From what we have read on this subject it appears that different areas of North Carolina have different rules regarding the age of the driver of an emergency vehicle. The minimum age appears to be at least 18 however some areas and firehouses, etc have upped their minimum requirement to 21 years of age.

It appears that many areas require that you be 21 to drive an emergency vehicle. This is partly due to the fact that many insurance companies do not want to cover a driver under the age of twenty-one to drive an emergency vehicle be it a fire truck, ambulance, EMS vehicle, etc.

According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) you do not need a CDL to drive recreational vehicles, military equipment, fire and/ or emergency equipment or certain farm vehicles. However, a regular license of the appropriate class is always required. We have read that many times for emergency vehicles you can be required to obtain a Class B Driver’s License.

If you are 18 years of age or older you may apply for an original North Carolina driver license. Under North Carolina's classified license system most drivers need only a Class C license to operate personal automobiles and small trucks. Here are the driver's license classes for NC:

Class A - Required to operate any combination of vehicles exempt from commercial driver license (CDL) requirements with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is greater than 10,000 pounds. Also required for operating any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of less than 26,001 pounds, if the vehicle being towed has a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds.

Class B - Required to operate any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more that is exempt from CDL requirements, and any such vehicle while towing another vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less.

Class C - Required to operate any vehicle with a GVWR of less than 26,001 pounds that is exempt from CDL requirements and is not towing a vehicle with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds. Most drivers need only a Regular C license to operate personal automobiles and small trucks.

The NC Department of Insurance (DOI) states in its Emergency Vehicle Driver brochure that in a continued effort to reduce fire loss in the State of North Carolina, the State Legislature established General Statute 58-78-5.14b, which requires the State Fire and Rescue Commission to establish voluntary minimum professional qualifications for all levels of fire and rescue service personnel.

The standard for Emergency Vehicle Driver Certification is considered to be a minimum standard and the Fire & Rescue Commission fully recognizes that, due to differing requirements, many fire departments may set forth standards much higher than these for their personnel. It is the intent, however, that through a voluntary program, personnel who drive emergency vehicles in our state, will meet or exceed this standard. These standards include in part:

Age / Education Requirements - The candidate must be at least 18 years of age. Training and course work may be completed in advance, but certification cannot be issued until the candidate’s 18th birthday. Moreover, the candidate must meet the requirements of the standard in place at the time of his/her birthday even though he/she may have been working toward a previous standard.

The candidate must have a high school diploma or equivalent recognized by the State Department of Public Instruction (i.e., GED).

Service requirement - The Emergency Vehicle Driver candidate must have a minimum of one (1) year experience in the fire and/or rescue service.

Driver License Requirement - A candidate must possess and maintain a current North Carolina driver license. Loss of a valid driver’s license will mean automatic suspension of certification until the license requirement is met.

Since there are differing standards in North Carolina establish by fire departments, etc if you are interested in a career that requires you to drive emergency vehicles then you should contact the fire department, etc that you wish to work for and find out their specific age requirements for operating an emergency vehicle.

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