Virginia AED requirements at a glance
Here is what Virginia 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 | Limited | No general rule for AED owners. |
| Train expected users | Limited | No general rule. |
| Notify agencies of AEDs | Limited | Through program registration: see that row. |
| Register the program | Limited | No general rule. |
| Report AED locations | No | No general rule. |
| Physician medical direction | No | Not required. A physician who supervises an AED without pay is protected from liability for good-faith advice, but no law requires one (§ 8.01-225(B)). |
| Report each AED use | No | Not in state law. |
| Written plan or records | Limited | No general rule. |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | No | No rule to call 911 after a use. |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | Each public elementary and secondary school has to develop and carry out a cardiac emergency response plan or an athletic emergency action plan, added in 2025. Schools with athletics must always have one in place. Plans need a response team, annual drills, AED placement, staff training, EMS integration and yearly review (§ 22.1-271.9). |
| Other requirements | Limited | Public schools: AEDs must have signage, be on site or in an unlocked spot, and be reachable within three minutes (§ 22.1-271.9(B)(7)). |
| AEDs required at specific sites | Yes | Schools, school sports, health clubs, nursing homes or assisted living, some government buildings and some dental offices. See the list below. |
Compare nearby states: Maryland, District of Columbia, West Virginia and Kentucky, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in Virginia?
No. Virginia law doesn’t require a physician to oversee an AED program.
Not required. A physician who supervises an AED without pay is protected from liability for good-faith advice, but no law requires one (§ 8.01-225(B))
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
Only in certain settings. Virginia doesn’t require training for AED owners in general, but the law names some settings that must train people.
No general rule.
Public schools: at least three staff per building with current first aid, CPR and AED training, or two if under 10 staff (§ 22.1-274(E)).
School cardiac plans must train nurses, athletic trainers and coaches (§ 22.1-271.9(B)(8)).
Assisted living and nursing homes: staff trained to use the AED (2026) (§§ 63.2-1701(B), 32.1-127(B)(35))
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
Only in certain settings. Virginia sets maintenance rules for some AED owners, not all.
No general rule for AED owners.
Public schools: each school's cardiac plan must cover placing and routinely maintaining AEDs, and each school board's AED plan must cover their care (§§ 22.1-271.9(B)(5), 22.1-274.4).
Local government sports facilities and events: from July 1, 2028, each AED must be maintained and tested per the manufacturer (§ 15.2-1808.1(F))
Written plan and records: No general rule. Every public school must have a cardiac emergency response plan, which the law defines as a written document, and review it every year (§ 22.1-271.9). School boards and, from July 1, 2028, localities with sports facilities must also have AED placement, care and use plans (§§ 22.1-274.4, 15.2-1808.1(B)).
Either way, the manufacturer’s instructions are the standard to follow: 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
Only in some cases. Virginia doesn’t require every AED owner to register or report AED locations.
Registration: No general rule. Starting July 1, 2028, each AED a locality keeps at its sports facilities and events must be registered with the local EMS agency (§ 15.2-1808.1(F)).
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. Virginia 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 Virginia
Yes. Virginia law requires AEDs at eight kinds of sites.
- Every public elementary and secondary school Va. Code § 22.1-274.4
- Public school athletic venues (reachable within three minutes, under the school’s cardiac plan) Va. Code § 22.1-271.9
- Every health club location (nonprofits such as the YMCA, member-owned clubs and some others are exempt) Va. Code § 59.1-296.2:2 (definitions in § 59.1-296)
- Assisted living facilities (with staff trained to use it) Va. Code § 63.2-1701(B)
- Nursing homes and certified nursing facilities (with staff trained to use it) Va. Code § 32.1-127(B)(35)
- Local government sports facilities (from July 1, 2028, with more AEDs for larger sites) Va. Code § 15.2-1808.1 (effective July 1, 2028)
- Sporting events a locality organizes or sponsors (from July 1, 2028) Va. Code § 15.2-1808.1 (effective July 1, 2028)
- Dental offices that give moderate or deep sedation or general anesthesia (a defibrillator is required) 18VAC60-21-291(B) and 18VAC60-21-301(C)
School cardiac emergency plans: Each public elementary and secondary school has to develop and carry out a cardiac emergency response plan or an athletic emergency action plan, added in 2025. Schools with athletics must always have one in place. Plans need a response team, annual drills, AED placement, staff training, EMS integration and yearly review (§ 22.1-271.9).
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Other Virginia AED rules
Public schools: AEDs must have signage, be on site or in an unlocked spot, and be reachable within three minutes (§ 22.1-271.9(B)(7)).
Local government sports AEDs, from July 1, 2028: clearly marked, publicly accessible, with signs showing the location (§ 15.2-1808.1(F))
Does Virginia's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Yes. Under Virginia law, anyone using an AED in good faith is protected, and so is the AED’s owner, with only the usual exceptions.
What the Virginia (VA) Good Samaritan law covers: Anyone who gives emergency care in good faith without being paid at an accident, fire or other life-threatening emergency, or on the way to a hospital, can’t be held liable for civil damages. A separate clause covers unpaid, good-faith CPR and defibrillation, including AED use, and deems the rescuer qualified to give it.
AED-specific protection: An unpaid, good-faith rescuer who uses an AED is protected and is treated as qualified to use it. Whoever maintains an AED on property it owns or controls is immune from injury claims over its emergency use unless grossly negligent or willful or wanton, with no program duties attached.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on Virginia’s official legislature or code website.
- Va. Code § 8.01-225: Persons rendering emergency care, obstetrical services exempt from liability (Good Samaritan, incl. AED)
- Va. Code § 22.1-274.4: Public elementary and secondary schools; automated external defibrillators required
- Va. Code § 22.1-271.9: Cardiac emergency response or emergency action plans required (2025, cc. 372, 382)
- Va. Code § 22.1-274(E): School health services (first aid, CPR and AED training for staff)
- Va. Code § 59.1-296.2:2 (definitions in § 59.1-296): Health clubs: automated external defibrillator required
- Va. Code § 63.2-1701(B): Assisted living facility licenses (AED and trained staff, 2026, c. 323)
- Va. Code § 32.1-127(B)(35): Nursing home and certified nursing facility regulations (AED and trained staff, 2026, c. 323)
- Va. Code § 15.2-1808.1 (effective July 1, 2028): Automated external defibrillators required at local government sporting events and sporting facilities (2026, c. 481)
- 18VAC60-21-291(B) and 18VAC60-21-301(C): Board of Dentistry: equipment for moderate sedation, deep sedation and general anesthesia
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 Virginia
AED Log keeps the records Virginia 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)
- 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.
Virginia AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in Virginia?
Only certain kinds. Virginia law requires AEDs at health clubs, nursing homes or assisted living and some dental offices. Other businesses aren’t required to have one by Virginia law, and federal OSHA has no AED standard.
Where does Virginia law require an AED?
Virginia law requires AEDs in schools, school sports, health clubs, nursing homes or assisted living, some government buildings and some dental offices. See the full list, with each statute, on this page.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in Virginia?
No. Virginia 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 Virginia?
Only in certain settings. Public schools: at least three staff per building with current first aid, CPR and AED training, or two if under 10 staff. School cardiac plans must train nurses, athletic trainers and coaches. Assisted living and nursing homes: staff trained to use the AED.
Does Virginia law require AED inspections?
Only for some AED owners. Public schools: each school's cardiac plan must cover placing and routinely maintaining AEDs, and each school board's AED plan must cover their care (§§ 22.1-271.9(B)(5), 22.1-274.4).
Do you have to register an AED in Virginia?
Only in some cases. Starting July 1, 2028, each AED a locality keeps at its sports facilities and events must be registered with the local EMS agency (§ 15.2-1808.1(F)).
What does Virginia law require after an AED is used?
Virginia 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 Virginia schools?
Virginia law requires AEDs at every public elementary and secondary school, plus public school athletic venues (reachable within three minutes, under the school’s cardiac plan).
Do Virginia schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. Each public elementary and secondary school has to develop and carry out a cardiac emergency response plan or an athletic emergency action plan, added in 2025. Schools with athletics must always have one in place.
Do gyms in Virginia need an AED?
Virginia law requires AEDs at every health club location (nonprofits such as the YMCA, member-owned clubs and some others are exempt).
Are AEDs required in nursing homes in Virginia?
Virginia law requires AEDs at assisted living facilities (with staff trained to use it) and nursing homes and certified nursing facilities (with staff trained to use it).
Do dental offices in Virginia need an AED?
Virginia law requires AEDs at dental offices that give moderate or deep sedation or general anesthesia (a defibrillator is required).
What does the Virginia Good Samaritan law cover?
Anyone who gives emergency care in good faith without being paid at an accident, fire or other life-threatening emergency, or on the way to a hospital, can’t be held liable for civil damages.
Does the Virginia Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes. An unpaid good-faith rescuer using an AED is protected without training, and whoever maintains an AED on property it owns or controls is protected unless grossly negligent or willful, with no program duties (Va. Code § 8.01-225(A)(6)-(8)).