AED Laws & Compliance — A 50-State Guide

More than 350,000 Americans experience sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year. Without immediate defibrillation, survival drops by roughly 10 percent for every minute that passes. An automated external defibrillator placed within reach of a trained responder is the single most effective intervention available outside a hospital setting — but it only works if it is present, maintained, and ready to use.

Every state in the country has enacted laws governing AED programs. These laws were written to encourage broader public access to defibrillation, to protect responders who use AEDs in good faith, and in many states, to require AED placement in specific environments — schools, fitness facilities, government buildings, and increasingly, large workplaces. The framework is not uniform. Requirements vary materially from state to state, and a program that is fully compliant in one state may fall short in another.

AED Professionals built this guide to help safety coordinators, HR directors, school administrators, facilities managers, and compliance officers understand what their state requires, what protections their state offers, and what practical steps create a defensible, life-saving AED program. We have served organizations across the country since 2003 — schools, workplaces, government agencies, places of worship, and athletic facilities. The guide that follows reflects what we have learned from helping thousands of customers stand up programs that meet their state’s requirements without unnecessary cost or complexity.

Find Your State

Select your state to review its Good Samaritan protections, medical-direction and training rules, maintenance and EMS-notification requirements, and placement mandates — each with the primary governing statute. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are covered.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

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The Federal Framework

There is no single federal law that requires most organizations to install AEDs. Instead, the federal role is a patchwork: Washington encourages public access to defibrillation, extends a baseline of legal protection to people who use AEDs in good faith, mandates devices in a few specific settings, and funds AED purchases through grant programs. The detailed placement requirements that most schools, workplaces, and facilities must meet are set at the state level — which is why the state-by-state guide above is the right starting point for compliance.

Five federal authorities shape the national picture:

Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-505). Established limited federal Good Samaritan protection for people who use or acquire AEDs in good faith, and directed national guidelines for placing AEDs in federal buildings. State Good Samaritan laws generally provide the primary protection, with the federal act adding a baseline.

OSHA — General Duty Clause and 29 CFR 1910.151. OSHA has no standard specifically requiring AEDs, but it encourages them, requires first-aid readiness where no clinic is nearby, and can cite employers under the General Duty Clause for failing to address a recognized hazard such as sudden cardiac arrest. (See our Workplace AED & OSHA guide for detail.)

Federal building guidelines. Following the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act, AEDs have been placed throughout many federal buildings, with programs covering medical oversight, training, and maintenance.

FAA aircraft requirement. Since 2004, the Federal Aviation Administration has required AEDs and enhanced emergency medical kits aboard most large passenger aircraft operated by U.S. air carriers.

Community and Rural Access to Emergency Devices Acts. These federal measures authorized grant funding to help communities and rural areas purchase AEDs and train responders, expanding public access to defibrillation.

For most organizations, the practical takeaway is that federal law sets a floor — encouragement, liability protection, and a handful of narrow mandates — while the binding placement, training, and maintenance requirements come from your state and your setting. Use the state guide above to confirm what applies to you, and talk to a compliance specialist if you operate across multiple states.

This page is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Federal and state laws and their interpretation change over time. Verify current requirements with OSHA, primary federal and state sources, or qualified legal counsel before making compliance decisions. © AED Professionals — a General Medical Devices, Inc. company.