Kentucky AED requirements at a glance
Here is what Kentucky 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 by the manufacturer's operating guidelines (KRS 311.667(1)(b)). |
| Train expected users | Yes | Anyone who acquires an AED must make sure expected users take an AHA, Red Cross or equivalent national CPR and AED course (KRS 311.667(1)(a)). |
| 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 system and the local emergency communications or dispatch center that the AED exists, where it is and what type it is (KRS 311.667(2)). |
| Physician medical direction | No | No physician oversight duty since July 15, 2024. HB 22 (2024 Ky. Acts ch. 66) deleted the old rule that a Kentucky physician oversee the program, set deployment protocols and review each use (KRS 311.667). |
| Report each AED use | No | No use-reporting duty since July 15, 2024. HB 22 (2024 Ky. Acts ch. 66) removed the rule that an AED program report each clinical use to its physician (KRS 311.667). |
| Written plan or records | Limited | No general rule for AED owners. |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | Yes | The AED's acquirer must make sure that anyone who uses the AED on a person in cardiac arrest activates the local EMS system as soon as possible (KRS 311.667(1)(c)). |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | Since June 29, 2023, every public school's emergency plan must include a written cardiac emergency response plan and an AED location map. It goes to staff and first responders, is reviewed yearly, and is rehearsed before each athletic season (KRS 158.162(2)). |
| Other requirements | Limited | No general rule for AED owners. |
| AEDs required at specific sites | Yes | Schools and school sports. See the list below. |
Compare nearby states: Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in Kentucky?
No. Kentucky law doesn’t require a physician to oversee an AED program.
No physician oversight duty since July 15, 2024. HB 22 (2024 Ky. Acts ch. 66) deleted the old rule that a Kentucky physician oversee the program, set deployment protocols and review each use (KRS 311.667).
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
Yes. Kentucky law requires CPR and AED training for the people expected to use an AED.
Anyone who acquires an AED must make sure expected users take an AHA, Red Cross or equivalent national CPR and AED course (KRS 311.667(1)(a)).
Each school needs at least three employees and all interscholastic coaches AED-trained, and coaches keep CPR certification (KRS 158.162(3)(e); KRS 160.445(1)).
High school students get CPR training with AED awareness (KRS 158.302).
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. Kentucky law requires AED owners to keep each AED maintained and tested.
Anyone who acquires an AED must make sure it is maintained and tested by the manufacturer's operating guidelines (KRS 311.667(1)(b)).
Schools must adopt policies for meeting the AED law's maintenance rules (KRS 158.162(3)(e)2).
Written plan and records: No general rule for AED owners. Each public school must adopt written AED-use procedures and compliance policies, and keep a written emergency plan that shows each AED's location (KRS 158.162(2)-(3)). Schools in interscholastic athletics keep written venue-specific emergency action plans and compliance records (KRS 160.445(5), (7)).
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. Kentucky 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 system and the local emergency communications or dispatch center that the AED exists, where it is and what type it is (KRS 311.667(2)). Public schools also report the number and location of their AEDs to the Kentucky Department of Education each year (KRS 158.162(3)(e)5; KRS 158.1621).
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. Kentucky law requires the person who uses an AED to call 911 or notify EMS.
Calling 911: The AED's acquirer must make sure that anyone who uses the AED on a person in cardiac arrest activates the local EMS system as soon as possible (KRS 311.667(1)(c)).
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 Kentucky
Yes. Kentucky law requires AEDs at two kinds of sites.
- Every public school building (each school under a local board of education), elementary schools included since July 15, 2024 KRS 158.162 (amended 2024 Ky. Acts chs. 165 and 208, eff. July 15, 2024)
- School-sanctioned athletic practices and competitions at public schools (as funds become available) KRS 158.162 (amended 2024 Ky. Acts chs. 165 and 208, eff. July 15, 2024)
School cardiac emergency plans: Since June 29, 2023, every public school's emergency plan must include a written cardiac emergency response plan and an AED location map. It goes to staff and first responders, is reviewed yearly, and is rehearsed before each athletic season (KRS 158.162(2)). Schools in interscholastic athletics also need posted venue-specific emergency action plans that show the AED (KRS 160.445(5)).
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Other Kentucky AED rules
No general rule for AED owners.
Public schools must keep the AED in a public, readily accessible, well-marked spot in every school building (KRS 158.162(3)(e)).
Off-campus nonathletic school events need a written event plan that names any assigned AED (KRS 158.162(3)(f)).
Does Kentucky's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Partly. Kentucky protects people who use an AED in good faith, but its protection for the AED’s owner is narrower.
What the Kentucky (KY) Good Samaritan law covers: KRS 411.148 covers only certain people: licensed physicians and nurses, certified EMTs, people certified by the AHA or Red Cross in CPR, and school board employees with current first aid certification, when they give emergency care at the scene outside a medical setting. It does not cover willful or wanton misconduct or care given for pay.
AED-specific protection: Any person or organization that, in good faith, uses an AED without being paid is immune from personal injury claims, but only when acting as a reasonably prudent person would, so ordinary negligence is not covered. The same immunity extends to the AED's site, the placing physician and trainers. Good Samaritans who use an AED are exempt from the KRS 311.667 owner duties.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on Kentucky’s official legislature or code website.
- KRS 311.665: Legislative intent for use of automated external defibrillators
- KRS 311.667 (amended 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 66, eff. July 15, 2024): Requirements for person or entity acquiring an automated external defibrillator
- KRS 311.668 (amended 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 66, eff. July 15, 2024): Immunity from civil liability for user of automated external defibrillator; exemption from KRS 311.667 for Good Samaritan
- KRS 311.669: Professionals to whom KRS 311.665 to 311.669 does not apply
- 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 66 (HB 22), signed April 4, 2024: An Act relating to automated external defibrillators
- KRS 411.148: Nonliability of licensees and certified technicians for emergency care
- KRS 158.162 (amended 2024 Ky. Acts chs. 165 and 208, eff. July 15, 2024): Mandatory adoption of emergency management response plan in each school; school to maintain portable automated external defibrillators
- KRS 158.1621: Reporting of number of portable automated external defibrillators
- KRS 158.302: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training required for high school students
- KRS 160.445: Sports safety course required for interscholastic coaches; venue-specific emergency action plans
- 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 165 (HB 331), eff. June 29, 2023: An Act relating to the emergency medical preparedness of schools
- 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 208 (HB 169), eff. July 15, 2024: Amendments to KRS 158.162 and 158.1622 (AEDs in every school building)
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 Kentucky
AED Log keeps the records Kentucky 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.
Kentucky AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in Kentucky?
No. Kentucky law requires AEDs only at schools and school sports, not at businesses in general, and federal OSHA has no AED standard.
Where does Kentucky law require an AED?
Kentucky law requires AEDs in schools and school sports. See the full list, with each statute, on this page.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in Kentucky?
No. Kentucky 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 Kentucky?
Yes. Anyone who acquires an AED must make sure expected users take an AHA, Red Cross or equivalent national CPR and AED course. Each school needs at least three employees and all interscholastic coaches AED-trained, and coaches keep CPR certification.
Does Kentucky law require AED inspections?
Yes. Anyone who acquires an AED must make sure it is maintained and tested by the manufacturer's operating guidelines (KRS 311.667(1)(b)). Schools must adopt policies for meeting the AED law's maintenance rules (KRS 158.162(3)(e)2).
Do you have to register an AED in Kentucky?
There’s no formal registration, but you must report the AED. Anyone who acquires an AED must tell an agent of the local EMS system and the local emergency communications or dispatch center that the AED exists, where it is and what type it is (KRS 311.667(2)).
What does Kentucky law require after an AED is used?
The AED's acquirer must make sure that anyone who uses the AED on a person in cardiac arrest activates the local EMS system as soon as possible (KRS 311.667(1)(c)).
Are AEDs required in Kentucky schools?
Kentucky law requires AEDs at every public school building (each school under a local board of education), elementary schools included since July 15, 2024, plus school-sanctioned athletic practices and competitions at public schools (as funds become available).
Do Kentucky schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. Since June 29, 2023, every public school's emergency plan must include a written cardiac emergency response plan and an AED location map. It goes to staff and first responders, is reviewed yearly, and is rehearsed before each athletic season (KRS 158.162(2)).
Do gyms in Kentucky need an AED?
No. Kentucky law doesn’t require health clubs or gyms to have an AED.
What does the Kentucky Good Samaritan law cover?
KRS 411.148 covers only certain people: licensed physicians and nurses, certified EMTs, people certified by the AHA or Red Cross in CPR, and school board employees with current first aid certification, when they give emergency care at the scene outside a medical setting.
Does the Kentucky Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes for the rescuer, less so for the owner. Users and AED sites are covered only when the rescuer acted as a reasonably prudent person would, so ordinary negligence is not shielded and the site's protection rises and falls with the rescuer's (KRS 311.668).
Which Kentucky laws cover AEDs?
Kentucky’s AED rules come from KRS 311.665; KRS 311.667 (amended 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 66, eff. July 15, 2024); KRS 311.668 (amended 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 66, eff. July 15, 2024); KRS 311.669; and eight more, each linked to its official text on this page.