Illinois AED requirements at a glance
Here is what Illinois 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 take reasonable steps to have it maintained and tested to the manufacturer's guidelines. Immunity also depends on meeting the Act (410 ILCS 4/20(a)(2), 4/30). |
| Train expected users | Yes | AED acquirers must take reasonable steps so anticipated users complete a CPR/AED course meeting Red Cross, AHA or similar standards (410 ILCS 4/20(a)(3)). |
| Notify agencies of AEDs | Yes | Through AED placement reporting: see that row. |
| Register the program | No | No AED registry. |
| Report AED locations | Yes | Anyone who has an AED must tell the local 911 or emergency dispatch center that it has one, where it is and what type it is (410 ILCS 4/20(b); 77 Ill. Adm. Code 525.600(b)). |
| Physician medical direction | No | No rule. A physician who authorizes buying an AED gets immunity, but the Act does not require one (410 ILCS 4/30(a)). |
| Report each AED use | Yes | The acquirer must take reasonable steps so anyone who uses the AED outside a hospital reports the clinical use. The state rule names the responding EMS personnel as the recipient (410 ILCS 4/20(a)(4); 77 Ill. Adm. Code 525.600(a)(3)). |
| Written plan or records | Limited | No general rule. |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | Yes | The acquirer must take reasonable steps so anyone who uses the AED on a person in cardiac arrest outside a hospital calls EMS as soon as possible (410 ILCS 4/20(a)(4); 77 Ill. Adm. Code 525.600(a)(3)). |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | Since January 1, 2025, every school district and private school must have a cardiac emergency response plan, shared with staff, that lists each AED and its maintenance schedule (105 ILCS 128/60). |
| Other requirements | Limited | No general rule. |
| AEDs required at specific sites | Yes | Health clubs, school sports, schools, some government buildings, some worksites, nursing homes or assisted living and some dental offices. See the list below. |
Compare nearby states: Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in Illinois?
No. Illinois law doesn’t require a physician to oversee an AED program.
No rule. A physician who authorizes buying an AED gets immunity, but the Act does not require one (410 ILCS 4/30(a)).
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. Illinois law requires CPR and AED training for the people expected to use an AED.
AED acquirers must take reasonable steps so anticipated users complete a CPR/AED course meeting Red Cross, AHA or similar standards (410 ILCS 4/20(a)(3)).
Fitness facilities need a trained AED user on staff when staffed (210 ILCS 74/15(b)).
Sheriffs and large police departments must train enough staff.
Paid head coaches, every 2 years from July 1, 2027.
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. Illinois law requires AED owners to keep each AED maintained and tested.
Anyone who acquires an AED must take reasonable steps to have it maintained and tested to the manufacturer's guidelines. Immunity also depends on meeting the Act (410 ILCS 4/20(a)(2), 4/30).
Fitness facilities must keep the maintenance manual on site and with the AED, and fix or replace a broken AED within 10 days (77 Ill. Adm. Code 527.600, 527.700).
Written plan and records: No general rule. Fitness facilities must adopt a written medical emergency plan and file it with the state (210 ILCS 74/10). Every dental office needs a written emergency medical plan (225 ILCS 25/44.5). Nursing homes need AED policies and procedures by January 1, 2030 (210 ILCS 45/2-213.5). Schools: see the school plan row.
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. Illinois 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 has an AED must tell the local 911 or emergency dispatch center that it has one, where it is and what type it is (410 ILCS 4/20(b); 77 Ill. Adm. Code 525.600(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
Yes. In Illinois, the rescuer must call 911, and each use has to be reported.
Calling 911: The acquirer must take reasonable steps so anyone who uses the AED on a person in cardiac arrest outside a hospital calls EMS as soon as possible (410 ILCS 4/20(a)(4); 77 Ill. Adm. Code 525.600(a)(3)).
Reporting the use: The acquirer must take reasonable steps so anyone who uses the AED outside a hospital reports the clinical use. The state rule names the responding EMS personnel as the recipient (410 ILCS 4/20(a)(4); 77 Ill. Adm. Code 525.600(a)(3)).
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 Illinois
Yes. Illinois law requires AEDs at eight kinds of sites.
- Physical fitness facilities, such as health clubs and gyms (serving 100 or more people; hospital and hotel gyms and some park sites are exempt) 210 ILCS 74 (Physical Fitness Facility Medical Emergency Preparedness Act)
- Staff-supervised pools, fields, courts and stadiums run by local governments, schools and colleges (same 100-person threshold as fitness facilities) 210 ILCS 74 (Physical Fitness Facility Medical Emergency Preparedness Act)
- Every public school attendance center (during the school day and school activities on school grounds) 105 ILCS 5/10-20.87 and 5/34-18.87 (added by P.A. 103-1019, eff. 1-1-2025)
- County sheriff's offices (with enough staff trained to use it) 55 ILCS 5/3-6040
- Municipal police departments with 100 or more officers (departments with 100 or more officers) 65 ILCS 5/11-1-13
- Horse racing facilities (organization licensees) (at least two while backstretch workers are present) 230 ILCS 5/31.2 (Illinois Horse Racing Act)
- Nursing homes licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act (by January 1, 2030) 210 ILCS 45/2-213.5 (Nursing Home Care Act; added by P.A. 104-0172, eff. 1-1-2026)
- Dental offices that give anesthesia or sedation (offices that give anesthesia or sedation) 225 ILCS 25/44.5 (Illinois Dental Practice Act)
School cardiac emergency plans: Since January 1, 2025, every school district and private school must have a cardiac emergency response plan, shared with staff, that lists each AED and its maintenance schedule (105 ILCS 128/60). From July 1, 2027, districts must also run an annual cardiac response drill and keep each AED marked, accessible and maintained per the manufacturer (P.A. 104-0759).
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Other Illinois AED rules
No general rule.
Fitness facilities must tell patrons when no working AED is on site. At outdoor facilities, the building that houses the AED must give open access and mark directions to it (77 Ill. Adm. Code 527.600; 210 ILCS 74/15(b-10)).
Does Illinois's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Yes, with conditions. Illinois 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 Illinois (IL) Good Samaritan law covers: Illinois has no single bystander rule. Its Good Samaritan Act protects named groups who help in good faith without a fee, such as people trained in CPR, certified first aiders, licensed health professionals and first responders, plus anyone helping during a building evacuation, unless the conduct is willful and wanton (745 ILCS 49).
AED-specific protection: An AED user, the premises owner or manager, the physician who authorized the purchase and trainers are all protected from civil damages except for willful or wanton misconduct. Each protection applies only if the AED Act's requirements are met, and those are the acquirer's duties: maintenance and testing, trained users, EMS activation and use reports, and notice to the dispatch center.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on Illinois’s official legislature or code website.
- 410 ILCS 4/1 to 4/30 (Automated External Defibrillator Act): Automated External Defibrillator Act
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code 525.600: AED Code: Maintenance and Oversight of Automated External Defibrillators
- 745 ILCS 49 (Good Samaritan Act), §§ 10, 12, 67, 71: Good Samaritan Act
- 210 ILCS 74 (Physical Fitness Facility Medical Emergency Preparedness Act): Physical Fitness Facility Medical Emergency Preparedness Act
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code 527.600: Physical Fitness Facility rules: Automated External Defibrillators Required
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code 527.700: Physical Fitness Facility rules: Maintenance and Testing of AEDs
- 105 ILCS 5/10-20.87 and 5/34-18.87 (added by P.A. 103-1019, eff. 1-1-2025): Automated external defibrillator; attendance centers and extracurricular activities
- 105 ILCS 128/60 (School Safety Drill Act): Cardiac emergency response plan
- Public Act 104-0759 (HB 3275), effective July 1, 2027: Amends 105 ILCS 128/60 and adds 105 ILCS 25/1.12 (coach CPR/AED training)
- 105 ILCS 5/22-115: Emergency procedures and life-saving techniques (school staff)
- 105 ILCS 5/27-250: High school CPR and AED training for pupils
- 55 ILCS 5/3-6040: Automated external defibrillators (county sheriffs)
- 65 ILCS 5/11-1-13: Automated external defibrillators (municipal police departments)
- 230 ILCS 5/31.2 (Illinois Horse Racing Act): Automated external defibrillators (racing facilities)
- 210 ILCS 45/2-213.5 (Nursing Home Care Act; added by P.A. 104-0172, eff. 1-1-2026): Automated external defibrillators (nursing homes)
- 225 ILCS 25/44.5 (Illinois Dental Practice Act): Emergency medical plan; AED
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 Illinois
AED Log keeps the records Illinois 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.
Illinois AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in Illinois?
Only certain kinds. Illinois law requires AEDs at health clubs, horse racing facilities, nursing homes or assisted living and some dental offices. Other businesses aren’t required to have one by Illinois law, and federal OSHA has no AED standard.
Where does Illinois law require an AED?
Illinois law requires AEDs in health clubs, school sports, schools, some government buildings, horse racing facilities, nursing homes or assisted living and some dental offices. See the full list, with each statute, on this page.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in Illinois?
No. Illinois 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 Illinois?
Yes. AED acquirers must take reasonable steps so anticipated users complete a CPR/AED course meeting Red Cross, AHA or similar standards. Fitness facilities need a trained AED user on staff when staffed. Sheriffs and large police departments must train enough staff.
Does Illinois law require AED inspections?
Yes. Anyone who acquires an AED must take reasonable steps to have it maintained and tested to the manufacturer's guidelines. Immunity also depends on meeting the Act. Fitness facilities must keep the maintenance manual on site and with the AED, and fix or replace a broken AED within 10 days.
Do you have to register an AED in Illinois?
There’s no formal registration, but you must report the AED. Anyone who has an AED must tell the local 911 or emergency dispatch center that it has one, where it is and what type it is (410 ILCS 4/20(b); 77 Ill. Adm. Code 525.600(b)).
What does Illinois law require after an AED is used?
The acquirer must take reasonable steps so anyone who uses the AED on a person in cardiac arrest outside a hospital calls EMS as soon as possible. The acquirer must take reasonable steps so anyone who uses the AED outside a hospital reports the clinical use.
Are AEDs required in Illinois schools?
Illinois law requires AEDs at staff-supervised pools, fields, courts and stadiums run by local governments, schools and colleges (same 100-person threshold as fitness facilities), plus every public school attendance center (during the school day and school activities on school grounds).
Do Illinois schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. Since January 1, 2025, every school district and private school must have a cardiac emergency response plan, shared with staff, that lists each AED and its maintenance schedule (105 ILCS 128/60).
Do gyms in Illinois need an AED?
Illinois law requires AEDs at physical fitness facilities, such as health clubs and gyms (serving 100 or more people; hospital and hotel gyms and some park sites are exempt).
Are AEDs required in nursing homes in Illinois?
Illinois law requires AEDs at nursing homes licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act (by January 1, 2030).
Do dental offices in Illinois need an AED?
Illinois law requires AEDs at dental offices that give anesthesia or sedation.
What does the Illinois Good Samaritan law cover?
Illinois has no single bystander rule. This page explains who is protected and how the protection applies to AEDs.
Does the Illinois Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes, with conditions. AED users, premises owners, trainers and authorizing physicians are protected unless willful or wanton, but only if the Act's duties are met: maintenance, trained users, EMS activation, use reports and dispatch notice (410 ILCS 4/20, 4/30).