There is no federal law setting AED requirements for gyms and fitness centers. Requirements are set at the state and sometimes local level. As of 2026, about 24 to 25 states have some form of AED requirement for health clubs and fitness facilities, often tied to membership size, facility type, or whether the facility operates during staffed or unstaffed hours.
Many additional states have strong official guidance or insurer expectations that functionally create the same pressure even without a binding statute.
⚠️ Multi-state operators: For facilities operating in multiple states, confirm each jurisdiction’s current requirements independently. State laws in this area change regularly and thresholds vary significantly.
State-level requirements: examples with verified thresholds
Rather than list all states, the following are well-documented examples that illustrate how requirements differ in scope:
🗽 New York
Health clubs with 50 or more members must have an AED on premises and a trained employee available during staffed hours.
🌴 California
Membership-based health studios are covered under Health & Safety Code §104113, which requires an AED, trained staff, and proper maintenance and testing.
🦐 Louisiana
Physical fitness facilities with more than 50 members are covered under the state’s Health Club Act.
🔔 Pennsylvania
Fitness facilities operating during unstaffed hours must have a defibrillator accessible; staffed facilities must have a CPR-certified person available on site during operating hours.
These examples show the pattern: most state mandates do not apply to every gym equally. Thresholds based on membership count, staffing model, or facility classification determine whether a specific facility falls under the law. Confirm your state’s current statute before assuming either that you are covered or that you are exempt.
What gym AED programs typically need to include
Where a state mandate applies, and as a best-practice baseline even where one does not, a complete fitness facility AED program covers these elements.
At minimum one functional, accessible AED on the exercise floor during all operating hours including evening and weekend sessions.
Most state laws and industry guidance require at least one CPR/AED-certified employee physically on premises during staffed hours, not just someone reachable by phone. Acceptable certification providers in most statutes include the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, and ASHI-aligned courses. Certification typically requires renewal every 1 to 2 years depending on the certifying body and state.
A written plan naming who calls 911, who retrieves the AED, who performs CPR, and how EMS is met and handed off. This is not the same as a posted notice — it is an operational plan that staff practice and can execute under stress. Staff need to know their roles before an event occurs.
Some states require AED locations to be registered with local EMS or the state Department of Health so 911 dispatchers can direct callers to the nearest device. Confirm whether your state requires this and whether it needs annual updates.
Monthly documented inspections are widely treated as the defensible standard in state guidance, insurer expectations, and best-practice checklists. Each inspection should confirm the status indicator, battery and pad expiration dates (adult and pediatric tracked separately), cabinet condition, and rescue kit contents. Logs should be retained for the duration required by your state.
AED placement in a fitness facility
There is no single “one AED per X square feet” rule in most state laws. Most best-practice guidance and several state laws aim for AEDs to be reachable and usable within approximately 3 minutes from any point in the facility. Large or multi-building facilities typically need multiple devices to meet this standard.
Cardiac arrest risk in gyms is not evenly distributed. High-exertion zones generate disproportionately higher risk per square foot than locker rooms or reception areas. Placement should reflect that:
One AED near the main desk or primary workout floor
Dedicated coverage for cardio equipment areas — highest risk per occupant
Dedicated AED for free-weight floors and strength training areas
Group fitness studios, basketball and racquet courts
Aquatic areas require dedicated AED access — distance to main floor AED often exceeds 3 minutes
At least one AED per floor positioned within a 3-minute retrieval window from the most remote point
24-hour and unstaffed facilities
Pennsylvania’s staffed versus unstaffed distinction is not unique. For partially or fully unstaffed facilities, common compliance and risk-management practices include:
⚡ An alarmed, accessible AED cabinet near the main entrance or check-in area
📍 Visible signage at every entrance showing the AED location, the facility’s full address, and emergency contact information
📞 Clear member instructions on how to summon help when no staff are present, including posted 911 instructions and emergency call buttons where available
⚠️ Unstaffed reality: An unstaffed facility cannot rely on a trained employee being present. The program needs to assume any member may be the first responder.
The insurance angle (applies even without a state mandate)
Even in states with no specific gym AED statute, general liability insurers and risk managers increasingly expect AEDs in fitness facilities. A cardiac arrest at a facility without an AED, in a state where most comparable facilities have one, can increase exposure in a negligence claim even if no statute explicitly required the device.
All 50 states provide some immunity for good-faith AED use. Protection is typically conditional on acting without gross negligence and following basic program requirements such as maintenance and registration where required. Many states extend protection to paid employees acting within their job duties, but the exact rules vary by state. For gym owners, immunity is strongest when the AED program is registered where required, properly maintained, and supported by trained staff and a written emergency plan.
💡 AED Log tracks inspection schedules, expiration dates, staff certifications, and EMS registration status across every location — with 60 and 30-day alerts before anything lapses.
Common compliance failures in fitness facilities
- AED stored in a manager’s office rather than on the exercise floor
- One certified employee on the staff roster but never actually scheduled on the floor during peak hours
- No written emergency action plan, or a plan that staff have never reviewed or practiced
- Single AED for a large, multi-level facility where retrieval from the cardio deck or pool area exceeds the 3-minute window
- Adult pad expiration tracked, pediatric pad expiration on a separate unmonitored cycle
- AED not registered with local EMS after a facility renovation moved the device
Managing AED compliance across multiple locations
A single gym with one AED is straightforward. A fitness brand managing 20 locations across multiple states, each with different threshold requirements, different pad and battery expiration cycles, and trainer certification renewals on staggered dates, is a different scale of problem entirely.
AED Log tracks inspection schedules, battery and pad expirations (adult and pediatric separately), staff certification dates, and EMS registration status across every location in one dashboard. Alerts fire 60 and 30 days before any expiration. Every record is timestamped and exportable for audits or insurer requests. Pricing is based on the number of AEDs in your program, starting free on 1 AED.
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✓ Adult & pediatric pad tracking
✓ Staff cert expiration alerts