EMS: Criminal History and Licensing

The Fair Employment Act (Wis. Stat. § 111.31–111.335) forbids employers from choosing who to hire based on criminal history—unless the conviction or arrest relates to the job in a major way.

The act also applies to licensing. EMS (Emergency Medical Services) may refuse a license or certificate, or take it away, if a person is convicted or arrested. The arrest or conviction must relate to the licensed activity.

EMS application and criminal history

All who apply for an EMS license or certificate in Wisconsin must answer questions about their criminal history. These questions help us decide to grant a license or certificate, approve it with limitations, or deny it.

We may confirm details you provide about criminal history with criminal information records. If you don’t provide the correct information, we mark your application as incomplete.

Required documents

Did you answer “yes” to any criminal history question on the EMS license application? Do you have any convictions or criminal charges? If so, you must submit this information for each conviction, offense, or charge:

• Criminal/Formal Complaint—You can get this from the Clerk of Courts in the county where you were convicted.
• Judgment of Conviction—You can get this from the Clerk of Courts in the county where you were convicted.
• Parole/probation verification—If you are under supervision, you must show proof that you are following current supervision requirements. If your supervision is complete, you must show proof of discharge from probation or parole.
• Court compliance—You must show that you have, or are now, following all terms of your court order. This includes chemical dependency assessments, if needed.
• Driver’s License—You can get a copy of your driver’s license abstract from the Department of Transportation. Download a PDF version of your driving record using the Department of Transportation’s online application. You also can pay for and receive your record through the U.S. mail. Complete the form, Vehicle/Driver Record Information Request, MV2896 (PDF). Mail it with the fee to:

Wisconsin Department of Transportation
PO Box 799
Madison, WI 53707

• Deferred Prosecution Agreement—If this applies to you, provide signed copies of the agreement.
• Expunged record—If you received a conviction where your record was expunged, provide the documents related to the expungement.
• Letter from the city/county court system—If the Clerk of Courts in the county (or city/town) where you were convicted no longer has your records, you must provide a letter. The letter should be to the EMS office from the city/county court system. It should explain that they no longer have the records.

Scan (no photos) and upload documents to the E-Licensing Portal > My Account > Documents. Providing all documents related to criminal history makes sure we respond to your application quickly. Some criminal history issues are complex. We may have to confirm with our legal counsel about final decisions. This process may delay our response.

Revoking an EMS license

We may take away your license or certificate if you have an arrest or conviction. Your arrest or conviction must relate to how you perform as an EMS professional.

Questions? Contact dhsemssmail@dhs.wisconsin.gov.