# NEMT Broker Training Requirements in 2027: Courses, Proof, and Renewals

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-training-requirements/ · Updated 2026-09-30

NEMT broker training requirements are the courses a broker makes each driver finish before a first trip. Most lists include PASS or wheelchair securement, first aid and CPR, defensive driving, and the broker's own fraud, HIPAA, and portal training. You prove it by uploading certificates or sending a signed roster, then renew on the broker's schedule: compliance courses often yearly, PASS every two years.

- Brokers add their own courses on top of state rules, so a driver cleared by one broker may still need training for another.
- Virginia's May 26, 2026 rules replaced the PASS requirement with the broker's own driver training, and MTM Health runs fee-for-service trips from October 1, 2026.
- Proof goes where each broker asks for it: a certificate upload, a driver roster with training dates, or a signed yearly attestation.
- Compliance courses usually renew every year and PASS every two years, and Massachusetts brokers check wheelchair securement every six months.
- A driver without current training can cost you the trip payment, infraction points, or your place in the network.

A driver can pass every background check and still be sent home from a broker's network. Brokers want proof that each driver finished their training list, and the list changes from broker to broker and state to state. This guide sets out what the main brokers ask for, how Virginia changed its rule in 2026, how to file proof, and when each course comes due again.

## Who sets NEMT broker training requirements

Three layers stack on top of each other. None of them is optional once you sign a broker agreement.

- **Federal law sets no course list.** For NEMT drivers paid through Medicaid, 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(87) requires only that the provider and driver are not excluded from federal health programs, that each driver holds a valid license, and that the provider has processes for state drug law violations and for reporting each driver's driving history. The ADA adds a general duty to train drivers to run the vehicle and equipment safely and to treat riders with disabilities with respect ([49 CFR 37.173](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-37.173)).
- **States set a minimum.** Virginia's fee-for-service rules (DMAS, updated May 26, 2026) call themselves minimum guidelines and say brokers may add driver, vehicle, attendant, and insurance requirements. Georgia's NEMT manual (July 1, 2026) lets the broker set its own training standards once the state approves them.
- **Brokers write the rest into their contracts.** MTM Health's standard provider agreement, in the January 1, 2023 version Pennsylvania posts, requires you to run a Driver Orientation and Training Program that includes fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) and HIPAA (sections 5.A and 5.B). It also says training your drivers is your sole responsibility as an independent contractor (section 17).

So the list that counts is the one your broker uses in your state. For the courses themselves and a first-week teaching plan, see [NEMT driver training](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-training/).

## What each broker requires before a driver's first trip

These are the training items each broker lists for a new driver. Several also list background checks, drug tests, and driving records, which are covered in [NEMT broker credentialing](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-credentialing/).

| Broker or program | Training before the first trip | Where the list comes from |
|---|---|---|
| MTM Health, Virginia fee-for-service | PASS Basic online, then MTM's in-person Driver Training with securement practice. MTM modules on FWA and HIPAA, passengers with disabilities and emergencies, sensitivity and wheelchair securement, cultural competency, sexual harassment, safety awareness, mandatory reporting, credential management, and four MTM Link parts (trip portal, credentialing, claims and appeals, driver app). Basic first aid and defensive driving from outside courses. Stretcher Training for stretcher drivers. | Virginia training page and provider handbook (approved August 10, 2026) |
| Modivcare | PASS wheelchair certificate, first aid and CPR, and defensive driving. Its compliance training (general compliance and FWA, HIPAA, the ADA, health, safety, and welfare, and cultural competency), its code of conduct, and its accident and incident form. North Carolina providers add CTAA's course on passengers who have experienced trauma. | Driver requirements page (September 2026) and 2025 compliance attestation |
| Verida | First aid, CPR, defensive driving, passenger sensitivity and customer service, spill kit, proper lifting, wheelchair securement, and driver orientation. The owner then attends a provider orientation, and the contract is signed at its end. | Provider training page (September 2026) |
| SafeRide Health | First aid (or CPR or AED), defensive driving, and wheelchair securement, each with supporting documents | Provider page (September 2026) |
| MediDrive, Colorado | PASS, wheelchair securement, and defensive driving, plus first aid, CPR, and AED | Colorado provider page (September 2026) |
| MediTrans, Louisiana | Defensive driving and CPR or first aid certificates uploaded before activation, plus an online provider orientation and portal training. Louisiana's own rule adds PASS, in-person CPR, child restraints, and HIPAA. | Provider onboarding checklist (September 2026) and Medicaid manual section 10.3 (July 14, 2025) |
| LCP Transportation, Indiana | PASS for every employee, first aid and CPR for every driver, and wheelchair securement for drivers (two-day PASS or a securement maker's course). HIPAA, FWA, culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS), business ethics, confidentiality, and code of conduct for every employee. | New Vendor Credentialing Checklist (July 2026) |
| Massachusetts HST brokers (MART, GATRA) | Defensive driving, safety equipment and evacuation, accident reporting, seat belts and child seats, lift and wheelchair securement, disability awareness, sexual harassment, and program rules including abuse reporting, fraud, and HIPAA | Transportation Provider Performance Standards (MART version revised July 1, 2025) |
| Alivi | A signed provider attestation before you start, covering general compliance and FWA training, HIPAA, and cultural competency | Downstream Provider Oversight Policy (effective January 1, 2025) |

Some of this compliance training comes from brokers' Medicare Advantage work. Federal rules require each Medicare Advantage plan to train its own employees on compliance at orientation and at least once a year ([42 CFR 422.503](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/section-422.503)). Alivi's oversight policy cites that rule for the attestation it collects from providers, and Modivcare's yearly training covers Medicare and Medicaid general compliance. See [Medicare Advantage transportation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/medicare-advantage-transportation/).

## Virginia's 2026 change: the broker's training replaced PASS

Virginia shows how fast a training rule can move. Its fee-for-service driver rules updated April 1, 2025 required every driver, attendant, taxi driver, and volunteer driver to complete and pass a PASS course before carrying any member. The version updated May 26, 2026 replaced that with the broker's own driver training program, for contracted and non-contracted drivers alike. The NEMT Program ID badge, worn by any driver without a uniform shirt showing a name, now comes from the broker on completing its driver training, not on passing PASS.

Then the broker changed. DMAS picked MTM Health through a competitive procurement, and fee-for-service trips scheduled on or after October 1, 2026 go through MTM Health (DMAS bulletin of September 15, 2026, and its transportation site). MTM Health's Virginia training page says every provider and driver must finish its required training before taking fee-for-service trips, with no exceptions.

### MTM Health's Virginia training steps

1. **Register each person with their own email.** MTM Health does not accept an email shared with coworkers or family.
2. **Take PASS Basic online** and upload the certificate to MTM Link. Drivers cannot attend Driver Training until it is there. A valid, unexpired PASS Basic and Securement certificate is honored if you upload it.
3. **Attend Driver Training in person.** It is scheduled for six hours and includes hands-on securement practice. Bring your work van, its securement straps or stretcher, and your driver's license.
4. **Add Stretcher Training** if you drive a stretcher van, after Driver Training.
5. **Stay for the whole session.** Missing 30 minutes or more means repeating it, and each session holds 30 people.

If your company runs no wheelchair trips, your drivers do not need the in-person PASS portion. If it runs any, every driver takes PASS training. Owners who do not drive skip Driver Training. MTM Health's September 8, 2026 schedule lists sessions from September 9 to October 3, 2026 in Richmond, Roanoke, Fairfax, and Newport News, with Winchester added in the last week, and MTM Health says it will post more dates. Its handbook promises at least two sessions a year in each of six regions: Tidewater, Central, Charlottesville and Western, Roanoke and Alleghany, Southwest, and Northern and Winchester.

Managed care rides did not move. The DMAS bulletin says Humana and Sentara members stay with Modivcare, Anthem with MTM Health, Aetna with MediDrive, and UnitedHealthcare with SafeRide. A Virginia company serving several plans meets each of those brokers' lists too. See the [Virginia state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/virginia/).

## Courses brokers teach and courses you arrange

Brokers usually teach their own rules and systems and leave certified courses to you. Book outside courses before a driver's start date.

| Course | Who usually provides it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| PASS Basic | CTAA, online | As of September 2026: 19 modules with a quiz after each, $28 for CTAA members and $55 for others. The certificate prints in the name tied to the email used, so use the driver's own email. |
| Hands-on wheelchair securement | A certified PASS trainer, or a course your broker accepts | CTAA's two-day PASS Classroom, or a half-day securement class within 90 days of PASS Basic, gives a PASS Wheelchair Certificate |
| First aid and CPR | Outside instructors | On Department of Public Health trips, Massachusetts requires first aid and infant and child CPR certified by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, or an equivalent the broker approves. Louisiana requires CPR in person from a licensed instructor. |
| Defensive driving | Outside course | Louisiana requires at least four hours, in person or virtual |
| Compliance modules (FWA, HIPAA, cultural competency, abuse reporting) | The broker | Modivcare posts a yearly training deck. MTM Health teaches its modules at no cost to the provider. |
| Portal, claims, and driver app | The broker | MTM Link has four parts. MediTrans requires portal training before activation. |
| Owner or provider orientation | The broker | Verida signs the contract at the end of its orientation |

Where a course has a certificate, the broker wants the certificate, not your word. CTAA lets a broker check any PASS certificate by its number and expiration date, and it answers within 72 hours. See [PASS certification](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/pass-certification/) for the three PASS levels.

## How to file proof of training with a broker

Each broker has its own place for proof. Send it the way the broker asks, or it may not count.

- **MTM Health, Virginia.** Upload certificates to MTM Link. The driver roster there records dates for PASS, HIPAA, defensive driving, first aid, and wheelchair securement, along with license expiration and the last background check, drug screen, and driving record review. MTM Health keeps proof of training in MTM Link.
- **Modivcare.** Sign the Transportation Provider Compliance Attestation and return the training roster to TPCompliance@modivcare.com. The 2025 roster asks for each employee's full name, course, completion date and time, and signature. Each driver may send a separate roster. You keep the records at least 10 years and give them to Modivcare free on request.
- **MediTrans, Louisiana.** Upload each driver's defensive driving and CPR or first aid certificates to its document system during onboarding. Louisiana's manual makes the broker collect proof that drivers meet the state's training rules.
- **Georgia brokers.** The broker must keep a file on each of your drivers with the first aid and driver training certificates, so send copies to the broker. Every record, training included, must be retrievable within two business days when the state asks (Part II manual, July 1, 2026).
- **Massachusetts HST brokers.** Keep training records in each driver's personnel file, and show them to the broker when it asks.

### A simple filing routine

1. **Scan every certificate** the day the driver earns it and save it in the driver's file.
2. **Log in-house sessions** with the date, topic, trainer, and the driver's signature on a [driver training log](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-driver-training-log/).
3. **Upload or send proof to each broker** the driver works under. One upload does not reach another broker.
4. **Check the broker's record** after a few days. A certificate that did not post can block trip assignments.
5. **Set a reminder 60 days before each expiration.**

## How often broker training must be renewed

Renewal dates vary more than the courses do. Put each one in the driver's file and on a [compliance calendar](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-compliance-calendar/).

| Item | When it renews | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PASS driver certificate | Every two years. You can still recertify within 90 days after it expires, but not later. | CTAA PASS Program Handbook (January 30, 2024) |
| PASS and wheelchair securement, Louisiana | At least every two years | Medicaid manual section 10.3 (July 14, 2025) |
| Defensive driving, Louisiana | At least every three years | Medicaid manual section 10.3 (July 14, 2025) |
| MTM Health FWA training | Before your first trip, then every year | Virginia handbook (approved August 10, 2026) |
| MTM Health Virginia credentials | Training finished before any credential expires, plus refreshers MTM directs | Virginia handbook (approved August 10, 2026) |
| Modivcare compliance training | Every calendar year. New employees finish it within 30 days of hire. | 2025 compliance attestation |
| Massachusetts HST courses | Every year. Brokers also check each wheelchair van driver's securement every six months. | Performance Standards (revised July 1, 2025) |
| Alivi provider attestation | Before you start, then every year | Oversight policy (effective January 1, 2025) |
| Georgia driver training | Kept current for as long as the driver works under the broker | Part II manual (July 1, 2026) |

Two deadlines conflict with "before the first trip." Modivcare gives new employees 30 days from hire for its compliance training, and Georgia's manual gives a driver not yet trained 90 days from assignment. Your broker contract decides which applies, so finish every course before a new driver rides alone.

## What happens when training is missing or expired

Brokers enforce training through pay, points, and removal.

- **No pay for the trip.** MTM Health's standard agreement says it may not pay for trips by uncredentialed drivers or in uncredentialed vehicles (section 2.N). Its Virginia handbook lists loss of payment for trips by drivers with expired documents.
- **Infraction points.** In MTM Health's Virginia program, using a driver who was never credentialed costs 3 points and an immediate suspension of at least five days. Using an expired credential costs 2 points for each expired item on the trip. Points last one year: 3 suspend your marketplace access, 5 bring a five-day suspension, 8 bring a ten-day suspension and the loss of recurring trips, and 10 remove you from MTM Health's network.
- **One more strike after retraining.** A Virginia driver who is retrained after a serious violation and then commits another can no longer drive for any health plan MTM Health manages.
- **Removal until retrained.** In Georgia, one confirmed failure to secure a wheelchair takes the driver off trips until you send the broker proof of securement training. Massachusetts brokers require hands-on retraining right after a securement incident or complaint, and a driver who fails the six-month check takes the full course again.
- **Less work or removal.** MTM Health's Virginia handbook says incomplete training means lost trip assignments or removal from the network.

For how brokers score and fine providers more broadly, see [NEMT broker penalties](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-penalties/).

## One training plan for several brokers

If you work with more than one broker, build one plan that meets the strictest list, then file proof with each broker separately.

1. **List every course each broker requires,** using the table above and each broker's current manual.
2. **Take the union.** A driver who meets every list can take any broker's trips.
3. **Book outside courses first:** PASS, securement, first aid and CPR, and defensive driving. Broker modules can follow once the driver has a login.
4. **Match renewal dates to the shortest cycle.** If one broker renews yearly and another every two years, renew yearly.
5. **Keep one driver file, with a proof log per broker,** showing when each certificate was sent and accepted.
6. **Train office staff too.** Brokers' fraud and HIPAA modules often cover everyone who handles member information. States can add their own sessions: New Mexico's Supplement 26-05 (September 3, 2026) required all NEMT management and billing staff to attend a virtual state training on September 15, 2026, after a federal payment error audit found gaps in trip records.

For running trips across brokers without mixing their rules, see [working with multiple NEMT brokers](https://nemtguide.com/guides/multiple-nemt-brokers/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Do NEMT brokers require PASS certification?

Many do. Modivcare lists a PASS wheelchair certificate, MediDrive's Colorado page lists PASS, and LCP Transportation in Indiana wants PASS for every employee (checklist posted July 2026). MTM Health's Virginia program has every driver take PASS Basic online. SafeRide Health and Verida list wheelchair securement training without naming PASS. Louisiana requires PASS by state rule, renewed at least every two years.

### Does the broker pay for driver training?

Usually only for its own courses. MTM Health's Virginia handbook (approved August 10, 2026) says its mandated training is at no cost to the provider. Outside courses are yours to buy: as of September 2026, CTAA charges $28 for PASS Basic online to members and $55 to everyone else. MTM Health's standard provider agreement makes training the provider's responsibility as an independent contractor.

### Can I train my own drivers instead of using the broker's program?

Sometimes, with approval. Virginia lets a provider run its own driver training only with the broker's written approval that it meets or exceeds the state's NEMT driver training requirements (DMAS, updated May 26, 2026). Massachusetts lets broker-approved staff teach policy, safety equipment, and accident procedures in house, but driving, seat belt, securement, sensitivity, and harassment courses need a certified instructor.

### How long does broker training take?

In Virginia, MTM Health's in-person Driver Training is scheduled for six hours, after the online PASS Basic course of 19 modules, and stretcher drivers add a separate Stretcher Training. Missing 30 minutes or more means repeating the whole session. MediTrans in Louisiana says onboarding usually takes two to four weeks from the letter of intent to activation.

### What happens if a driver's training expires?

Brokers can stop paying for that driver's trips and cut your work. In MTM Health's Virginia program, each expired credential used on a trip costs 2 infraction points, and 5 points bring a five-day suspension. A PASS certificate can still be renewed within 90 days after it expires. After that, CTAA treats it as not eligible for renewal.

### Do owners and office staff need broker training?

Often, yes. Modivcare's 2025 attestation covers all owners and drivers who serve its members, and LCP Transportation wants HIPAA and fraud training for every employee. In Virginia, owners who do not drive can skip MTM Health's Driver Training. New Mexico required management and billing staff of every NEMT provider to attend a state training on September 15, 2026.

## Official resources

- [MTM Health: Virginia DMAS provider training and registration](https://www.mtm-inc.net/virginia-training/)
- [Virginia DMAS: NEMT Driver, Attendant, and Vehicle Requirements](https://www.dmas.virginia.gov/media/1sdhbgj4/dmas-nemt-driver-attendant-and-vehicle-requirements-05-26-2026.pdf)
- [Modivcare: Transportation Provider Compliance Attestation and Training Roster](https://www.modivcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/TP-Compliance-Attestation-2025-1.pdf)
- [Verida: Provider training areas and credentialing steps](https://verida.com/provider-driver-training/)
- [CTAA: PASS Basic Online course](https://shop.training.ctaa.org/pass-basic-online-course-the-industry-standard/)
- [CTAA: PASS Program Handbook (renewals, grace period, certificate checks)](https://ctaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-30-2024-Update-PASS-Program-Handbook.pdf)