Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 511-9-2-.12 - Licensure of Emergency Medical Services Personnel

(1) No person shall practice or hold themselves out as an Emergency Medical Technician - Responder, Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Medical Technician - Intermediate, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, Cardiac Technician, or Paramedic without being licensed by the Department.

(2) Prior to licensure, all applicants must be certified by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) at the level for which they are applying, or must be certified by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) as an Advanced Tactical Practitioner (ATP).

(3) All applicants for licensure must provide information to the Department in a manner and on forms specified by the Department, to include at a minimum the name, home address, mailing address, email address, phone number, date of birth and social security number of the applicant.

(4) Applicants shall not misrepresent or falsify any information on forms, applications, or documents filed with or submitted to the Department for the purpose of licensure or any other purpose specified in these rules.

(5) The Department may refuse to issue a license to an applicant who has been subject to disciplinary action imposed by another state or lawful licensing or certifying authority.

(6) All applicants for licensure must submit to a fingerprint based criminal history records check from the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

(a) Fingerprints shall be in such form and of such quality as prescribed by the Department, the GCIC and under standards adopted by the FBI.

(b) Fees may be charged as necessary to cover the costs of the records search.

(7) Fees.

(a) All applications for initial licensure must be accompanied by a fee payable to the Department in an amount and form determined by the Department.

(b) Fees are not refundable after being submitted.

(8) Licensing of Individuals with Criminal History.

(a) The Department shall deny any license application submitted by an applicant who has been convicted of a felony, a crime of violence, or a crime of moral turpitude; and, may deny any license application submitted by an applicant who has been convicted of driving under the influence or possession of a controlled substance.

(b) The Department may deny any license application submitted by an applicant with unresolved criminal charges, whether initiated by arrest warrant, information, accusation, or indictment. This subsection shall not apply to minor traffic offenses.

(c) At its discretion, the Department may reconsider an application subject to subsections (a) or (b) above on the ground that;

1. The conviction has been set aside, pardoned, expunged, or overturned on appeal;

2. The criminal charges were finally resolved in the applicant's favor through acquittal, dismissal, or nolle prosequi; or

3. The applicant has demonstrated significant efforts toward rehabilitation, such that the applicant can be trusted with the care of sick or injured patients, their property, and the equipment and supplies that may be entrusted to him or her.

(9) The Department may issue Temporary Medic Licenses at the EMT, AEMT, and Paramedic level. A Temporary Medic License is non-renewable, shall not exceed 120 days from the date of issuance, and may not be issued more than once within a calendar year. Eligibility requirements for a Temporary Medic License are as follows:

(a) Must be currently licensed and in good standing in a US state or territory that requires National Registry certification for initial EMS licensure.

(b) All applicants for licensure must submit to a fingerprint based criminal history records check from the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

1. Fingerprints shall be in such form and of such quality as prescribed by the Department, the GCIC and under standards adopted by the FBI.

2. Fees may be charged as necessary to cover the costs of the records search.

(c) All applicants for licensure must provide information to the Department in a manner and on forms specified by the Department, to include at a minimum the name, home address, mailing address, email address, phone number, date of birth and social security number of the applicant.

(d) Applicants shall not misrepresent or falsify any information on forms, applications, or documents filed with or submitted to the Department for the purpose of licensure or any other purpose specified in these rules.

(e) The Department may refuse to issue a license to an applicant who has been subject to disciplinary action imposed by another state or lawful licensing or certifying authority.

(f) Fees.

1. All applications for initial licensure must be accompanied by a fee payable to the Department in an amount and form determined by the Department.

2. Fees are not refundable after being submitted.

(10) Any currently licensed Medic may voluntarily surrender their Medic license by notifying the Department in a manner and on forms specified by the Department. Once processed by the Department, surrenders are not reversible, and the individual would need to complete the current Department-specified application process and meet all licensing requirements to obtain a new Medic license.

(11) Upon request, the Department shall be authorized to place a Medic license in retired status after which the individual will be permitted to continue to use the former licensure level title and number with "(Ret.)" after it. An individual in retired status will not be licensed to perform the duties of a Medic as defined in these rules. Applications for license retirement shall be submitted in a manner and on forms specified by the Department and must be submitted by the Medic themselves. Once processed by the Department, retirements are not reversible, and the individual would need to complete the current Department-specified application process and meet all licensing requirements to obtain a new Medic license. Eligibility requirements for retirement of a Medic license are as follows:

(a) The individual must be currently licensed as a Georgia Medic, and the Medic license must be in Good Standing at the time of application; and

(b) The individual must have a minimum of 15 years of continuous uninterrupted licensure as a Georgia Medic, inclusive of the date of application.

(12) Upon request from the next of kin to place a Medic license in deceased status and obtain a certificate of active service for an individual who dies while currently licensed in Good Standing as a Georgia Medic, the Department shall be authorized to place the respective Medic license in deceased status and provide a certificate of service to the next of kin. The request shall be accompanied by a certified death certificate or other documents recognized by the Department.

(13) Downgrades of Medic Licenses. Currently licensed Medics in Good Standing who hold a non-provisional license at the EMT level or higher may voluntarily request the Department to downgrade their Medic license. The request shall be made to the Department in a manner and on forms specified by the Department and shall indicate the requested new level of license. Once processed by the Department, downgrades are not reversible, and the Medic would need to complete the current Department-specified application process and meet all licensing requirements to obtain a higher level of Medic license.

(a) Permitted downgrades are as follows:

1. Currently licensed Paramedics and Cardiac Technicians in Good Standing will be permitted to request a downgrade to the AEMT, EMT, or EMT-R levels.

2. Currently licensed AEMTs and EMT-Is in Good Standing will be permitted to request a downgrade to the EMT or EMT-R levels.

3. Currently licensed EMTs in Good Standing will be permitted to request a downgrade to the EMT-R level.

(b) Applications for downgrade must be accompanied by the following:

1. A fingerprint based criminal history records check from the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as described in paragraph (6) of this rule, and subject to paragraph (8) of this rule; and

2. An application fee, as described in paragraph (7) of this rule.

Notes

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 511-9-2-.12

O.C.G.A. §§ 31-2A-3, 31-2A-6, 31-11-5, 31-11-51, 31-11-52, 31-11-56.

Original Rule entitled "Licensure of Emergency Medical Services Personnel" adopted. F. December 14, 2011; eff. January 3, 2012. Amended: F. Apr. 27, 2016; eff. May 17, 2016. Amended: F. Sept. 29, 2021; eff. Oct. 27, 2021, as specified by the Agency. Amended: F. Feb. 17, 2025; eff. Mar. 16, 2025, as specified by the Agency.