Maryland AED requirements at a glance
Here is what Maryland 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 | Registered entities must have the AED coordinator keep each AED and its supplies working to manufacturer and FDA standards, also a condition of immunity (Educ. § 13-517(e), as amended Oct. 1, 2026). |
| Train expected users | Yes | Registered entities must make sure expected operators finish CPR/AED training and refreshers (COMAR 30.06.02.01F). |
| Notify agencies of AEDs | Yes | Through program registration and AED placement reporting: see those rows. |
| Register the program | Yes | Any organization, business or agency that makes an AED available must hold an EMS Board certificate through MIEMSS, valid 3 years and renewed by new application (Educ. § 13-517; COMAR 30.06.02.04). |
| Report AED locations | Limited | No general rule to give EMS or 911 each AED's location; the MIEMSS certificate is the general notice (see registration). |
| Physician medical direction | No | No physician oversight is required. The program runs through an AED coordinator named by the entity, not a medical director (Educ. § 13-517; COMAR 30.06.02.01). |
| Report each AED use | Yes | A registered entity must report each AED use to MIEMSS on the MIEMSS form (Educ. § 13-517, as amended Oct. 1, 2026). |
| Written plan or records | Yes | To get and keep a certificate, an entity must have a written plan for AED use that requires a 911 call as soon as possible after any use (Educ. § 13-517(e), from Oct. 1, 2026; before then, compliance with the EMS Board's written protocol). |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | Yes | The required written plan must have the entity notify EMS through 911 as soon as possible after an AED is used (Educ. § 13-517(e)). |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | Since July 1, 2024, every public middle and high school, and every state-funded nonpublic one, must include a cardiac emergency response plan in its athletic venue emergency action plan. It names a response team, ties into local EMS, requires CPR/AED training for key staff, is updated yearly and is rehearsed before each season (Educ. §§ 7-451, 7-452). |
| Other requirements | Yes | Registered entities must name an AED coordinator, place AEDs where they are visible and readily accessible, tell staff and volunteers where AEDs are and how they work, and keep the certificate handy (COMAR 30.06.02.01, .03). |
| AEDs required at specific sites | Yes | Schools, school sports, public pools, large public venues and some government buildings. See the list below. |
Compare nearby states: Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and Virginia, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in Maryland?
No. Maryland law doesn’t require a physician to oversee an AED program.
No physician oversight is required. The program runs through an AED coordinator named by the entity, not a medical director (Educ. § 13-517; COMAR 30.06.02.01).
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. Maryland law requires CPR and AED training for the people expected to use an AED.
Registered entities must make sure expected operators finish CPR/AED training and refreshers (COMAR 30.06.02.01F).
Since Oct. 1, 2026, entities other than grocery stores and restaurants also need a trained AED coordinator (Educ. § 13-517(f)).
Middle and high school coaches must be AED-trained, and pools need an AED-certified person on site (Educ. § 7-451(c); COMAR 10.17.02.06).
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. Maryland law requires AED owners to keep each AED maintained and tested.
Registered entities must have the AED coordinator keep each AED and its supplies working to manufacturer and FDA standards, also a condition of immunity (Educ. § 13-517(e), as amended Oct. 1, 2026).
Monthly safety checks, including battery charge, with written logs (COMAR 30.06.02.01A).
Two pad sets, gloves and report forms stay with each AED (COMAR 30.06.02.03B).
Written plan and records: To get and keep a certificate, an entity must have a written plan for AED use that requires a 911 call as soon as possible after any use (Educ. § 13-517(e), from Oct. 1, 2026; before then, compliance with the EMS Board's written protocol). The AED coordinator keeps written logs of the monthly inspections (COMAR 30.06.02.01A).
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. Maryland requires AED programs to register.
Registration: Any organization, business or agency that makes an AED available must hold an EMS Board certificate through MIEMSS, valid 3 years and renewed by new application (Educ. § 13-517; COMAR 30.06.02.04). Exempt: EMS programs, ambulances, health care facilities, dentist and physician offices, and (since Oct. 1, 2026) police patrol-car AEDs. Grocery stores and restaurants qualify by registering and maintaining their AEDs.
Placement reporting: No general rule to give EMS or 911 each AED's location; the MIEMSS certificate is the general notice (see registration). Grocery stores and restaurants must register with MIEMSS so their location is available to emergency dispatchers (HG § 21-330.3(e); COMAR 10.15.13.04).
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.
Other Maryland AED rules
Registered entities must name an AED coordinator, place AEDs where they are visible and readily accessible, tell staff and volunteers where AEDs are and how they work, and keep the certificate handy (COMAR 30.06.02.01, .03).
Public buildings must keep up to two naloxone doses beside each AED under a MIEMSS initiative, goal October 1, 2027 (Educ. § 13-518).
Notification after an AED is used
Yes. In Maryland, the rescuer must call 911, and each use has to be reported.
Calling 911: The required written plan must have the entity notify EMS through 911 as soon as possible after an AED is used (Educ. § 13-517(e)). Each site with an AED must have a phone or other way to reach the 911 center at all times (COMAR 30.06.02.01D).
Reporting the use: A registered entity must report each AED use to MIEMSS on the MIEMSS form (Educ. § 13-517, as amended Oct. 1, 2026). For every suspected cardiac arrest, file the Maryland Facility AED Report Form with any AED event summary, and copy MIEMSS on any FDA report of an AED failure (COMAR 30.06.02.03C; COMAR 10.15.13.05 for grocery stores and restaurants).
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 Maryland
Yes. Maryland law requires AEDs at seven kinds of sites.
- Every public middle and high school Md. Code, Educ. § 7-425
- Athletic practices and events at public middle and high schools (on school property, within a brief walk) Md. Code, Educ. § 7-451 (CERP added by 2024 Md. Laws ch. 163, eff. July 1, 2024)
- Athletic practices and events at state-funded nonpublic middle and high schools (since July 1, 2024) Md. Code, Educ. § 7-452 (added by 2024 Md. Laws ch. 163, eff. July 1, 2024)
- County and city swimming pools (with an AED-certified person on site while open) Md. Code, Local Gov't § 1-1310
- Large grocery stores (over $10 million a year in sales and other size tests; since January 1, 2025) Md. Code, Health-Gen. § 21-330.3 (amended by 2026 Md. Laws ch. 91)
- Restaurants with 100 or more seats (and over $1 million a year in sales; since January 1, 2025) Md. Code, Health-Gen. § 21-330.3 (amended by 2026 Md. Laws ch. 91)
- County public library branches (since January 1, 2026) Md. Code, Educ. § 23-102.2 (2025 Md. Laws ch. 613, SB 369)
School cardiac emergency plans: Since July 1, 2024, every public middle and high school, and every state-funded nonpublic one, must include a cardiac emergency response plan in its athletic venue emergency action plan. It names a response team, ties into local EMS, requires CPR/AED training for key staff, is updated yearly and is rehearsed before each season (Educ. §§ 7-451, 7-452).
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Does Maryland's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Yes, with conditions. Maryland 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 Maryland (MD) Good Samaritan law covers: Licensed health care providers and trained fire, rescue, ambulance and police members are not liable for unpaid emergency care unless grossly negligent. Anyone else is not liable for unpaid help at the scene if it is reasonably prudent and the person hands off care once a licensed or certified provider is available (Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-603).
AED-specific protection: A rescuer who uses an AED in good faith, without pay and in a reasonably prudent way is protected, which leaves ordinary negligence uncovered. A registered entity is protected only if it met every program requirement and held a valid certificate at the time. Grocery stores, restaurants and libraries get similar protection, plus none of them is liable for failing to use an AED.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on Maryland’s official legislature or code website.
- Md. Code, Educ. § 13-517 (Public Access Automated External Defibrillator Program): Public Access Automated External Defibrillator Program (official page still shows the text before the October 1, 2026 amendments)
- 2026 Md. Laws ch. 91 (HB 276), eff. October 1, 2026 (cross-filed SB 24, ch. 92): State EMS Board - Public Access Automated External Defibrillator Program - Revisions (amends Educ. § 13-517 and HG § 21-330.3)
- COMAR 30.06.01-30.06.02: MIEMSS: Public Access Automated External Defibrillator Program (definitions, registration criteria, quality assurance, application and renewal)
- Md. Code, Educ. § 13-518: Co-location of naloxone with AEDs in public buildings
- Md. Code, Educ. § 7-425: AED program for each public high school and middle school
- Md. Code, Educ. § 7-451 (CERP added by 2024 Md. Laws ch. 163, eff. July 1, 2024): Venue-specific emergency action plans for athletic facilities (public middle and high schools)
- Md. Code, Educ. § 7-452 (added by 2024 Md. Laws ch. 163, eff. July 1, 2024): Venue-specific emergency action plans for athletic facilities (state-funded nonpublic middle and high schools)
- 2024 Md. Laws ch. 163 (HB 1219, The Bailey Bullock Act), eff. July 1, 2024: Public and Nonpublic Middle and High Schools - Venue-Specific Emergency Action Plans for Athletic Facilities
- Md. Code, Health-Gen. § 21-330.3 (amended by 2026 Md. Laws ch. 91): AEDs in grocery stores and restaurants
- COMAR 10.15.13.01-.06: Automatic External Defibrillators at Grocery Stores and Restaurants
- Md. Code, Local Gov't § 1-1310: AED programs at county and municipal swimming pools
- COMAR 10.17.02.01-.06: Automated External Defibrillators for Swimming Pools
- Md. Code, Educ. § 23-102.2 (2025 Md. Laws ch. 613, SB 369): AEDs in public libraries
- Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-603: Good Samaritan immunity for emergency assistance
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 Maryland
AED Log keeps the records Maryland 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.
Maryland AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in Maryland?
Only certain kinds. Maryland law requires AEDs at county and city swimming pools, large grocery stores and restaurants with 100 or more seats. Other businesses aren’t required to have one by Maryland law, and federal OSHA has no AED standard.
Where does Maryland law require an AED?
Maryland law requires AEDs in schools, school sports, county and city swimming pools, large grocery stores, restaurants with 100 or more seats and some government buildings. See the full list, with each statute, on this page.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in Maryland?
No. Maryland 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 Maryland?
Yes. Registered entities must make sure expected operators finish CPR/AED training and refreshers (COMAR 30.06.02.01F). Since Oct. 1, 2026, entities other than grocery stores and restaurants also need a trained AED coordinator (Educ. § 13-517(f)).
Does Maryland law require AED inspections?
Yes. Registered entities must have the AED coordinator keep each AED and its supplies working to manufacturer and FDA standards, also a condition of immunity. Monthly safety checks, including battery charge, with written logs. Two pad sets, gloves and report forms stay with each AED.
Do you have to register an AED in Maryland?
Yes. Any organization, business or agency that makes an AED available must hold an EMS Board certificate through MIEMSS, valid 3 years and renewed by new application. Exempt: EMS programs, ambulances, health care facilities, dentist and physician offices, and police patrol-car AEDs.
What does Maryland law require after an AED is used?
The required written plan must have the entity notify EMS through 911 as soon as possible after an AED is used. Each site with an AED must have a phone or other way to reach the 911 center at all times. A registered entity must report each AED use to MIEMSS on the MIEMSS form.
Are AEDs required in Maryland schools?
Maryland law requires AEDs at every public middle and high school; athletic practices and events at public middle and high schools (on school property, within a brief walk); and athletic practices and events at state-funded nonpublic middle and high schools (since July 1, 2024).
Do Maryland schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. Since July 1, 2024, every public middle and high school, and every state-funded nonpublic one, must include a cardiac emergency response plan in its athletic venue emergency action plan.
Do gyms in Maryland need an AED?
No. Maryland law doesn’t require health clubs or gyms to have an AED.
Do swimming pools in Maryland need an AED?
Maryland law requires AEDs at county and city swimming pools (with an AED-certified person on site while open).
Do government facilities in Maryland need an AED?
Maryland law requires AEDs at county public library branches (since January 1, 2026).
What does the Maryland Good Samaritan law cover?
Licensed health care providers and trained fire, rescue, ambulance and police members are not liable for unpaid emergency care unless grossly negligent.
Does the Maryland Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes, with conditions. A good-faith, unpaid, reasonably prudent rescuer is protected, but a registered entity is protected only if it met every § 13-517 duty and held a valid MIEMSS certificate at the time (Educ. § 13-517).