Do ACLS hours count toward NREMT recertification?
Yes. ACLS is a standardized course in the National Registry's 2025 NCCP model, worth up to 10 credits toward recertification, and it can be assigned to the Airway, Cardiology, Trauma or Medical domains of your National component. PALS is worth up to 12, PHTLS and ITLS up to 16, and a healthcare-provider CPR course up to 4. Whatever is left after the National component is filled rolls into the Local or State and Individual components automatically.
Standardized courses: maximum credits and where they can go
| Course | Max credits | National-component domains it can be assigned to |
|---|---|---|
| CPR - Healthcare Professional | 4 | Airway, Cardiology, Medical |
| ACLS | 10 | Airway, Cardiology, Trauma, Medical |
| ALS (Advanced Life Support) | 10 | Airway, Cardiology, Trauma, Medical |
| PALS | 12 | Airway, Cardiology, Medical |
| PHTLS | 16 | Airway, Cardiology, Trauma, Medical, Operations |
| ITLS | 16 | Airway, Cardiology, Trauma, Medical, Operations |
For scale, the National component is 8 credits for EMR, 20 for EMT, 25 for AEMT and 30 for Paramedic, split across Airway, Cardiology, Trauma, Medical and Operations, with 10% of it pediatric. Full breakdown on the NREMT page.
The rules around them
- Once the National component is fulfilled, standardized-course credits are applied to the Local or State and Individual components automatically.
- The National Registry's maximum applies even when CAPCE awards more: if CAPCE allows 4 credits and the Registry's maximum is 2, only 2 are allowed.
- A shorter course still earns the Registry's maximum: a 4-hour PALS course can be applied as 12 credits.
- A copy of the course card is accepted as proof of completion for courses on the Standardized Course Guide.
- Courses with the same content or title from the same program, instructor or organization within one certification cycle are duplicates and are not accepted.
What this looks like for a paramedic
- ACLS and PALSUp to 10 and 12 credits. Between them they can cover the whole 7-credit Cardiology domain and spill into Airway and Medical.
- PHTLS or ITLSUp to 16 credits, and the only standardized courses that can be assigned to Trauma and Operations. The Trauma domain is 5 credits.
- The remainderAnything the National component cannot absorb rolls into the Local or State and Individual components on its own. You do not have to split it by hand.
- Keep the cardsThe card is the proof. Keep it for 36 months; audits are random.
Sources
- NREMT 2025 NCCP model and Standardized Course Guide (PDF, updated 12.25)
- NREMT Recertification Guide: recertification by continuing education
- NREMT Recertification Guide: frequently asked questions
- NREMT Accepted Education and Documentation Policy 82.07 (PDF, rev 03, 2026-08-19)
Questions
Does BLS count toward NREMT recertification?
The Standardized Course Guide has no row named BLS. Its CPR row is "CPR - Healthcare Professional", worth up to 4 credits under Airway, Cardiology or Medical. An AHA BLS Provider card is a healthcare-professional CPR course, but nremt.org does not say so in those words; the guide's row is what the application offers.
Does an ACLS renewal course count the same as the initial course?
nremt.org does not distinguish them. The Standardized Course Guide lists one row per course with one maximum credit value, and the recertification pages never mention renewal, update or refresher versions of ACLS or PALS. The only refresher the Registry names is an NREMT-level refresher course.
Can I take ACLS twice in one cycle and count both?
No. Courses with the same content or title from the same program, instructor or organization within one certification cycle are duplicates and are not accepted. Whether the same course from a different provider counts is not stated on nremt.org.
Does the course have to be CAPCE-accredited?
The Registry accepts education approved by a state EMS office or designated authorizing agency, CAPCE-accredited education, EMS education program credit, and U.S. accredited academic credit. Nothing on nremt.org exempts standardized courses from that rule or singles them out as needing CAPCE. What is relaxed is documentation: a copy of the course card is enough.
Is ACLS required to recertify?
The current 2025 model pages say nothing either way. The line that ACLS and CPR are not required but may be applied appears only in the Registry's 2017 agency guide, which predates the 2025 model, so this page does not treat it as current. Your state or employer may require ACLS regardless of the Registry.