How to Become an NEMT Provider in Florida
Licensing, insurance, vehicle standards and getting trips: the full step-by-step for launching a non-emergency medical transportation business in Florida.
Start with the business basics
Before a single trip, you need a real business: register an LLC or corporation with the Florida Division of Corporations, get an EIN from the IRS, open a business bank account and secure a local business tax receipt in the county and city where you operate. Duval, Clay and St. Johns each have their own process.
Pick your service model early. Ambulatory-only transport has the lowest entry cost. Wheelchair transport requires a lift- or ramp-equipped vehicle and securement training. Stretcher service carries the heaviest requirements and is regulated differently.
Licensing and county permits
Florida does not issue a single statewide NEMT license for ambulatory and wheelchair service — authority is largely county-level, and several counties require a vehicle-for-hire or medical transportation permit with inspections. Check with the county in which your vehicles are based, and with each county you plan to serve.
Stretcher and any medically monitored transport falls under Chapter 401 and the county's emergency medical services authority. If that is your plan, budget significantly more time for approval.
Insurance you will actually be asked for
Expect commercial auto liability well above personal policy limits — brokers and facilities commonly require $1M combined single limit — plus general liability, and workers' compensation once you have employees. Many payers also want a certificate naming them as additional insured.
Get quotes before you buy vehicles. Insurance is usually the largest recurring cost in the first year and it varies enormously by driver history and vehicle type.
Vehicles, equipment and inspections
Wheelchair vehicles need a compliant ramp or lift, four-point securement systems, an occupant restraint for the rider, a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and clear signage. Keep documented maintenance and lift inspection records — brokers audit them.
Drivers typically need a clean driving record, Level 2 background screening, drug testing, CPR and first aid certification, and passenger assistance or securement training such as PASS.
Getting credentialed with brokers and Medicaid
Most Medicaid trips in Florida flow through managed care plans and their transportation brokers. Credentialing means submitting your licenses, insurance certificates, vehicle list, driver files and policies, then passing an inspection. Plan for weeks, not days.
Private pay, facility contracts with dialysis centers and skilled nursing homes, and hospital discharge work are usually faster to win and pay better per trip than broker volume.
Where to find trips once you are running
JAX NEMT operates Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. Trips across the rest of the state are coordinated on MyFloridaNEMT.com, an independent statewide network where drivers and transportation companies register to pick up work. If you are building a provider business outside our service area, that is the place to start.
If you are launching in Jacksonville and want to talk through the local realities — county permitting, which facilities actually contract out, what the trips pay — call our dispatch team.