Louisiana AED requirements at a glance
Here is what Louisiana 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 possesses an AED must keep it maintained and tested by the manufacturer's guidelines (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(1)). |
| Train expected users | Yes | Possessors must make sure expected users, meaning anyone they designate to give emergency care, get CPR and AED training from a nationally recognized course (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(3)). |
| Notify agencies of AEDs | Yes | Through program registration and AED placement reporting: see those rows. |
| Register the program | Limited | No general registration rule. |
| Report AED locations | Yes | Anyone who possesses an AED must tell a local EMS provider, such as a 911 service, ambulance service or fire department, that it acquired the AED and give its location and type (R.S. 40:1137.3(B)). |
| Physician medical direction | Yes | A licensed physician or an APRN with prescribing authority must be involved in the possessor's program to make sure training, EMS notice and maintenance rules are met (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(2)). About medical direction |
| Report each AED use | Yes | Every clinical use of the AED must be reported to the physician or APRN involved in the possessor's program (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(5)). |
| Written plan or records | Limited | No general rule for all AED owners. |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | Yes | Possessors must make sure EMS is activated as soon as possible whenever someone uses the AED on a person in cardiac arrest (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(4)). The rule puts the call on the person giving the care (LAC 48:I.6103). |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | Since the 2024-25 school year, every elementary, middle and high school (not only public ones) and every college must have a written cardiac emergency response plan for athletic events, prepared with local emergency responders. It covers a response team, AED placement and upkeep, staff training, drills, EMS integration and yearly review (R.S. 40:1137.3(E); LAC 48:I.6105). |
| Other requirements | Limited | No general rule for AED owners. |
| AEDs required at specific sites | Yes | Health clubs, colleges, schools and school sports. See the list below. |
Compare nearby states: Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana law requires a physician (or another licensed practitioner it names) to be involved in an AED program.
A licensed physician or an APRN with prescribing authority must be involved in the possessor's program to make sure training, EMS notice and maintenance rules are met (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(2)).
College registrations must name the person giving medical oversight (LAC 48:I.6105(C)(3)).
AED Log’s Medical Direction add-on covers this for $65 per AED per year, on top of your plan: a licensed physician oversees the program, AED Log handles the paperwork, and each covered AED shows that it’s covered.
Training requirements
Yes. Louisiana law requires CPR and AED training for the people expected to use an AED.
Possessors must make sure expected users, meaning anyone they designate to give emergency care, get CPR and AED training from a nationally recognized course (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(3)).
Colleges and K-12 schools that sponsor athletic events must have a trained AED user, also trained in first-aid CPR, at the event (R.S. 40:1137.3(E)).
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. Louisiana law requires AED owners to keep each AED maintained and tested.
Anyone who possesses an AED must keep it maintained and tested by the manufacturer's guidelines (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(1)).
The rule adds review of warranty expiration for the device, pads and batteries (LAC 48:I.6103).
Fitness facilities must do routine testing and maintenance as the manufacturer prescribes (LAC 48:I.6105(B)).
Written plan and records: No general rule for all AED owners. Every entity that state law requires to have an AED (fitness facilities, colleges, K-12 schools) must keep written CPR and AED guidelines, or a plan, for sudden cardiac arrest (LAC 48:I.6105(A)). Schools and colleges also keep a written cardiac emergency response plan (R.S. 40:1137.3(E)).
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.
EMS notification, registration and placement reporting
Yes. Louisiana requires AED owners to tell EMS, or another agency the law names, that they have an AED and where it is.
Registration: No general registration rule. Since the 2024-25 school year, every elementary, middle and high school and every college must register in the Bureau of EMS Information Management System, listing AED locations, serial numbers, maintenance schedules and trained staff, and update changes within 30 days (LAC 48:I.6105(C)(3), (E)(3)).
Placement reporting: Anyone who possesses an AED must tell a local EMS provider, such as a 911 service, ambulance service or fire department, that it acquired the AED and give its location and type (R.S. 40:1137.3(B)).
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
Yes. In Louisiana, the rescuer must call 911, and each use has to be reported.
Calling 911: Possessors must make sure EMS is activated as soon as possible whenever someone uses the AED on a person in cardiac arrest (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(4)). The rule puts the call on the person giving the care (LAC 48:I.6103).
Reporting the use: Every clinical use of the AED must be reported to the physician or APRN involved in the possessor's program (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(5)).
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 Louisiana
Yes. Louisiana law requires AEDs at five kinds of sites.
- Physical fitness facilities, including clubs, studios, health spas, YMCAs and YWCAs (with more than 50 members) La. R.S. 40:1137.3 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.13; amended 2023 La. Acts No. 234)
- Every college or university, in its athletic department La. R.S. 40:1137.3 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.13; amended 2023 La. Acts No. 234)
- Intercollegiate athletic events (with a trained AED user at the event) La. R.S. 40:1137.3 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.13; amended 2023 La. Acts No. 234)
- Every elementary, middle and high school La. R.S. 40:1137.3 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.13; amended 2023 La. Acts No. 234)
- Interscholastic athletic events (with a trained AED user at the event) La. R.S. 40:1137.3 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.13; amended 2023 La. Acts No. 234)
School cardiac emergency plans: Since the 2024-25 school year, every elementary, middle and high school (not only public ones) and every college must have a written cardiac emergency response plan for athletic events, prepared with local emergency responders. It covers a response team, AED placement and upkeep, staff training, drills, EMS integration and yearly review (R.S. 40:1137.3(E); LAC 48:I.6105).
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Other Louisiana AED rules
No general rule for AED owners.
Fitness facilities, colleges and K-12 schools must restock used AED supplies right after each use and ready the device for the next event (LAC 48:I.6105(B), (C), (E)).
Under the rule's definition, covered AEDs must have pediatric capability (LAC 48:I.6101).
Sellers must tell Louisiana buyers about these requirements (R.S. 40:1137.3(C)).
Does Louisiana's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Yes. Under Louisiana law, anyone using an AED in good faith is protected, and so is the AED’s owner, with only the usual exceptions.
What the Louisiana (LA) Good Samaritan law covers: R.S. 9:2793 protects anyone who, in good faith without being paid, gives emergency care, first aid or rescue at the scene, and it expressly includes AED use. It does not apply to care given as part of a business relationship such as employer and employee, or to intentional or grossly negligent harm, and the protection does not pass to the rescuer's employer or insurer.
AED-specific protection: A rescuer who uses an AED in good faith without being paid is protected by the general Good Samaritan law unless the harm is intentional or grossly negligent. Separately, the AED's purchaser, site owner, expected users, prescriber, program clinician and trainers are shielded from claims tied to operating or failing to operate the AED, with no compliance condition written into the immunity.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on Louisiana’s official legislature or code website.
- La. R.S. 40:1137.2 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.12): Definitions (AED)
- La. R.S. 40:1137.3 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.13; amended 2023 La. Acts No. 234): Persons in possession of AEDs; training, testing, and notification requirements; manufacturer responsibility; possession required
- La. R.S. 40:1137.4 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.14): Limitation of liability
- La. R.S. 9:2793: Gratuitous service at scene of emergency; limitation on liability
- 2023 La. Acts No. 234 (SB 12, Jump Start Your Heart Act): AEDs at postsecondary institutions and elementary, middle and high schools; cardiac emergency response plans; Jump Start Your Heart Fund
- 2023 La. Acts No. 410 (HB 550), § 2 (treasury fund transfers): Transfer of $1,500,000 to the Jump Start Your Heart Fund, contingent on SB 12 becoming law
- LAC 48:I, Chapter 61 (§§ 6101-6105; amended LR 50:688-689, May 2024): Automated External Defibrillators (Louisiana Department of Health, Bureau of EMS)
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 Louisiana
AED Log keeps the records Louisiana 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)
- Physician medical direction for $65 per AED per year (Medical Direction)
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.
Louisiana AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in Louisiana?
Only certain kinds. Louisiana law requires AEDs at health clubs. Other businesses aren’t required to have one by Louisiana law, and federal OSHA has no AED standard.
Where does Louisiana law require an AED?
Louisiana law requires AEDs in health clubs, colleges, schools and school sports. See the full list, with each statute, on this page.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in Louisiana?
Yes. A licensed physician or an APRN with prescribing authority must be involved in the possessor's program to make sure training, EMS notice and maintenance rules are met (R.S. 40:1137.3(A)(2)). College registrations must name the person giving medical oversight (LAC 48:I.6105(C)(3)).
Is AED training required in Louisiana?
Yes. Possessors must make sure expected users, meaning anyone they designate to give emergency care, get CPR and AED training from a nationally recognized course. Colleges and K-12 schools that sponsor athletic events must have a trained AED user, also trained in first-aid CPR, at the event.
Does Louisiana law require AED inspections?
Yes. Anyone who possesses an AED must keep it maintained and tested by the manufacturer's guidelines. The rule adds review of warranty expiration for the device, pads and batteries. Fitness facilities must do routine testing and maintenance as the manufacturer prescribes.
Do you have to register an AED in Louisiana?
Only in some cases. Since the 2024-25 school year, every elementary, middle and high school and every college must register in the Bureau of EMS Information Management System, listing AED locations, serial numbers, maintenance schedules and trained staff, and update changes within 30 days.
What does Louisiana law require after an AED is used?
Possessors must make sure EMS is activated as soon as possible whenever someone uses the AED on a person in cardiac arrest. The rule puts the call on the person giving the care. Every clinical use of the AED must be reported to the physician or APRN involved in the possessor's program.
Are AEDs required in Louisiana schools?
Louisiana law requires AEDs at every elementary, middle and high school, plus interscholastic athletic events (with a trained AED user at the event).
Do Louisiana schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. Since the 2024-25 school year, every elementary, middle and high school (not only public ones) and every college must have a written cardiac emergency response plan for athletic events, prepared with local emergency responders.
Do gyms in Louisiana need an AED?
Louisiana law requires AEDs at physical fitness facilities, including clubs, studios, health spas, YMCAs and YWCAs (with more than 50 members).
Are AEDs required at colleges in Louisiana?
Louisiana law requires AEDs at every college or university, in its athletic department, plus intercollegiate athletic events (with a trained AED user at the event).
What does the Louisiana Good Samaritan law cover?
R.S. 9:2793 protects anyone who, in good faith without being paid, gives emergency care, first aid or rescue at the scene, and it expressly includes AED use.
Does the Louisiana Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes. Any unpaid good-faith rescuer using an AED is covered, and AED purchasers, site owners and expected users are protected with no program conditions, except for gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct (R.S. 9:2793; R.S. 40:1137.4).
Which Louisiana laws cover AEDs?
Louisiana’s AED rules come from La. R.S. 40:1137.2 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.12), La. R.S. 40:1137.3 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.13; amended 2023 La. Acts No. 234), La. R.S. 40:1137.4 (formerly R.S. 40:1236.14), La. R.S. 9:2793 and three more, each linked to its official text on this page.