Who decides what a NEMT driver needs?
The state Medicaid agency and its broker or managed-care plans. The federal brokerage rule requires the broker to have oversight procedures ensuring transport personnel are licensed, qualified, competent and courteous; the detailed list comes from the state contract.[1]
What do states hold brokers to?
Wisconsin, for example, says a single statewide vendor lets it hold one company accountable for standards including driver and attendant screening and training, vehicle operation and maintenance, response times and reporting.[2]
Which training should a NEMT driver have?
Ask your broker for its list before you hire, and plan for training in helping passengers in and out, securing wheelchairs and mobility devices, what to do in a medical emergency until help arrives, and documenting trips; where you carry wheelchair users, drivers must also operate the lift or ramp safely.
Wheelchair vehicles and their equipment are covered in how to start a wheelchair transportation business.
How do you keep driver records audit-ready?
Keep each driver's licence, checks and training certificates with their expiry dates in one place, and stop a driver taking trips when one lapses. Brokers audit these records, and missing paperwork can cost you trips.
TaxiDex permits hold a reference and expiry date for every driver document and count what is expiring.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a national NEMT driver license?
No. Drivers hold an ordinary driving licence plus whatever screening and training the state, broker or plan requires.
Do NEMT drivers need a background check?
Expect one: states hold brokers to driver screening standards, as Wisconsin's description of its statewide vendor shows.
Sources
Fees and rules change. Each source is the official page we read, with the date we read it; check it before you apply or pay.
- [1] eCFR: 42 CFR 440.170(a), transportation and the NEMT brokerage program (read 3 Nov 2026)
- [2] Wisconsin Department of Health Services: NEMT vendor information (2026 announcement) (read 3 Nov 2026)