Kansas AED requirements at a glance
Here is what Kansas 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 | An owner, lessee or controller that provides an AED for others to use is immune only if it has developed, put in place and follows guidelines for proper maintenance and operation of the device (K.S.A. 65-6149a(a)(2)). |
| Train expected users | No | No general rule. |
| Notify agencies of AEDs | Yes | Through program registration: see that row. |
| Register the program | Yes | Anyone who buys, leases, possesses, controls or acquires an AED to be placed in a public place in Kansas must register it with the Emergency Medical Services Board. In force since July 1, 2025; 'public place' is not defined (K.S.A. 65-6149a(b)). |
| Report AED locations | No | No separate duty since July 1, 2025. Before then, owners of public-place AEDs had to notify the local EMS service on Board forms; 2025 HB 2039 replaced that with Board registration (see the registration row). |
| Physician medical direction | No | No rule. A physician who prescribes an AED or helps write its protocols gets immunity, but none is required (K.S.A. 65-6149a(a)(3)). |
| Report each AED use | No | Not in state law. |
| Written plan or records | No | No general rule; the statute does not say the owner's maintenance and operation guidelines must be written. |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | No | No general rule. |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | Since July 1, 2024, each school district board must adopt a cardiac emergency response plan covering every attendance center, based on KDHE's statewide standards. It must place AEDs, form a response team and plan for off-site events. Boards review it yearly and send KDHE a copy (K.S.A. 72-6288). |
| Other requirements | No | Not in state law. |
| AEDs required at specific sites | No | Not in state law. |
Compare nearby states: Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma and Colorado, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in Kansas?
No. Kansas law doesn’t require a physician to oversee an AED program.
No rule. A physician who prescribes an AED or helps write its protocols gets immunity, but none is required (K.S.A. 65-6149a(a)(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
No. Kansas law doesn’t require AED training for AED owners in general.
No general rule.
School district cardiac plans must name staff for AED and CPR training, and coaches, athletic trainers, school nurses and named staff must rehearse the plan before each season or school year (K.S.A. 72-6288(b)(6)-(7)).
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. Kansas law requires AED owners to keep each AED maintained and tested.
An owner, lessee or controller that provides an AED for others to use is immune only if it has developed, put in place and follows guidelines for proper maintenance and operation of the device (K.S.A. 65-6149a(a)(2)).
School district cardiac plans must cover routine AED maintenance (K.S.A. 72-6288(b)(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. Kansas requires AED programs to register.
Registration: Anyone who buys, leases, possesses, controls or acquires an AED to be placed in a public place in Kansas must register it with the Emergency Medical Services Board. In force since July 1, 2025; 'public place' is not defined (K.S.A. 65-6149a(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
No. Kansas law doesn’t require a report after an AED is used.
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 Kansas
No. Kansas law doesn’t require AEDs at any particular kind of site.
That doesn’t make an AED optional everywhere: insurers, landlords, accreditors and other rules can still ask for one, and an AED is the only treatment that can restart a heart in cardiac arrest.
School cardiac emergency plans: Since July 1, 2024, each school district board must adopt a cardiac emergency response plan covering every attendance center, based on KDHE's statewide standards. It must place AEDs, form a response team and plan for off-site events. Boards review it yearly and send KDHE a copy (K.S.A. 72-6288).
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Does Kansas's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Yes, with conditions. Kansas 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 Kansas (KS) Good Samaritan law covers: A person who is not a health care provider and who gives emergency care in good faith without being paid at an emergency or accident can’t be held liable for civil damages except for gross negligence or willful or wanton acts (K.S.A. 65-2891b). Health care providers, including people with Red Cross or AHA first aid certificates, have a similar rule at the scene (K.S.A. 65-2891).
AED-specific protection: A person who uses or provides an AED in good faith is protected from civil damages while acting as an ordinary reasonably prudent person would; an unpaid rescuer also has the general law's protection unless grossly negligent. An owner that provides an AED for others is protected only if it has, uses and follows guidelines for proper maintenance and operation.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on Kansas’s official legislature or code website.
- K.S.A. 65-6149a (as amended by L. 2025, ch. 85, § 10, effective July 1, 2025): Automated external defibrillator; use and possession, immunity from liability; registration of unit; placement of units in state facilities
- 2025 HB 2039, § 10 (L. 2025, ch. 85): Replaced the local EMS notice with registration with the Emergency Medical Services Board
- K.S.A. 65-2891b: Emergency care by non-health care providers; liability
- K.S.A. 65-2891: Emergency care by healthcare providers (includes holders of Red Cross, AHA and similar first aid certificates)
- K.S.A. 72-6288 (L. 2024, ch. 77, § 7, effective July 1, 2024): Cardiac emergency response plans
- K.A.R. 71-5-11(e)(3): Level II permit: parenteral conscious sedation (dentists)
- K.A.R. 71-5-12(e)(2): Level III permit: deep sedation and general anesthesia (dentists)
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 Kansas
AED Log keeps the records Kansas 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)
- 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.
Kansas AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in Kansas?
No. Neither Kansas law nor federal OSHA requires businesses to have an AED. An insurer, landlord or accreditor may still ask for one.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in Kansas?
No. Kansas 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 Kansas?
Not for AED owners in general. School district cardiac plans must name staff for AED and CPR training, and coaches, athletic trainers, school nurses and named staff must rehearse the plan before each season or school year (K.S.A. 72-6288(b)(6)-(7)).
Does Kansas law require AED inspections?
Yes, as a condition of civil immunity. An owner, lessee or controller that provides an AED for others to use is immune only if it has developed, put in place and follows guidelines for proper maintenance and operation of the device. School district cardiac plans must cover routine AED maintenance.
Do you have to register an AED in Kansas?
Yes. Anyone who buys, leases, possesses, controls or acquires an AED to be placed in a public place in Kansas must register it with the Emergency Medical Services Board. In force since July 1, 2025; 'public place' is not defined (K.S.A. 65-6149a(b)).
What does Kansas law require after an AED is used?
Kansas law doesn’t require a report after an AED is used. Call 911 anyway, then replace the pads, check the AED and its rescue kit, and write down what happened while it’s fresh.
Are AEDs required in Kansas schools?
No. Kansas law doesn’t require AEDs in schools or at school sports. It does require schools to have a cardiac emergency response plan.
Do Kansas schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. Since July 1, 2024, each school district board must adopt a cardiac emergency response plan covering every attendance center, based on KDHE's statewide standards. It must place AEDs, form a response team and plan for off-site events. Boards review it yearly and send KDHE a copy.
Do gyms in Kansas need an AED?
No. Kansas law doesn’t require health clubs or gyms to have an AED.
What does the Kansas Good Samaritan law cover?
A person who is not a health care provider and who gives emergency care in good faith without being paid at an emergency or accident can’t be held liable for civil damages except for gross negligence or willful or wanton acts (K.S.A. 65-2891b).
Does the Kansas Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes, with conditions. A good-faith AED user acting as a reasonably prudent person is protected, but an owner is protected only if it has and follows guidelines for proper maintenance and operation (K.S.A. 65-6149a(a)).
Which Kansas laws cover AEDs?
Kansas’s AED rules come from K.S.A. 65-6149a (as amended by L. 2025, ch. 85, § 10, effective July 1, 2025); 2025 HB 2039, § 10 (L. 2025, ch. 85); K.S.A. 65-2891b; K.S.A. 65-2891; and three more, each linked to its official text on this page.