Minnesota AED requirements at a glance
Here is what Minnesota 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 | A public access AED must be reasonably maintained, including replacing dead batteries and pads, and the owner must follow all manufacturer recall and safety notices (§ 403.51 subd. 5). |
| Train expected users | No | No training rule for AED owners or expected users. |
| Notify agencies of AEDs | Yes | Through program registration: see that row. |
| Register the program | Yes | Anyone who buys or gets a public access AED must register it with an AED registry within 30 working days, giving model, serial number, location and a contact, and report changes within 30 working days (§ 403.51 subds. 2-4). |
| Report AED locations | No | No rule to notify EMS, a 911 center or another agency directly. The registry entry required by § 403.51 includes the AED's location, but the registry may be a private one (see registration). |
| Physician medical direction | No | Not in state law. |
| Report each AED use | No | Not in state law. |
| Written plan or records | Yes | The owner of one or more public access AEDs must develop an emergency response plan suited to the facility the AED serves; the statute does not say the plan must be written (§ 403.51 subd. 10). |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | No | Not in state law. |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | Starting in 2026-27, every school district and charter school must have a cardiac emergency response plan based on the state model. It must set up a response team, provide for AED placement and upkeep, be shared with local EMS, be drilled yearly, be reviewed yearly by the board, and cover off-site athletic events (§ 121A.241). |
| Other requirements | Yes | A public access AED must stay at its registered location and may be inspected by a local public safety agency during business hours (§ 403.51 subd. 5). |
| AEDs required at specific sites | No | Not in state law. |
Compare nearby states: Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in Minnesota?
No. Minnesota law doesn’t require a physician to oversee an AED program.
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
No. Minnesota law doesn’t require AED training for AED owners in general.
No training rule for AED owners or expected users.
School districts must give students in grades 7 to 12 one-time CPR and AED instruction with hands-on practice; certification is not required (§ 120B.236).
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. Minnesota law requires AED owners to keep each AED maintained and tested.
A public access AED must be reasonably maintained, including replacing dead batteries and pads, and the owner must follow all manufacturer recall and safety notices (§ 403.51 subd. 5).
Staff-only, private-use and mobile AEDs are exempt but encouraged to be maintained (§ 403.51 subds. 1, 7, 8).
School cardiac plans must provide for routine AED maintenance (§ 121A.241).
Written plan and records: The owner of one or more public access AEDs must develop an emergency response plan suited to the facility the AED serves; the statute does not say the plan must be written (§ 403.51 subd. 10). From 2026-27, school districts and charter schools need a cardiac emergency response plan, defined as a written document (§ 121A.241).
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. Minnesota requires AED programs to register.
Registration: Anyone who buys or gets a public access AED must register it with an AED registry within 30 working days, giving model, serial number, location and a contact, and report changes within 30 working days (§ 403.51 subds. 2-4). The registry may be the Minnesota AED Registry, a national registry, iRescU or a manufacturer program.
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 Minnesota AED rules
A public access AED must stay at its registered location and may be inspected by a local public safety agency during business hours (§ 403.51 subd. 5).
If it is not ready for use, the agency can order the AED removed and its signs taken down or covered (§ 403.51 subds. 6, 9).
Signs are optional.
Notification after an AED is used
No. Minnesota 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 Minnesota
No. Minnesota law doesn’t require AEDs at any particular kind of site.
That doesn’t make an AED optional everywhere: insurers, landlords, accreditors and other rules can still ask for one, and an AED is the only treatment that can restart a heart in cardiac arrest.
School cardiac emergency plans: Starting in 2026-27, every school district and charter school must have a cardiac emergency response plan based on the state model. It must set up a response team, provide for AED placement and upkeep, be shared with local EMS, be drilled yearly, be reviewed yearly by the board, and cover off-site athletic events (§ 121A.241).
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Does Minnesota's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Partly. Minnesota protects people who use an AED in good faith, but its protection for the AED’s owner is narrower.
What the Minnesota (MN) Good Samaritan law covers: Anyone who gives emergency care at the scene, or on the way to medical care, without pay or the expectation of pay can’t be held liable for civil damages unless the person acts in a willful and wanton or reckless way. It does not cover people who give the care in a paid regular job, and failing to give reasonable help at an emergency is a petty misdemeanor.
AED-specific protection: Minnesota has no separate AED immunity statute. Its general Good Samaritan law expressly treats using or providing an AED as emergency care, so an unpaid rescuer who uses one is protected unless willful and wanton or reckless. No clause names AED owners or sites, and the registration law says it neither creates nor bars owner liability.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on Minnesota’s official legislature or code website.
- Minn. Stat. § 403.51: Automatic External Defibrillation; Registration
- Minn. Stat. § 604A.01: Good Samaritan Law
- Minn. Stat. § 121A.241 (1st Spec. Sess. 2025, ch. 10, art. 8, § 5): Cardiac Emergency Response Plan
- Minn. Stat. § 120B.236: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automatic External Defibrillator Instruction
- Minn. Stat. § 160.802 (2025 Minn. Laws ch. 28): Automatic External Defibrillator Wayfinding Signs
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 Minnesota
AED Log keeps the records Minnesota 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)
- 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.
Minnesota AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in Minnesota?
No. Neither Minnesota law nor federal OSHA requires businesses to have an AED. An insurer, landlord or accreditor may still ask for one.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in Minnesota?
No. Minnesota 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 Minnesota?
Not for AED owners in general. School districts must give students in grades 7 to 12 one-time CPR and AED instruction with hands-on practice; certification is not required (§ 120B.236).
Does Minnesota law require AED inspections?
Yes. A public access AED must be reasonably maintained, including replacing dead batteries and pads, and the owner must follow all manufacturer recall and safety notices (§ 403.51 subd. 5). Staff-only, private-use and mobile AEDs are exempt but encouraged to be maintained (§ 403.51 subds. 1, 7, 8).
Do you have to register an AED in Minnesota?
Yes. Anyone who buys or gets a public access AED must register it with an AED registry within 30 working days, giving model, serial number, location and a contact, and report changes within 30 working days (§ 403.51 subds. 2-4).
What does Minnesota law require after an AED is used?
Minnesota 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 Minnesota schools?
No. Minnesota law doesn’t require AEDs in schools or at school sports. It does require schools to have a cardiac emergency response plan.
Do Minnesota schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. Starting in 2026-27, every school district and charter school must have a cardiac emergency response plan based on the state model.
Do gyms in Minnesota need an AED?
No. Minnesota law doesn’t require health clubs or gyms to have an AED.
What does the Minnesota Good Samaritan law cover?
Anyone who gives emergency care at the scene, or on the way to medical care, without pay or the expectation of pay can’t be held liable for civil damages unless the person acts in a willful and wanton or reckless way.
Does the Minnesota Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes for the rescuer, less so for the owner. An unpaid good-faith rescuer, including one using an AED, is protected unless reckless or willful and wanton, but no clause covers AED owners or sites (Minn. Stat. §§ 604A.01, 403.51 subd. 11).
Which Minnesota laws cover AEDs?
Minnesota’s AED rules come from Minn. Stat. § 403.51; Minn. Stat. § 604A.01; Minn. Stat. § 121A.241 (1st Spec. Sess. 2025, ch. 10, art. 8, § 5); Minn. Stat. § 120B.236; and Minn. Stat. § 160.802 (2025 Minn. Laws ch. 28), each linked to its official text on this page.