California AED requirements at a glance
Here is what California law asks of an AED program, row by row, with the statute behind each answer.
| Requirement | Required? | What the law says |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect and maintain AEDs | Yes | Anyone who acquires an AED must keep it maintained and tested to the maker's guidelines, test it at least biannually and after each use, and inspect it at least every 90 days for signs of trouble (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b)(1)). |
| Train expected users | Limited | No general training rule. |
| Notify agencies of AEDs | Yes | Through AED placement reporting: see that row. |
| Register the program | No | Not in state law. |
| Report AED locations | Yes | Anyone who acquires an AED must tell an agent of the local EMS agency that the AED exists, where it is and what type it is (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b)(1)(B)). The owner's civil immunity also depends on meeting this duty (Civil Code § 1714.21(d)). |
| Physician medical direction | No | No. The AED law says no medical director or other physician has to be involved in buying or placing an AED (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b)(3)). |
| Report each AED use | Limited | No general rule. |
| Written plan or records | Yes | AED acquirers must keep records of the required maintenance and testing (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b)(1)(F)). |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | Limited | No general rule for AED owners or users. |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | School districts and charter schools that offer interscholastic athletics must have a written emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest that shows where emergency equipment is and, since July 1, 2024, how often the steps are rehearsed (Education Code § 35179.4). It covers athletic activities and events, not the whole school day. |
| Other requirements | Yes | Building owners with an AED must tell tenants yearly where it is and whom to ask about training, offer a yearly demonstration, and post 14-point instructions beside it (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b)(2)). |
| AEDs required at specific sites | Yes | Health clubs, occupied buildings built or renovated since 2017 above set occupancy levels, school sports, public pools, some transport, some worksites and youth sports. See the list below. |
Compare nearby states: Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and Washington, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in California?
No. California law doesn’t require a physician to oversee an AED program.
No. The AED law says no medical director or other physician has to be involved in buying or placing an AED (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b)(3)).
Some programs choose a medical director anyway, for example to write the response protocol or review each use. If you want one, AED Log’s Medical Direction add-on is $65 per AED per year.
Training requirements
Only in certain settings. California doesn’t require training for AED owners in general, but the law names some settings that must train people.
No general training rule.
Health studios need staff trained in CPR and AED use, one per AED for the first five units (Health & Safety Code § 104113(e)(2)(D)).
Utilities train all workers at covered line worksites (Pub. Util. Code § 8310(a)(2)(B)).
Youth sports coaches must hold CPR and AED certification from January 1, 2027 (§ 124238.5(b)).
Training still matters: an AED talks the rescuer through each step, but people who have practiced start CPR sooner and hesitate less. Keep each responder’s card current, since most CPR and AED cards last two years. See how long CPR and AED certification lasts.
Inspection and maintenance
Yes. California law requires AED owners to keep each AED maintained and tested.
Anyone who acquires an AED must keep it maintained and tested to the maker's guidelines, test it at least biannually and after each use, and inspect it at least every 90 days for signs of trouble (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b)(1)).
Health studios must confirm the AED is ready after every use and at least every 30 days (§ 104113(e)(2)(B)).
Written plan and records: AED acquirers must keep records of the required maintenance and testing (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b)(1)(F)). Health studios keep readiness-check records and a written emergency plan (§ 104113(e)(2)). Utilities need a written AED program (Pub. Util. Code § 8310(a)(2)). Youth sports groups need a written cardiac emergency plan from 2027 (§ 124238.5(b)).
In practice, that means check the status indicator, the pads’ and battery’s expiration dates and the cabinet on a regular schedule, replace anything used or expired, and keep a dated record of each check. Our AED inspection requirements guide covers the routine, and the free AED inspection checklist is a printable version.
Other California AED rules
Building owners with an AED must tell tenants yearly where it is and whom to ask about training, offer a yearly demonstration, and post 14-point instructions beside it (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b)(2)).
K-12 principals give staff yearly cardiac arrest and AED information, post instructions, and tell staff and grade 6-12 pupils yearly where AEDs are (§ 1797.196(c)).
EMS notification, registration and placement reporting
Yes. California requires AED owners to tell EMS, or another agency the law names, that they have an AED and where it is.
Placement reporting: Anyone who acquires an AED must tell an agent of the local EMS agency that the AED exists, where it is and what type it is (Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b)(1)(B)). The owner's civil immunity also depends on meeting this duty (Civil Code § 1714.21(d)).
Keep the confirmation with your program records, and update it when an AED moves or is replaced. AED Log’s document library keeps registrations, letters and notices with the AEDs they cover.
Notification after an AED is used
Only in some settings. California doesn’t require every AED owner to report uses.
Calling 911: No general rule for AED owners or users. At health studios the rescuer must activate EMS as soon as possible, and the written plan must call for notifying 911 right away (Health & Safety Code § 104113(e)(2)(C), (E)). Utility worksite programs must require AED users to activate EMS as soon as possible (Pub. Util. Code § 8310(a)(2)(A)).
Reporting the use: No general rule. At health studios, whoever uses the AED must report the use to the licensed physician and to the local EMS agency (Health & Safety Code § 104113(e)(2)(C)). A utility's written AED program must have users report each use to the local EMS agency (Pub. Util. Code § 8310(a)(2)(A)).
After any use, replace the pads, check the AED and its rescue kit, and write down what happened while it’s fresh. AED Log’s incident reports record whether a shock was advised, how many were delivered, whether CPR was given and when EMS arrived.
AEDs required at specific locations in California
Yes. California law requires AEDs at seven kinds of sites.
- Health studios (membership gyms) (hotel gyms for guests are exempt) Cal. Health & Safety Code § 104113 (as amended eff. Jan. 1, 2020)
- Occupied buildings built or renovated since 2017 above set occupancy levels (300+ for assembly, 200+ for business, school, factory, store and other uses) Cal. Health & Safety Code § 19300
- Every school that offers interscholastic athletics (at least one AED, available at on-campus athletic events) Cal. Education Code § 35179.6
- Public swimming pools that charge a fee and must have lifeguards Cal. Health & Safety Code § 116045 (as amended eff. Jan. 1, 2019)
- Commuter rail trains (intercity, light rail and rapid transit trains are excluded) Cal. Public Utilities Code § 99175
- Electric utility work sites on lines of 601 volts or more (with two or more line workers; since January 1, 2026) Cal. Public Utilities Code § 8310 (added by AB 365, Stats. 2025, ch. 361, the Justin Kropp Safety Act)
- Youth sports practices and games (from January 1, 2028) Cal. Health & Safety Code § 124238.5 (Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act; as amended by AB 310, Stats. 2025, ch. 254)
School cardiac emergency plans: School districts and charter schools that offer interscholastic athletics must have a written emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest that shows where emergency equipment is and, since July 1, 2024, how often the steps are rehearsed (Education Code § 35179.4). It covers athletic activities and events, not the whole school day.
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Does California's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Yes, with conditions. California protects people who use an AED in good faith, but some of that protection depends on the AED program meeting the law’s duties.
What the California (CA) Good Samaritan law covers: California's Good Samaritan law shields anyone who, in good faith without being paid, gives emergency medical or nonmedical help at an emergency, unless the act is grossly negligent or willful or wanton. Emergency rooms and other places that usually offer medical care do not count as the scene (Health & Safety Code § 1799.102).
AED-specific protection: A bystander who uses an AED in good faith without being paid is shielded from civil damages unless grossly negligent or willful or wanton. The AED's owner shares that protection only if it met every duty in Health & Safety Code § 1797.196(b), such as EMS notice, maintenance and testing, 90-day inspections and records.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on California’s official legislature or code website.
- Cal. Health & Safety Code § 1797.196 (amended by AB 3262, Stats. 2024, eff. Jan. 1, 2025): AED acquirer, building owner and school duties
- Cal. Civil Code § 1714.21: AED use: civil immunity
- Cal. Health & Safety Code § 1799.102: Good Samaritan: emergency care at the scene
- Cal. Civil Code § 1714.2: CPR rescuers and CPR instructors: civil immunity
- Cal. Health & Safety Code § 104113 (as amended eff. Jan. 1, 2020): Health studios: AED, training, written plan, immunity
- Cal. Health & Safety Code § 19300: AEDs in new and renovated buildings
- Cal. Education Code § 35179.6: AEDs for interscholastic athletic programs
- Cal. Education Code § 35179.4: Athletic program written emergency action plan
- Cal. Education Code § 49417: School AED funding and school immunity
- Cal. Health & Safety Code § 116045 (as amended eff. Jan. 1, 2019): Public swimming pools: lifeguards and AEDs
- Cal. Public Utilities Code § 99175: AEDs on commuter rail trains
- Cal. Public Utilities Code § 8310 (added by AB 365, Stats. 2025, ch. 361, the Justin Kropp Safety Act): AEDs at electric utility worksites
- Cal. Health & Safety Code § 124238.5 (Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act; as amended by AB 310, Stats. 2025, ch. 254): Youth sports organizations: AED access, coach certification, cardiac emergency plan
Last reviewed against each statute on the state’s official website. This is a plain-language summary for general information, not legal advice. Laws change, so read the statute or ask a lawyer before you rely on it.
Managing a compliant AED program in California
AED Log keeps the records California law asks for, and reminds you before anything lapses.
- Monthly AED inspections on a phone, with a dated record of every check (inspection tracking)
- Pad and battery expiration dates, with a warning before each one (expiration tracking)
- Responders’ CPR and AED cards, with an alert before each expires (certification tracking)
- A report for every AED use, so the details are on record (incident reporting)
- Registrations, EMS notices and your written plan, filed with the AEDs they cover (document management)
Plans start at $114 a year for one AED, with unlimited users and locations. Start a free trial (no credit card) or talk to us.
California AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in California?
Only certain kinds. California law requires AEDs at health clubs, occupied buildings built or renovated since 2017 above set occupancy levels and other sites listed on this page. Other businesses aren’t required to have one by California law, and federal OSHA has no AED standard.
Where does California law require an AED?
California law requires AEDs in health clubs, occupied buildings built or renovated since 2017 above set occupancy levels, school sports, public swimming pools that charge a fee and must have lifeguards and other sites listed on this page. See the full list, with each statute, on this page.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in California?
No. California law doesn’t require a physician to oversee an AED program. You can still choose one: AED Log’s Medical Direction add-on is $65 per AED per year.
Is AED training required in California?
Only in certain settings. Health studios need staff trained in CPR and AED use, one per AED for the first five units. Utilities train all workers at covered line worksites. Youth sports coaches must hold CPR and AED certification from January 1, 2027.
Does California law require AED inspections?
Yes. Anyone who acquires an AED must keep it maintained and tested to the maker's guidelines, test it at least biannually and after each use, and inspect it at least every 90 days for signs of trouble. Health studios must confirm the AED is ready after every use and at least every 30 days.
Do you have to register an AED in California?
There’s no formal registration, but you must report the AED. Anyone who acquires an AED must tell an agent of the local EMS agency that the AED exists, where it is and what type it is. The owner's civil immunity also depends on meeting this duty.
What does California law require after an AED is used?
Only in some settings. At health studios the rescuer must activate EMS as soon as possible, and the written plan must call for notifying 911 right away. Utility worksite programs must require AED users to activate EMS as soon as possible.
Are AEDs required in California schools?
California law requires AEDs at every school that offers interscholastic athletics (at least one AED, available at on-campus athletic events).
Do California schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. School districts and charter schools that offer interscholastic athletics must have a written emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest that shows where emergency equipment is and, since July 1, 2024, how often the steps are rehearsed (Education Code § 35179.4).
Do gyms in California need an AED?
California law requires AEDs at health studios (membership gyms; hotel gyms for guests are exempt).
Do swimming pools in California need an AED?
California law requires AEDs at public swimming pools that charge a fee and must have lifeguards.
Are AEDs required at youth sports in California?
California law requires AEDs at youth sports practices and games (from January 1, 2028).
What does the California Good Samaritan law cover?
California's Good Samaritan law shields anyone who, in good faith without being paid, gives emergency medical or nonmedical help at an emergency, unless the act is grossly negligent or willful or wanton. Emergency rooms and other places that usually offer medical care do not count as the scene.
Does the California Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes, with conditions. An unpaid good-faith rescuer is protected, but the owner is protected only if it met § 1797.196's duties: EMS notice, maintenance and testing, 90-day inspections and records (Civ. Code § 1714.21).