A plain-language breakdown of CRS 13-21-108.1, the 2025 amendment under SB 25-191, and the related statutes governing AED programs, schools, and dental offices in Colorado.
Colorado’s core AED statute, CRS 13-21-108.1, was amended in 2025 under SB 25-191, and the change matters more than it looks. The old law required written AED program plans, covering placement, training, EMS coordination, medical oversight, and maintenance, to be reviewed and approved by a licensed physician before an entity received full immunity protection. That physician sign-off requirement was removed. The specific immunity clause covering the reviewing physician was repealed outright, since there’s no longer a physician review step to extend immunity to.
What remains under the amended statute: any entity that acquires an AED must still ensure trained users, manufacturer-compliant maintenance with written records, a written plan covering placement and coordination with EMS, and immediate EMS activation after use. The entity must also notify the local emergency dispatch center of the AED’s location.
The 2025 amendment also added a new requirement for schools. Effective January 1, 2026, under new CRS 22-1-129.7, any public or nonpublic school that has acquired an AED must place and maintain it according to nationally recognized, evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care standards. This applies regardless of whether the AED was purchased or donated.
Colorado’s Good Samaritan immunity for individual rescuers remains broad and applies independently of whether an entity has met its program requirements.
Not legal advice. This page summarizes publicly available statutes for informational purposes. Laws change and individual circumstances vary — consult a qualified attorney or your state health department before relying on this for compliance decisions.
Physician review and approval of written AED plans is no longer required. The related immunity clause for the reviewing physician was repealed.
Any public or nonpublic school with an AED must place and maintain it per evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care standards (CRS 22-1-129.7).
Colorado AED Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Summary |
|---|---|
| Good Samaritan Law | Civil immunity for anyone whose primary duties don’t include health care who renders emergency AED care in good faith without compensation. Does not apply to gross negligence or willful and wanton conduct. |
| Physician Sign-Off Removed 2025 | No longer required as of the 2025 amendment. Previously, written AED plans had to be reviewed and approved by a licensed physician for full immunity protection. |
| AED Training | Expected AED users must be trained in CPR and AED use through a course meeting nationally recognized standards approved by the Department of Public Health and Environment. |
| Device Maintenance | The AED must be maintained and tested per manufacturer guidelines, with written maintenance and testing records kept. |
| Written Plans | Entities must maintain written plans covering AED placement, personnel training, EMS coordination, medical oversight, and maintenance. |
| Dispatch Notification | The acquiring entity must notify the local emergency communications or dispatch center of the AED’s existence, location, and type. |
| Post-Use EMS Activation | Anyone rendering care with an AED must activate EMS as soon as possible. |
| School AED Placement Eff. 2026 | Effective January 1, 2026: any public or nonpublic school that has acquired an AED must place and maintain it per evidence-based standards (CRS 22-1-129.7). |
| Athletic Coach Certification | Coaches employed by school districts must be currently certified in CPR and trained in AED use. |
| Dental Offices | Dental offices administering minimal, moderate, deep sedation, or general anesthesia must have a functional external defibrillator on site at all times. |
| Public Place Donations | Public schools and public places (100+ person capacity) must accept donated, FDA-compliant AEDs unless they decline training/maintenance responsibility. |
Colorado AED Statutes & Regulations
CRS 13-21-108.1
Limited immunity for AED use (amended 2025)
Core AED statute — training, maintenance, written plans, dispatch notice, EMS activation
▾
This is Colorado’s core AED statute. An entity that acquires an AED must ensure trained users, manufacturer-compliant maintenance with written records, a written plan covering placement and EMS coordination, and EMS activation after any use. The entity must notify local emergency dispatch of the device’s location.
Immunity for individuals rendering AED care in good faith without compensation applies regardless of whether the entity met its program requirements, except that the site-responsible entity only receives immunity if device maintenance was actually performed.
CRS 22-1-125.5
Coach CPR/AED certification
In effect since 2015 — required currency every 2 years
▾
Athletic coaches employed by local education providers (school districts, charter schools, BOCES) must be currently certified in CPR and have received AED use instruction, a requirement in effect since January 1, 2015.
CRS 22-1-129
CPR/AED training grant fund
State grant funding for high school CPR/AED instruction
▾
Establishes a state grant fund local education providers can apply to for psychomotor-skills-based CPR and AED instruction for students and staff in grades 9 through 12. The fund is subject to annual appropriation and accepts gifts, grants, and donations.
CRS 22-1-129.5
CPR/AED curriculum standards (new)
Encouraged grades 9-12 curriculum drawn from an approved training list
▾
Strongly encourages every public school to adopt a grades 9-12 curriculum for CPR and AED instruction, drawn from training programs on the list maintained by the Office of Cardiac Arrest Management. Instruction must incorporate hands-on psychomotor skills and AED use.
CRS 22-1-129.7
School AED placement and maintenance (new)
Effective January 1, 2026 — closes the maintenance-standard gap for school AEDs
▾
This closes a gap in the prior law, which encouraged AED placement and required schools to accept donated units, but did not specify a maintenance standard once the device was on-site.
CRS 25-53-101 & 102
AED placement in public places
Mandatory acceptance of donated, FDA-compliant AEDs
▾
Public schools and any person who owns, operates, or manages a public place (defined as an enclosed space holding 100 or more people) are encouraged to place functional AEDs in sufficient quantity for reasonable availability.
Public schools and public places must accept donated, FDA-compliant AEDs that meet manufacturer maintenance standards, along with gifts and donations for AED acquisition, inspection, maintenance, and training, unless the recipient declines responsibility for training, installation, and maintenance and the donor won’t take on that responsibility.
CRS 25-53-201 & 202
Office of Cardiac Arrest Management
State office for AED registry, outcome data, and training program approval
▾
Creates a state office within the Department of Public Health and Environment responsible for promoting public access defibrillator use, maintaining a registry of AED locations, coordinating sudden cardiac arrest outcome data collection from hospitals and EMS, running public awareness campaigns, and maintaining an approved list of CPR/AED training programs.
CRS 25-20.5-1001
Opioid antagonist availability tied to AED placement
Naloxone availability for entities that already provide public AED access
▾
Any non-private entity that makes an AED available to the public may also make naloxone or another opioid antagonist available for suspected overdose events, and is eligible to purchase opioid antagonists from the state under bulk purchasing provisions.
3 CCR 709-1
Dental office AED requirements
Mandatory defibrillator for sedation and anesthesia practices
▾
Any dentist whose practice includes minimal sedation, moderate sedation, deep sedation, or general anesthesia administered by an anesthesia provider must have a functional external defibrillator, manual or automatic, on site at all times, alongside other required emergency equipment such as oxygen delivery, airway devices, and continuous pulse oximetry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Colorado still require physician review of AED written plans?+
No. As of the 2025 amendment under SB 25-191, written AED plans no longer require review and approval by a licensed physician. The prior immunity clause that specifically protected the reviewing physician was repealed since that role no longer exists in the statute.
Do Colorado schools need to have AEDs?+
Schools are encouraged, not strictly mandated, to acquire AEDs under CRS 25-53-102, and must accept FDA-compliant donated AEDs under most circumstances. However, once a public or nonpublic school has an AED, CRS 22-1-129.7 requires it to be placed and maintained per evidence-based standards, effective January 1, 2026.
Who is protected by Colorado’s AED Good Samaritan law?+
CRS 13-21-108.1 protects any person whose primary duties don’t include health care who renders AED care in good faith without compensation, the person or entity providing CPR/AED site placement, training providers, and the entity responsible for the site, provided maintenance was performed. Immunity does not apply to gross negligence or willful and wanton conduct.
Are Colorado athletic coaches required to be CPR/AED certified?+
Yes. CRS 22-1-125.5 has required coaches employed by school districts and charter schools to be currently certified in CPR and trained in AED use since January 1, 2015. Certification must be renewed within a two-year window to remain current.
Do Colorado dental offices need an AED?+
Yes, if the practice administers any level of sedation or general anesthesia. Under 3 CCR 709-1, a functional external defibrillator must be on-site and operational at all times, alongside other required emergency equipment.
What happens if a public place declines a donated AED?+
Under CRS 25-53-102, a public school or public place is not required to accept a donated AED if it doesn’t want responsibility for training, installation, or maintenance, unless the donating party agrees to take on those responsibilities itself.
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Statutes cited from Justia US Law and the Colorado General Assembly. This page reflects amendments under SB 25-191 (2025).
This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For guidance specific to your situation, consult a qualified attorney or your state health department.