Compliance and safety
What Is PASS Certification for NEMT Drivers? Cost, Renewal, and Who Requires It
PASS certification is the Community Transportation Association of America's Passenger Assistance, Safety and Sensitivity training for drivers. PASS Basic, taken online, covers safety and sensitivity and trains a driver for ambulatory riders. Full PASS adds hands-on lift and wheelchair securement on the kind of van the driver will use. Driver certificates last two years, and Louisiana Medicaid, Modivcare, and MTM Health in Virginia require PASS as of September 2026.
- PASS Basic is online and covers ambulatory riders. Wheelchair drivers also need the hands-on securement part.
- As of September 2026, PASS Basic Online costs $28 for CTAA members and $55 for everyone else.
- Driver certificates last two years, with a 90-day grace period to recertify after they expire.
- Louisiana Medicaid, Modivcare, MTM Health in Virginia, MAS in New York, and MediDrive in Colorado name PASS.
- PASS does not include first aid, CPR, or defensive driving, so brokers ask for those separately.
What PASS certification is
PASS stands for Passenger Assistance, Safety and Sensitivity. It is a driver training program from the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), a national membership association for community transportation. CTAA says it has taught PASS for more than 30 years and calls it a fit for NEMT, paratransit, and any service whose riders need extra care.
Federal Medicaid law does not name a driver course. CMS says states set driver standards beyond a few federal basics, such as a valid license and no listing on the OIG exclusion list (SMD 23-006, September 28, 2023). States and brokers pick the course, and many pick PASS. See NEMT driver requirements for the full list.
PASS focuses on the rider at every step of boarding, riding, and getting off. Its outline, in CTAA’s program handbook updated January 30, 2024, covers:
| Part | Topics |
|---|---|
| The professional driver | Distracted driving, fatigue, workplace safety, customer service, communication, stress |
| Understanding your riders | People first language, disability awareness, service animals, sexual harassment, diabetes, seizures, kidney dialysis |
| Transporting riders | Older riders, recognizing and reporting elder abuse, lift operation, wheelchair and occupant securement, mobility equipment |
| Emergencies | Accidents, evacuation, fire extinguishers, bloodborne pathogens |
| The law | The Americans with Disabilities Act |
PASS does not cover first aid, CPR, or defensive driving. Brokers that want those ask for them separately.
The three PASS certificates
| Certificate | How a driver gets it | What it covers | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PASS Basic | PASS Basic Online: 19 modules, each with a 10-question quiz that needs 80 percent to pass | Safety and sensitivity. CTAA treats holders as trained for ambulatory riders. | 2 years |
| PASS wheelchair certificate (Full PASS) | A half-day, in-person securement class within 90 days of PASS Basic, or a two-day PASS classroom | Lift and ramp operation and wheelchair and occupant securement, trained on a vehicle the driver will use | 2 years |
| PASS Trainer | PASS Basic, Full PASS, and an online training-methods course, then a two-day class with a PASS Master Trainer, in person or virtual | Lets the holder train your drivers | 3 years |
The hands-on part must be done on a vehicle the driver will carry riders in: a vehicle with a wheelchair lift or a minivan with a ramp. The securement skills check needs a perfect score. The online course locks after three failed quiz attempts, and CTAA then restarts the driver at the beginning.
CTAA’s handbook says that many drivers who carry only ambulatory riders need only PASS Basic, and that brokers consistently require Full PASS for NEMT contracts. Plan on the wheelchair certificate for anyone who drives a wheelchair van. See wheelchair securement.
What PASS costs
As of September 2026, CTAA lists these prices:
| Course | CTAA member | Non-member |
|---|---|---|
| PASS Basic Online (English or Spanish) | $28 | $55 |
| PASS Basic Online Renewal, for current certificate holders | $28 | $28 |
| PASS Trainer, open enrollment | $600 per student | $750 per student |
| Closed PASS workshop for a state, local, or community transit organization that sponsors it, trainer’s travel and materials included | $6,500 | $7,000 |
For a closed workshop, the host supplies the classroom, a wheelchair, a lift-equipped vehicle, and audiovisual equipment. When you enroll a driver online, use the driver’s own email address. CTAA prints the certificate in the name tied to that email, so a shared office email puts the wrong name on it.
Which states and brokers require PASS
As of September 2026, these programs name PASS:
| Program | What it requires |
|---|---|
| Louisiana Medicaid (Medicaid Services Manual chapter 10, issued July 14, 2025) | PASS and wheelchair securement before any ride, renewed at least every two years. Drivers at companies with wheelchair vehicles take securement training in person. |
| Virginia fee-for-service, run by MTM Health (handbook approved August 10, 2026) | PASS before transport, plus HIPAA, defensive driving, and first aid and securement where they apply. Taxi drivers giving door-to-door or hand-to-hand help need PASS too. The program ID badge a driver may wear instead of a company shirt is issued after PASS. |
| Modivcare (provider requirements, September 2026) | A PASS wheelchair certificate for hands-on wheelchair transport training |
| Medical Answering Services, New York (manual version 2023-1, October 1, 2023) | CTAA PASS within 3 months of your network start date, or an equal course MAS approves first. Drivers who miss it cannot drive in the network. |
| MediDrive, Colorado (driver requirements, September 2026) | PASS, wheelchair securement, and defensive driving training |
MTM Health’s Virginia handbook lets a company run its own driver course only with written approval that it meets or beats the program’s training rules. Other brokers set different lists. Check your broker’s page, such as MTM Health, and your state guide.
How often PASS is renewed
A driver’s PASS certificate is valid for two years, and a PASS Trainer certificate for three. CTAA tells holders when a certificate is close to expiring. A driver may still recertify up to 90 days after it expires. After 90 days, the certificate cannot be renewed, and the driver takes the course again.
Renewal repeats the full PASS Basic content and test. A wheelchair certificate renewal adds a review of securement and a 20-question securement exam. Louisiana requires renewal at least every two years, which matches the certificate term. Your broker may set its own refresher schedule, so read your agreement.
How to get your drivers PASS certified
- Check your broker’s training list. Confirm whether it wants PASS Basic, the wheelchair certificate, or an approved equal course.
- Enroll each driver in PASS Basic Online with their own email. They get a numbered certificate by email when they finish.
- Book the hands-on part within 90 days for anyone who will drive a wheelchair van. Train on your own vehicles.
- Consider a PASS Trainer on staff if you hire often. A certified trainer can train your drivers in house.
- File every certificate. Put a copy in each driver file and the expiration date in your driver training log.
- Renew before the date. Set a reminder 60 days ahead so no driver lapses mid-contract.
If a broker questions a certificate, CTAA verifies it. The broker sends CTAA’s online form with a copy of the certificate, and CTAA checks the number and expiration date and answers within 72 hours. For the rest of a new driver’s courses, see NEMT driver training.
Frequently asked questions
Is PASS certification required for NEMT drivers?
It depends on your state and broker. As of September 2026, Louisiana Medicaid requires PASS and wheelchair securement before any ride, Modivcare asks for a PASS wheelchair certificate, and MTM Health's Virginia handbook requires PASS before transport. Medical Answering Services in New York accepts an equal course it approves. Other programs name their own training, so check your broker's list.
How much does PASS certification cost?
As of September 2026, CTAA charges $28 for PASS Basic Online for its members and $55 for non-members, and $28 to renew. The PASS Trainer course costs $600 per student for members and $750 for non-members. Drivers who finish PASS Basic Online can add the hands-on wheelchair part by joining a scheduled PASS Classroom session.
Can you get PASS certified online?
Partly. PASS Basic is fully online, with 19 modules and a quiz after each one. The wheelchair part is hands-on: a half-day securement class within 90 days of PASS Basic, or a two-day classroom, on a vehicle the driver will use. Louisiana requires in-person securement training for drivers at companies that have wheelchair vehicles.
How long is PASS certification good for?
A driver's PASS certificate is valid for two years, and a PASS Trainer certificate for three. CTAA reminds holders before expiration and allows 90 days after a certificate expires to recertify. After that, the driver cannot renew and must take the course again. Louisiana requires PASS and securement training renewed at least every two years.
How can a broker check that a PASS certificate is real?
CTAA verifies certificates on request. A broker or other party sends CTAA's online form with a copy of the certificate, and CTAA checks the certificate number and expiration date and answers within 72 hours, according to its January 30, 2024 program handbook. Keep a copy of each certificate in the driver's file so you can send it quickly.