30 | New Mexico | 66 | $207 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 31 | Wyoming | 26 | $137 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 32 | South Carolina | 60 | $135 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 33 | Minnesota | 35 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 33 | South Dakota | 32 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 33 | Vermont | 31 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | 42 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 37 | West Virginia | 67 | $218 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 38 | Illinois | 41 | $65 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 39 | Connecticut | 65 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 39 | Idaho | 66 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 39 | North Dakota | 65 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | 50 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 39 | Virginia | 72 | $98 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 44 | New York | 41 | $0 | 35 | 150 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 45 | Alaska | 64 | $123 | 33 | 140 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 46 | Arizona | 68 | $98 | 30 | 130 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 47 | Utah | 64 | $208 | 28 | 120 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | 61 | $143 | 28 | 4 credit hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 49 | New Jersey | 54 | $163 | 26 | 110 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 50 | Missouri | 33 | $140 | 26 | 110 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 51 | Florida | 55 | $133 | 26 | 110 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
View Report