How to Find and Complete CAPCE Accredited EMS Continuing Education

CAPCE accredited EMS continuing education is coursework reviewed and approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education, the national standard-setting body for EMS CE quality.
The National Registry accepts State EMS Office accepted and CAPCE accredited education, education from EMS education programs, and U.S. accredited academic credit or college course.
Choosing CAPCE accredited courses means a single set of completions can satisfy both your NREMT profile and most state license renewals.

What CAPCE Accreditation Actually Means

CAPCE is an accrediting body charged with the review and accreditation of EMS continuing education.
It does not sell or deliver courses itself. Instead, it evaluates providers and individual course offerings against a published set of standards before granting approval.

Those standards include requirements for active medical direction, valid post-tests, quality infrastructure, sound educational design including delivery methodology, marketing, fees, evaluation, student record keeping and data reporting.

The Commission on Accreditation for Prehospital Continuing Education (CAPCE) was founded in 1992 under the vision and guidance of Janet Head, then President of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT).

She sought support from the leadership of organizations including the NREMT, ACEP, and NAEMSP, and together these organizations worked to provide an accreditation service for EMS-based CE.

For a provider to carry CAPCE accreditation today, it must meet and maintain all of those documented standards, which is why the credential carries weight with state EMS offices and the NREMT alike. You can verify any provider’s accreditation status directly at capce.org.

Why CAPCE Accreditation Matters for Your Recertification

CAPCE-accredited courses are the most straightforward path because they can be imported directly into your NREMT account.

The National Registry updated the recertification application so imported CAPCE courses can be automatically assigned toward NCCP requirements, with credits assigned to an applicable national component topic first; once a required topic is satisfied, remaining applicable credits can flow to the local or state component and then to the individual component.

For providers, the practical result is straightforward: CAPCE accredited EMS CE courses are accepted by the National Registry of EMTs for recertification and by virtually every state EMS regulatory agency for state-level recertification.

Courses that carry no accreditation, whether from a state office or CAPCE, present real risk.
Verify your CE sources are CAPCE-accredited or state-accepted before you enroll in any course. Certificates from non-approved providers will not be accepted by the NREMT.

NCCP Credit Requirements by Certification Level

The NREMT uses the National Continued Competency Program (NCCP) to structure recertification.
The National Registry began implementing the 2025 NCCP Model on April 1, 2025 for EMT, AEMT, and Paramedic recertification.
Credit totals under that model are as follows:

• The EMR NCCP requires 16 credits.
• EMTs require 40 credits total.
• AEMTs require 50 credits total.
• Paramedics require 60 credits total.

Each total is divided across three components.
The national component constitutes 50% of the total recertification requirements.

The local component constitutes 25% of the total recertification requirements, and specific topic requirements may be defined by your state, region, or local agency.

The individual component also constitutes 25% of the recertification requirements, and registrants are free to take any state or CAPCE approved EMS-related education.

You can confirm current component breakdowns and topic lists for your certification level on the NREMT recertification page. State-level requirements are separate and sometimes differ from NREMT totals, so always cross-check with your state EMS office. Our state requirements pages are a useful starting point for that research.

How to Find CAPCE Accredited Courses: Step by Step

1. Confirm your deadline and total credits needed. Log in to your NREMT account and check your recertification cycle end date. Note your certification level so you know the correct credit total and component breakdown.
2. Check your state’s specific topic mandates. Some states require topics such as jurisprudence or infection control in addition to national NCCP topics. Ignoring these mandates can leave your state renewal incomplete even when your NREMT profile shows 100% complete.
3. Choose an accredited provider.
   You can use the CAPCE site to find CAPCE accredited educational providers and CAPCE accredited courses, including online courses, live courses, and Virtual Instructor Led Training Refresher Classes.
   Alternatively, confirm that a provider carries current CAPCE organizational accreditation before enrolling.
4. Match courses to your NCCP components. Look for courses that clearly label which NCCP national component topics they satisfy. Fill your national component first, then use remaining eligible credits toward local and individual components.
5. Complete coursework and retain certificates.
   Prepare scanned or digital copies for uploading all submitted education.
   Keep certificates in one folder even if your provider reports completions automatically.
6. Import completions to your NREMT transcript.
   Check the account for any CAPCE education available to import from the CAPCE Import function.
   Verify the totals in each component before submitting your recertification application.
7. Submit your state renewal separately if required. Many states run their own licensing cycle independent of the NREMT two-year cycle. Confirm submission steps with your state EMS office.

What to Look for in a CAPCE Accredited Provider

Not all accredited providers deliver the same experience. When evaluating options, consider these practical factors:

• Organizational vs. course-only accreditation. Some providers hold organizational accreditation, meaning the provider as a whole is vetted. Others get individual courses accredited. Both are valid, but organizational accreditation typically reflects a broader quality commitment.
• Automatic NREMT reporting. Providers that report completions directly to NREMT remove the step of manual certificate upload and reduce the chance of data entry errors on your application.
• State-specific approvals. CAPCE accreditation satisfies most states, but a handful of states require additional state-level provider approval. Confirm your provider is accepted in every state where you hold a license.
• Course format and self-pacing.
  Education can be gathered through online or in-person courses. As of 2022, there are no limits on how much online education you can use on your application.
  Online, self-paced formats work well for providers with irregular schedules.
• Medical direction and post-tests. CAPCE standards require active medical direction and valid post-tests, so courses from accredited providers should include both. Be cautious of any course that lacks an assessment component.

CE Solutions has CAPCE accreditation and has been NREMT-accepted since 1998, with courses approved by multiple state EMS offices. For a full look at available EMS courses, visit the EMS course page.

Common Mistakes That Cost Providers Their Credits

• Taking courses from providers with expired or no accreditation and assuming the content quality makes them acceptable.
• Completing all credits in the individual component without satisfying required national component topics.
• Confusing NREMT recertification with state license renewal and missing a state-specific deadline or topic.
• Waiting until the final weeks of a cycle to start coursework, leaving no time to resolve rejected credits.
• Assuming that once education is entered and shows 100% complete, it automatically qualifies for recertification. The final determination is made by National Registry staff review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does CAPCE accredited EMS continuing education count for every state?

CAPCE accredited EMS CE courses are accepted by the National Registry of EMTs for recertification and by virtually every state EMS regulatory agency for state-level recertification.
However, individual states may still require specific topics or provider approvals on top of CAPCE accreditation, so confirm the details with your state EMS office before enrolling.

Can I complete all of my CAPCE accredited CE hours online?

Education can be gathered through online or in-person courses, and as of 2022 there are no limits on how much online education you can use on your application.
The course must still be CAPCE accredited or state accepted, and all content must be directly related to EMS patient care. Check the NREMT EMT recertification page for the most current guidance on your certification level.

How do I verify that a provider is actually CAPCE accredited?

You can use the CAPCE site to find CAPCE accredited educational providers and CAPCE accredited courses.
Go to capce.org and search the provider or course list before you enroll. If a provider claims accreditation but does not appear in the CAPCE database, treat that as a red flag and verify directly with CAPCE before purchasing any coursework.

Ready to knock out your CAPCE accredited EMS continuing education with courses accepted by the NREMT and state EMS offices across the country? Create your free account at CE Solutions and start coursework today: register at CE Solutions.