Georgia AED requirements at a glance
Here is what Georgia 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 make sure it is maintained and tested to the maker's operating guidelines (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(B)). |
| Train expected users | Yes | Acquirers must make sure expected users get AHA or Red Cross CPR and AED training or an equivalent national course (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(A)). Training for everyone with access is only recommended (§ 31-11-53.1(b)(1)). |
| Notify agencies of AEDs | Yes | Through AED placement reporting: see that row. |
| Register the program | No | Not in state law. |
| Report AED locations | Yes | Everyone who has and maintains an AED must tell the 911 center (public safety answering point) that it exists and where it is before putting it in use (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.1(b)(2), as amended July 1, 2026). |
| Physician medical direction | Yes | Acquirers must involve a licensed physician, or another person the Georgia Composite Medical Board authorizes, in the site's AED program to oversee training, notification and maintenance (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(C)). About medical direction |
| Report each AED use | Yes | Acquirers must make sure anyone who uses the AED reports any clinical use to the licensed physician or authorized person supervising the program (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(D)). |
| Written plan or records | Limited | No general rule. |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | Yes | Anyone who uses an AED must activate EMS as soon as reasonably possible by calling 911 or the local emergency number (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.1(b)(3)). Acquirers must also make sure users activate EMS (§ 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(D)). |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | Every public K-12 school must have a written cardiac emergency action plan, a trained internal response team of five or more staff, and, starting in 2025-2026, at least two practice drills a year, one per semester (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-775(c)(5)-(7), as amended by HB 874, effective July 1, 2024). |
| Other requirements | Limited | No general rule. |
| AEDs required at specific sites | Yes | Schools. See the list below. |
Compare nearby states: Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in Georgia?
Yes. Georgia law requires a physician (or another licensed practitioner it names) to be involved in an AED program.
Acquirers must involve a licensed physician, or another person the Georgia Composite Medical Board authorizes, in the site's AED program to oversee training, notification and maintenance (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(C)).
Public schools have the same duty (§ 20-2-775(c)(4)); a 2026 bill to drop it for schools (HB 629) stalled in the Senate.
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. Georgia law requires CPR and AED training for the people expected to use an AED.
Acquirers must make sure expected users get AHA or Red Cross CPR and AED training or an equivalent national course (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(A)). Training for everyone with access is only recommended (§ 31-11-53.1(b)(1)).
Public schools train their internal response team and other expected users (§ 20-2-775(c)(1)).
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. Georgia law requires AED owners to keep each AED maintained and tested.
Anyone who acquires an AED must make sure it is maintained and tested to the maker's operating guidelines (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(B)).
Public K-12 schools have the same duty, and each school's AED lead handles upkeep (§ 20-2-775(c)(3), (c)(7)(D)).
Written plan and records: No general rule. Each public K-12 school must have a written emergency action plan for cardiac emergencies that follows national standards (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-775(c)(5)).
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. Georgia requires AED owners to tell EMS, or another agency the law names, that they have an AED and where it is.
Placement reporting: Everyone who has and maintains an AED must tell the 911 center (public safety answering point) that it exists and where it is before putting it in use (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.1(b)(2), as amended July 1, 2026). Acquirers must also tell the emergency communications or dispatch center its location and type (§ 31-11-53.2(b)(2)).
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 Georgia, the rescuer must call 911, and each use has to be reported.
Calling 911: Anyone who uses an AED must activate EMS as soon as reasonably possible by calling 911 or the local emergency number (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.1(b)(3)). Acquirers must also make sure users activate EMS (§ 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(D)).
Reporting the use: Acquirers must make sure anyone who uses the AED reports any clinical use to the licensed physician or authorized person supervising the program (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(D)). The separate duty to give the transporting EMS provider a use report was repealed effective July 1, 2026 (SB 399).
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 Georgia
Yes. Georgia law requires AEDs at one kind of site.
- Every public K-12 school (at least one working AED on site at all times) O.C.G.A. § 20-2-775 (as amended by 2024 HB 874, effective July 1, 2024)
School cardiac emergency plans: Every public K-12 school must have a written cardiac emergency action plan, a trained internal response team of five or more staff, and, starting in 2025-2026, at least two practice drills a year, one per semester (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-775(c)(5)-(7), as amended by HB 874, effective July 1, 2024).
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Other Georgia AED rules
No general rule.
Public schools must keep the AED easy to reach during school hours and school events, and tell all staff where AEDs are and who is on the response team (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-775(b), (c)(8)).
Does Georgia's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Yes. Under Georgia law, anyone using an AED in good faith is protected, and so is the AED’s owner, with only the usual exceptions.
What the Georgia (GA) Good Samaritan law covers: Anyone, including doctors, who gives emergency care in good faith at an accident or emergency without charging for it can’t be held liable for civil damages from that care (O.C.G.A. § 51-1-29). The text lists no gross negligence exception.
AED-specific protection: A person who uses an AED in good faith, without pay and without the victim's objection, is immune unless the conduct is willful or wanton, and training is not required. The owner or operator of the premises that installs or provides the AED shares the same immunity; the immunity statute itself sets no maintenance or program condition.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on Georgia’s official legislature or code website.
- O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.1 (as amended by 2026 SB 399, the Mason Sells AED Coordination Act; effective July 1, 2026): Automated external defibrillator program; notification; first responder liability
- O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2: Guidelines for use of AEDs by lay rescuers (acquirer duties)
- O.C.G.A. § 51-1-29.3: Immunity for emergency care using an AED
- O.C.G.A. § 51-1-29: Good Samaritan: emergency care at the scene
- O.C.G.A. § 20-2-775 (as amended by 2024 HB 874, effective July 1, 2024): AEDs, emergency action plans, internal response teams and drills in public schools
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 Georgia
AED Log keeps the records Georgia 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.
Georgia AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in Georgia?
No. Georgia law requires AEDs only at schools, not at businesses in general, and federal OSHA has no AED standard.
Where does Georgia law require an AED?
Georgia law requires AEDs in schools. See the full list, with each statute, on this page.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in Georgia?
Yes. Acquirers must involve a licensed physician, or another person the Georgia Composite Medical Board authorizes, in the site's AED program to oversee training, notification and maintenance. Public schools have the same duty; a 2026 bill to drop it for schools stalled in the Senate.
Is AED training required in Georgia?
Yes. Acquirers must make sure expected users get AHA or Red Cross CPR and AED training or an equivalent national course. Training for everyone with access is only recommended. Public schools train their internal response team and other expected users.
Does Georgia law require AED inspections?
Yes. Anyone who acquires an AED must make sure it is maintained and tested to the maker's operating guidelines (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(B)). Public K-12 schools have the same duty, and each school's AED lead handles upkeep (§ 20-2-775(c)(3), (c)(7)(D)).
Do you have to register an AED in Georgia?
There’s no formal registration, but you must report the AED. Everyone who has and maintains an AED must tell the 911 center (public safety answering point) that it exists and where it is before putting it in use (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.1(b)(2), as amended July 1, 2026).
What does Georgia law require after an AED is used?
Anyone who uses an AED must activate EMS as soon as reasonably possible by calling 911 or the local emergency number (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.1(b)(3)). Acquirers must also make sure users activate EMS (§ 31-11-53.2(b)(1)(D)).
Are AEDs required in Georgia schools?
Georgia law requires AEDs at every public K-12 school (at least one working AED on site at all times).
Do Georgia schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. Every public K-12 school must have a written cardiac emergency action plan, a trained internal response team of five or more staff, and, starting in 2025-2026, at least two practice drills a year, one per semester (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-775(c)(5)-(7), as amended by HB 874, effective July 1, 2024).
Do gyms in Georgia need an AED?
No. Georgia law doesn’t require health clubs or gyms to have an AED.
What does the Georgia Good Samaritan law cover?
Anyone, including doctors, who gives emergency care in good faith at an accident or emergency without charging for it can’t be held liable for civil damages from that care (O.C.G.A. § 51-1-29). The text lists no gross negligence exception.
Does the Georgia Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes. Anyone who uses an AED in good faith without pay, and the owner of the premises that provides it, are immune except for willful or wanton misconduct, with no upkeep or training condition in the text (O.C.G.A. § 51-1-29.3).
Which Georgia laws cover AEDs?
Georgia’s AED rules come from O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.1 (as amended by 2026 SB 399, the Mason Sells AED Coordination Act; effective July 1, 2026); O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.2; O.C.G.A. § 51-1-29.3; O.C.G.A. § 51-1-29; and one more, each linked to its official text on this page.