As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 1997
                                                Registration No. 33-



                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           The Securities Act of 1933
                           --------------------------
                          PRIME MEDICAL SERVICES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              Delaware                                 74-2652727
   (State or other jurisdiction of                   (I.R.S. Employer
    Incorporation or organization)                   Identification No.)
                   1301 Capital of Texas Highway, Suite C-300
                            Austin, Texas 78746-6550
              (Address of registrant's principal executive offices)
                    1993 STOCK OPTION PLAN OF NEW PMSI, INC.
                            (Full title of the plan)
                            ------------------------
                               KENNETH S. SHIFRIN
                          Prime Medical Services, Inc.
                   1301 Capital of Texas Highway, Suite C-300
                            Austin, Texas 78746-6550
                                 (512) 328-2892
                       (Name, address and telephone number
                       of registrant's agent for service)
                       ----------------------------------
                                   Copies to:
                               TIMOTHY L. LA FREY
                    Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P.
                              1900 Frost Bank Plaza
                               816 Congress Avenue
                               Austin, Texas 78701
                                 (512) 499-6200
                                 --------------
This Registration  Statement shall become effective immediately upon filing with
the Securities and Exchange Commission,  and sales of the registered  securities
will thereafter be effected upon option exercises under the Plan.
          -----------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
          
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<S>                              <C>                   <C>                     <C>                     <C>
Title of securities              Proposed maximum       Offering               Proposed maximum           Amount of
 to be registered                 amount to be            price                    aggregate           registration fee
                                  registered(1)          per share              offering price

Common Stock, $.01 par value(1)      500,000            $ 10.8125(2)              $5,406,250(2)          $ 1,638.26(2)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

     (1) Pursuant to Rule 416, there are also being  registered  such additional
shares of common  stock as may  become  issuable  pursuant  to the  antidilution
provisions of the Plan. This  Registration  Statement also pertains to rights to
purchase shares of Common Stock of the Registrant.  One right is attached to and
trades with each share of Common Stock of the  Registrant.  Until the occurrence
of certain  events,  the rights are not exercisable and will not be evidenced or
transferred apart from the Common Stock. 

     (2) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
accordance  with Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h),  using the average of the high and
low sales prices  reported on The Nasdaq  National  Market for the  Registrant's
Common Stock on August 14, 1997.




<PAGE>


         As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 1997
                                                       Registration No. 33-



                                     PART II

               Information Required in the Registration Statement

Item 3.   Incorporation of Documents by Reference
------    ---------------------------------------

     Prime  Medical  Services,  Inc.,  formerly  known as New  PMSI,  Inc.  (the
"Company")  has  previously   filed  a  Registration   Statement  on  Form  S-8,
Registration  No.  33-70478 with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission  (the
"Commission")  with respect to the registration of securities of the same class,
relative to the same employment benefit plan, as the securities being registered
pursuant to this Registration Statement.

     The  Company  hereby  incorporates  by  reference  into  this  Registration
Statement the following documents previously filed with the Commission:

     (a) The Form S-8 Registration Statement filed by the Company on October 18,
          1993 with the Commission as Registration No. 33-70478;

     (b) The Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended  December
          31, 1996;

     (c) The Company's  Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June
          30, 1997;

     (d) The description of the Company's  outstanding Common Stock contained in
          the Company's Form 8-A, dated September 14, 1993; and

     (e) The  description  of the rights issued to  stockholders  of the Company
          contained in the Company's Form 8-A, dated March 10, 1994.

     All reports and other documents  subsequently filed by the Company pursuant
to Sections 13(a),  13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended,  prior to the filing of a  post-effective  amendment which indicates
that all  securities  offered  hereby  have been sold or which  deregisters  all
securities  then  remaining  unsold,  shall  be  deemed  to be  incorporated  by
reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date
of filing of such documents.

Item 8.       Exhibits
-------       --------

     Exhibit Number                 Exhibit
     --------------                 -------

         5.1             Opinion of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P.

         23.1            Consent of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. 
                         (included in the Opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this 
                          Registration Statement)

         23.2            Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

         24.1            Power of Attorney (reference is made to the Signature 
                          Page of this Registration Statement)

         99.1            First Amendment to 1993 Stock Option Plan of Prime 
                          Medical Services, Inc.


                                      II-1




<PAGE>



                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the City of Austin,  State of Texas, on this 15th day of August,
1997.
                                        PRIME MEDICAL SERVICES, INC.


                                        By       /s/ Cheryl Williams
                                                 -------------------
                                                 Cheryl Williams
                                                 Vice President-Finance

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS:

         That the undersigned  officers and directors of Prime Medical Services,
Inc.,  a Delaware  corporation,  do hereby  constitute  and  appoint  Kenneth S.
Shifrin and Cheryl Williams, and each of them, the lawful  attorneys-in-fact and
agents  with full power and  authority  to do any and all acts and things and to
execute any and all instruments which said attorneys and agents,  and either one
of them,  determine  may be  necessary  or  advisable or required to enable said
corporation to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules
or regulations  or  requirements  of the  Securities and Exchange  Commission in
connection with this Registration Statement.  Without limiting the generality of
the foregoing  power and  authority,  the powers  granted  include the power and
authority to sign the names of the  undersigned  officers  and  directors in the
capacities  indicated  below  to  this  Registration  Statement,  to any and all
amendments,  both  pre-effective  and  post-effective,  and  supplements to this
Registration  Statement,  and to any and all  instruments or documents  filed as
part of or in  conjunction  with this  Registration  Statement or  amendments or
supplements  thereof,  and each of the undersigned  hereby ratifies and confirms
all that said attorneys and agents,  or either of them,  shall do or cause to be
done by  virtue  hereof.  This  Power  of  Attorney  may be  signed  in  several
counterparts.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  each of the undersigned has executed this Power of
Attorney as of the date indicated.



          Signature                  Title                            Date
          ---------                  -----                            ----
                 

/s/ Kenneth S. Shifrin      Chairman of the Board and
----------------------
   KENNETH S. SHIFRIN       Director                            August 15, 1997



/s/ Joseph Jenkins, M.D.    President, Chief Executive Officer              
------------------------
  JOSEPH JENKINS, M.D.      and Director                        August 15, 1997



/s/ Cheryl Williams         Chief Financial Officer, Vice                     
-------------------
  CHERYL WILLIAMS           President--Finance and Secretary
                            (Chief Accounting Officer)          August 15, 1997



/s/ Paul R. Butrus                 Director                     August  1, 1997
------------------
  PAUL R. BUTRUS

                                      II-2
<PAGE>

/s/ William E. Foree, M.D.         Director                     August  4, 1997
--------------------------
  WILLIAM E. FOREE, M.D.



/s/ Irwin Katz                     Director                     August 15, 1997
-------------- 
  IRWIN KATZ



/s/ John A. McEntire IV            Director                     August 15, 1997
-----------------------
  JOHN A. MCENTIRE IV



/s/ William A. Searles             Director                     August 15, 1997
----------------------
  WILLIAM A. SEARLES



/s/ Michael J. Spaulding, M.D.     Director                     August  1, 1997
------------------------------
  MICHAEL J. SPALDING, M.D.


                                      II-3








<PAGE>






INDEX TO EXHIBITS



                                                               Sequentially
                                                                 Numbered
Exhibit Number           Exhibit                                   Page
--------------           -------                                   ----

    5.1             Opinion of Akin, Gump, Strauss,                   2
                      Hauer & Feld, L.L.P.

   23.1             Consent of Akin, Gump, Strauss, 
                      Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. (included 
                      in the Opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 
                      to this Registration Statement)                 -

   23.2             Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP                  3

   24.1             Power of Attorney (reference is made to 
                      the Signature Page of this 
                      Registration Statement)                         -

   99.1             First Amendment to 1993 Stock Option Plan 
                      of Prime Medical Services, Inc.                 4



                                      1
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FIRST AMENDMENT TO 1993 STOCK OPTION PLAN", "secsgml_size_bytes": 12157}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "PRIME MEDICAL SERVICES INC /TX/", "cik": "0000895810", "assigned-sic": "8090", "irs-number": "742652727", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-33743", "film-number": "97664936"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1301 CAPITAL OF TEXAS HWY", "street2": "SUITE C-300", "city": "AUSTIN", "state": "TX", "zip": "78746", "phone": "5123282892"}, "former-company": [{"former-conformed-name": "PRIME MEDICAL SERVICES INC  /TX/", "date-changed": "19940224"}, {"former-conformed-name": "NEW PMSI INC", "date-changed": "19930112"}]}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 1997
                                                Registration No. 33-

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           The Securities Act of 1933
                           --------------------------
                          PRIME MEDICAL SERVICES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              Delaware                                 74-2652727
   (State or other jurisdiction of                   (I.R.S. Employer
    Incorporation or organization)                   Identification No.)
                   1301 Capital of Texas Highway, Suite C-300
                            Austin, Texas 78746-6550
              (Address of registrant's principal executive offices)
                    1993 STOCK OPTION PLAN OF NEW PMSI, INC.
                            (Full title of the plan)
                            ------------------------
                               KENNETH S. SHIFRIN
                          Prime Medical Services, Inc.
                   1301 Capital of Texas Highway, Suite C-300
                            Austin, Texas 78746-6550
                                 (512) 328-2892
                       (Name, address and telephone number
                       of registrant's agent for service)
                       ----------------------------------
                                   Copies to:
                               TIMOTHY L. LA FREY
                    Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P.
                              1900 Frost Bank Plaza
                               816 Congress Avenue
                               Austin, Texas 78701
                                 (512) 499-6200
                                 --------------
This Registration  Statement shall become effective immediately upon filing with
the Securities and Exchange Commission,  and sales of the registered  securities
will thereafter be effected upon option exercises under the Plan.
          -----------------------------------------------------------------

          
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of securities              Proposed maximum       Offering               Proposed maximum           Amount of
 to be registered                 amount to be            price                    aggregate           registration fee
                                  registered(1)          per share              offering price

Common Stock, $.01 par value(1)      500,000            $ 10.8125(2)              $5,406,250(2)          $ 1,638.26(2)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Pursuant to Rule 416, there are also being  registered  such additional
shares of common  stock as may  become  issuable  pursuant  to the  antidilution
provisions of the Plan. This  Registration  Statement also pertains to rights to
purchase shares of Common Stock of the Registrant.  One right is attached to and
trades with each share of Common Stock of the  Registrant.  Until the occurrence
of certain  events,  the rights are not exercisable and will not be evidenced or
transferred apart from the Common Stock. 

     (2) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
accordance  with Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h),  using the average of the high and
low sales prices  reported on The Nasdaq  National  Market for the  Registrant's
Common Stock on August 14, 1997.
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 1997
                                                       Registration No. 33-

                                     PART II

               Information Required in the Registration Statement

Item 3.   Incorporation of Documents by Reference
------    ---------------------------------------

     Prime  Medical  Services,  Inc.,  formerly  known as New  PMSI,  Inc.  (the
"Company")  has  previously   filed  a  Registration   Statement  on  Form  S-8,
Registration  No.  33-70478 with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission  (the
"Commission")  with respect to the registration of securities of the same class,
relative to the same employment benefit plan, as the securities being registered
pursuant to this Registration Statement.

     The  Company  hereby  incorporates  by  reference  into  this  Registration
Statement the following documents previously filed with the Commission:

     (a) The Form S-8 Registration Statement filed by the Company on October 18,
          1993 with the Commission as Registration No. 33-70478;

     (b) The Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended  December
          31, 1996;

     (c) The Company's  Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June
          30, 1997;

     (d) The description of the Company's  outstanding Common Stock contained in
          the Company's Form 8-A, dated September 14, 1993; and

     (e) The  description  of the rights issued to  stockholders  of the Company
          contained in the Company's Form 8-A, dated March 10, 1994.

     All reports and other documents  subsequently filed by the Company pursuant
to Sections 13(a),  13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended,  prior to the filing of a  post-effective  amendment which indicates
that all  securities  offered  hereby  have been sold or which  deregisters  all
securities  then  remaining  unsold,  shall  be  deemed  to be  incorporated  by
reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date
of filing of such documents.

Item 8.       Exhibits
-------       --------

     Exhibit Number                 Exhibit
     --------------                 -------

         5.1             Opinion of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P.

         23.1            Consent of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. 
                         (included in the Opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this 
                          Registration Statement)

         23.2            Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

         24.1            Power of Attorney (reference is made to the Signature 
                          Page of this Registration Statement)

         99.1            First Amendment to 1993 Stock Option Plan of Prime 
                          Medical Services, Inc.

                                      II-1
SIGNATURES

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the City of Austin,  State of Texas, on this 15th day of August,
1997.
                                        PRIME MEDICAL SERVICES, INC.

                                        By       /s/ Cheryl Williams
                                                 -------------------
                                                 Cheryl Williams
                                                 Vice President-Finance

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS:

         That the undersigned  officers and directors of Prime Medical Services,
Inc.,  a Delaware  corporation,  do hereby  constitute  and  appoint  Kenneth S.
Shifrin and Cheryl Williams, and each of them, the lawful  attorneys-in-fact and
agents  with full power and  authority  to do any and all acts and things and to
execute any and all instruments which said attorneys and agents,  and either one
of them,  determine  may be  necessary  or  advisable or required to enable said
corporation to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules
or regulations  or  requirements  of the  Securities and Exchange  Commission in
connection with this Registration Statement.  Without limiting the generality of
the foregoing  power and  authority,  the powers  granted  include the power and
authority to sign the names of the  undersigned  officers  and  directors in the
capacities  indicated  below  to  this  Registration  Statement,  to any and all
amendments,  both  pre-effective  and  post-effective,  and  supplements to this
Registration  Statement,  and to any and all  instruments or documents  filed as
part of or in  conjunction  with this  Registration  Statement or  amendments or
supplements  thereof,  and each of the undersigned  hereby ratifies and confirms
all that said attorneys and agents,  or either of them,  shall do or cause to be
done by  virtue  hereof.  This  Power  of  Attorney  may be  signed  in  several
counterparts.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  each of the undersigned has executed this Power of
Attorney as of the date indicated.

          Signature                  Title                            Date
          ---------                  -----                            ----
                 

/s/ Kenneth S. Shifrin      Chairman of the Board and
----------------------
   KENNETH S. SHIFRIN       Director                            August 15, 1997

/s/ Joseph Jenkins, M.D.    President, Chief Executive Officer              
------------------------
  JOSEPH JENKINS, M.D.      and Director                        August 15, 1997

/s/ Cheryl Williams         Chief Financial Officer, Vice                     
-------------------
  CHERYL WILLIAMS           President--Finance and Secretary
                            (Chief Accounting Officer)          August 15, 1997

/s/ Paul R. Butrus                 Director                     August  1, 1997
------------------
  PAUL R. BUTRUS

                                      II-2
/s/ William E. Foree, M.D.         Director                     August  4, 1997
--------------------------
  WILLIAM E. FOREE, M.D.

/s/ Irwin Katz                     Director                     August 15, 1997
-------------- 
  IRWIN KATZ

/s/ John A. McEntire IV            Director                     August 15, 1997
-----------------------
  JOHN A. MCENTIRE IV

/s/ William A. Searles             Director                     August 15, 1997
----------------------
  WILLIAM A. SEARLES

/s/ Michael J. Spaulding, M.D.     Director                     August  1, 1997
------------------------------
  MICHAEL J. SPALDING, M.D.

                                      II-3
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

                                                               Sequentially
                                                                 Numbered
Exhibit Number           Exhibit                                   Page
--------------           -------                                   ----

    5.1             Opinion of Akin, Gump, Strauss,                   2
                      Hauer & Feld, L.L.P.

   23.1             Consent of Akin, Gump, Strauss, 
                      Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. (included 
                      in the Opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 
                      to this Registration Statement)                 -

   23.2             Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP                  3

   24.1             Power of Attorney (reference is made to 
                      the Signature Page of this 
                      Registration Statement)                         -

   99.1             First Amendment to 1993 Stock Option Plan 
                      of Prime Medical Services, Inc.                 4

                                      1