Indiana AED requirements at a glance
Here is what Indiana 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 to the manufacturer's operational guidelines. The owner's immunity also depends on this (IC 16-31-6.5-4; IC 34-30-12-1(d)). |
| Train expected users | Limited | No general rule. |
| Notify agencies of AEDs | Yes | Through program registration and AED placement reporting: see those rows. |
| Register the program | Yes | Anyone who has an AED must register it with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security in the way the department sets. This was added in 2022 (P.L.170-2022). The owner's immunity also depends on it (IC 16-31-6.5-5(2); IC 34-30-12-1(d)). |
| Report AED locations | Yes | Anyone who has an AED must tell the ambulance service provider serving its area that it acquired the AED and where it is. The owner's immunity also depends on this (IC 16-31-6.5-5(1); IC 34-30-12-1(d)). |
| Physician medical direction | No | No rule. A physician who gives medical direction for AED use gets immunity, but none is required (IC 34-30-12-1(e)). |
| Report each AED use | No | No current rule. Until 2022 a user had to contact the area ambulance service or fire department after using an AED; P.L.170-2022 repealed that section (former IC 16-31-6.5-6). |
| Written plan or records | Limited | No general rule. |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | No | No current rule; the duty to contact the ambulance service after a use was repealed in 2022 (former IC 16-31-6.5-6). |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | Public, charter and state accredited nonpublic schools must write an emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest for each venue and share it with coaches, leaders and students before each season. Mandatory since July 1, 2025 (optional before). From July 1, 2026 the plan must set how many AEDs each event needs and where (IC 20-34-8-9(f)). |
| Other requirements | Limited | No general rule. |
| AEDs required at specific sites | Yes | Health clubs, school sports and some government buildings. See the list below. |
Compare nearby states: Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in Indiana?
No. Indiana law doesn’t require a physician to oversee an AED program.
No rule. A physician who gives medical direction for AED use gets immunity, but none is required (IC 34-30-12-1(e)).
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. Indiana doesn’t require training for AED owners in general, but the law names some settings that must train people.
No general rule.
Health clubs need at least one employee with current CPR and AED certification, on site whenever staff are present (IC 24-4-15-5).
School coaches and band, drama and other high-risk activity leaders must take a sudden cardiac arrest course (IC 20-34-8-9(b)).
New teachers need CPR and AED training (IC 20-28-5.5-1).
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. Indiana law requires AED owners to keep each AED maintained and tested.
Anyone who acquires an AED must make sure it is maintained and tested to the manufacturer's operational guidelines. The owner's immunity also depends on this (IC 16-31-6.5-4; IC 34-30-12-1(d)).
Juvenile detention facilities must inspect AEDs monthly and document it (210 IAC 8-8-29).
Physicians, hospitals, surgery and birthing centers and certified EMS providers are exempt (IC 16-31-6.5-2).
Written plan and records: No general rule. Juvenile detention facilities need a written policy putting AEDs in designated areas, and must document monthly AED inspections (210 IAC 8-8-29). 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. Indiana requires AED programs to register and to report where their AEDs are.
Registration: Anyone who has an AED must register it with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security in the way the department sets. This was added in 2022 (P.L.170-2022). The owner's immunity also depends on it (IC 16-31-6.5-5(2); IC 34-30-12-1(d)).
Placement reporting: Anyone who has an AED must tell the ambulance service provider serving its area that it acquired the AED and where it is. The owner's immunity also depends on this (IC 16-31-6.5-5(1); IC 34-30-12-1(d)).
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. Indiana 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 Indiana
Yes. Indiana law requires AEDs at three kinds of sites.
- Health clubs, including gyms in schools and colleges (with 50 or more paying users or 30 or more motorized machines) Ind. Code 24-4-15-1 to -9
- School athletic events and other higher-risk activities such as cheerleading, marching band and drama (public, charter and accredited nonpublic schools, as each venue plan sets out) Ind. Code 20-34-8-3.5 and 20-34-8-9
- Juvenile detention facilities (in areas the facility designates, inspected monthly) 210 IAC 8-8-29 (Department of Correction, juvenile detention facility standards)
School cardiac emergency plans: Public, charter and state accredited nonpublic schools must write an emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest for each venue and share it with coaches, leaders and students before each season. Mandatory since July 1, 2025 (optional before). From July 1, 2026 the plan must set how many AEDs each event needs and where (IC 20-34-8-9(f)).
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Other Indiana AED rules
No general rule.
Health clubs must post a sign at each entrance showing where each AED is; unstaffed clubs also need a risk warning sign and a sign with AED and CPR instructions (IC 24-4-15-5).
At high-risk school events, the leader must tell all coaches and leaders where the AED is (IC 20-34-8-9(e)).
Does Indiana's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Yes, with conditions. Indiana 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 Indiana (IN) Good Samaritan law covers: A person who comes upon or is called to an emergency and gives emergency care in good faith, with no legal duty to help and no expected pay, is shielded from civil claims except for gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct. Using an AED counts as emergency care. It does not cover health care providers treating patients in a health care facility (IC 34-30-12-1(a)-(b); IC 34-6-2.1-79).
AED-specific protection: A bystander who uses an AED in good faith, without pay or a legal duty to help, is protected unless grossly negligent or willfully or wantonly at fault. An AED owner that lets an expected user use its AED is protected on the same terms, but only if the owner and user meet the AED chapter's duties: maintenance and testing, ambulance notice and state registration.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on Indiana’s official legislature or code website.
- Ind. Code 16-31-6.5-2 to -5: Automatic External Defibrillators
- Ind. Code 34-30-12-1: Gratuitously rendered emergency care; immunity
- Ind. Code 34-6-2.1-79: "Gratuitously renders emergency care" (includes AED use)
- Ind. Code 24-4-15-1 to -9: Automated External Defibrillators in Health Clubs
- Ind. Code 20-34-8-3.5 and 20-34-8-9: Student Athletes: Sudden Cardiac Arrest (venue specific emergency action plan; AED at events; training; immunity)
- HEA 1515 (2025), § 17 (P.L.232-2025), effective July 1, 2025: Made the event AED and venue plan duties mandatory
- HEA 1004 (2026), § 140 (shown in the Code as P.L.74-2026, SEC.140), effective July 1, 2026: Venue plan must set the number and location of AEDs required at events
- Ind. Code 20-28-5.5-1: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training (teachers); guidelines for sudden cardiac arrest and AED training
- Ind. Code 20-30-5-20: Instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of an automated external defibrillator (students)
- 210 IAC 8-8-29 (Department of Correction, juvenile detention facility standards): First aid kits and AEDs
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 Indiana
AED Log keeps the records Indiana 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.
Indiana AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in Indiana?
Only certain kinds. Indiana law requires AEDs at health clubs. Other businesses aren’t required to have one by Indiana law, and federal OSHA has no AED standard.
Where does Indiana law require an AED?
Indiana law requires AEDs in health clubs, school sports and some government buildings. See the full list, with each statute, on this page.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in Indiana?
No. Indiana 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 Indiana?
Only in certain settings. Health clubs need at least one employee with current CPR and AED certification, on site whenever staff are present. School coaches and band, drama and other high-risk activity leaders must take a sudden cardiac arrest course. New teachers need CPR and AED training.
Does Indiana law require AED inspections?
Yes. Anyone who acquires an AED must make sure it is maintained and tested to the manufacturer's operational guidelines. The owner's immunity also depends on this (IC 16-31-6.5-4; IC 34-30-12-1(d)). Juvenile detention facilities must inspect AEDs monthly and document it (210 IAC 8-8-29).
Do you have to register an AED in Indiana?
Yes. Anyone who has an AED must register it with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security in the way the department sets. This was added in 2022 (P.L.170-2022). The owner's immunity also depends on it (IC 16-31-6.5-5(2); IC 34-30-12-1(d)).
What does Indiana law require after an AED is used?
Indiana 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 Indiana schools?
Indiana law requires AEDs at school athletic events and other higher-risk activities such as cheerleading, marching band and drama (public, charter and accredited nonpublic schools, as each venue plan sets out).
Do Indiana schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. Public, charter and state accredited nonpublic schools must write an emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest for each venue and share it with coaches, leaders and students before each season. Mandatory since July 1, 2025 (optional before).
Do gyms in Indiana need an AED?
Indiana law requires AEDs at health clubs, including gyms in schools and colleges (with 50 or more paying users or 30 or more motorized machines).
Do government facilities in Indiana need an AED?
Indiana law requires AEDs at juvenile detention facilities (in areas the facility designates, inspected monthly).
What does the Indiana Good Samaritan law cover?
A person who comes upon or is called to an emergency and gives emergency care in good faith, with no legal duty to help and no expected pay, is shielded from civil claims except for gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct. Using an AED counts as emergency care.
Does the Indiana Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes, with conditions. Good-faith unpaid rescuers are protected unless grossly negligent, but an AED owner is protected only if it and the user meet IC 16-31-6.5: maintenance and testing, ambulance notice and state registration (IC 34-30-12-1(d)).
Which Indiana laws cover AEDs?
Indiana’s AED rules come from Ind. Code 16-31-6.5-2 to -5; Ind. Code 34-30-12-1; Ind. Code 34-6-2.1-79; Ind. Code 24-4-15-1 to -9; Ind. Code 20-34-8-3.5 and 20-34-8-9; HEA 1515 (2025), § 17 (P.L.232-2025), effective July 1, 2025; and four more, each linked to its official text on this page.