New Jersey AED requirements at a glance
Here is what New Jersey 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 have it maintained and tested to the manufacturer's operational guidelines. Meeting the act's duties is also a condition of the AED immunity (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(b), 2A:62A-27). |
| Train expected users | Yes | Anyone expected to use the AED as part of a job or volunteer role must hold current CPR/AED certification (Red Cross, AHA or a state-recognized program) before using it (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(a)). |
| Notify agencies of AEDs | Yes | Through AED placement reporting: see that row. |
| Register the program | No | Not in state law. |
| Report AED locations | Yes | Anyone who acquires an AED must tell the local first aid, ambulance or rescue squad, or another EMS provider, that it has an AED, what type, and where it is (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(c)). Schools, health clubs, nursing homes and assisted living facilities must do the same. |
| Physician medical direction | No | No physician oversight or approval is required. Before buying, the purchaser must give the prescribing physician documentation of its compliance protocol, but the law does not make the physician supervise or approve the program (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(d)). |
| Report each AED use | No | Not in state law. |
| Written plan or records | Yes | Before buying an AED, the purchaser must give the prescribing physician documentation showing it has a protocol to meet the training, maintenance and EMS notice duties (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(d)). |
| Call 911 when an AED is used | Yes | Anyone who uses an AED must call for emergency medical help as soon as practicable. A lay person who fails to call, in good faith, is immune for that failure (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-26(b)). |
| School cardiac emergency plan | Yes | Every public school district and every nonpublic school with any of grades K to 12 must adopt and carry out an emergency action plan for sudden cardiac events. It must list at least five CPR/AED-certified staff, updated each semester, and assign who responds, calls 911, starts CPR and gets the AED (N.J.S.A. 18A:40-41b, P.L.2012, c.51). |
| Other requirements | Limited | No general storage or signage rule. |
| AEDs required at specific sites | Yes | Schools, health clubs, nursing homes or assisted living and public pools. See the list below. |
Compare nearby states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, or see every state on the AED laws by state table.
Is medical direction required in New Jersey?
No. New Jersey law doesn’t require a physician to oversee an AED program.
No physician oversight or approval is required. Before buying, the purchaser must give the prescribing physician documentation of its compliance protocol, but the law does not make the physician supervise or approve the program (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(d)).
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. New Jersey law requires CPR and AED training for the people expected to use an AED.
Anyone expected to use the AED as part of a job or volunteer role must hold current CPR/AED certification (Red Cross, AHA or a state-recognized program) before using it (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(a)).
Health clubs need a certified employee on site during business hours (2A:62A-31).
Schools need a trained coach or staff member at athletic events and practices (18A:40-41a).
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. New Jersey law requires AED owners to keep each AED maintained and tested.
Anyone who acquires an AED must have it maintained and tested to the manufacturer's operational guidelines. Meeting the act's duties is also a condition of the AED immunity (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(b), 2A:62A-27).
Schools, health clubs, nursing homes and assisted living facilities have the same duty in their own statutes.
Written plan and records: Before buying an AED, the purchaser must give the prescribing physician documentation showing it has a protocol to meet the training, maintenance and EMS notice duties (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(d)). Schools must keep a written list of at least five certified staff in their emergency action plan (18A:40-41b).
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. New Jersey 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 acquires an AED must tell the local first aid, ambulance or rescue squad, or another EMS provider, that it has an AED, what type, and where it is (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(c)). Schools, health clubs, nursing homes and assisted living facilities must do the same.
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. New Jersey law requires the person who uses an AED to call 911 or notify EMS.
Calling 911: Anyone who uses an AED must call for emergency medical help as soon as practicable. A lay person who fails to call, in good faith, is immune for that failure (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-26(b)). Health clubs, nursing homes and assisted living facilities must make sure employees who use the AED call EMS.
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 New Jersey
Yes. New Jersey law requires AEDs at six kinds of sites.
- Every public and nonpublic school with any of grades K to 12, within reasonable reach of the athletic field or gym (Since September 1, 2014. It must be on hand all school day and at school athletic events and practices.) N.J.S.A. 18A:40-41a and 18A:40-41b (P.L.2012, c.51, "Janet's Law")
- Health clubs registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-30 to 2A:62A-33 (P.L.2005, c.346, as amended by P.L.2012, c.6)
- Licensed nursing homes N.J.S.A. 26:2H-12.26 (P.L.2004, c.93; amended P.L.2009, c.46 and P.L.2012, c.6)
- Licensed assisted living facilities N.J.S.A. 26:2H-12.26 (P.L.2004, c.93; amended P.L.2009, c.46 and P.L.2012, c.6)
- Swimming pools at public recreational bathing facilities (Only pools that have a lifeguard.) N.J.A.C. 8:26-5.3(a)8 and 8:26-5.12(a)3 (State Sanitary Code ch. IX, readopted eff. June 13, 2023)
- Public bathing beaches (Beaches that can hold 500 swimmers and bathers, or any beach with a lifeguard present.) N.J.A.C. 8:26-5.3(a)8 and 8:26-5.12(a)3 (State Sanitary Code ch. IX, readopted eff. June 13, 2023)
School cardiac emergency plans: Every public school district and every nonpublic school with any of grades K to 12 must adopt and carry out an emergency action plan for sudden cardiac events. It must list at least five CPR/AED-certified staff, updated each semester, and assign who responds, calls 911, starts CPR and gets the AED (N.J.S.A. 18A:40-41b, P.L.2012, c.51).
See AEDs in schools by state to compare, and our cardiac emergency response plan template for a starting point.
Other New Jersey AED rules
No general storage or signage rule.
Schools must keep the AED unlocked, with a sign, near the athletic field or gym, and available all school day and at athletic events (N.J.S.A. 18A:40-41a).
Health clubs must store it where employees know to find it (2A:62A-31).
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities must keep it in a central location (26:2H-12.26).
Does New Jersey's Good Samaritan law protect AED users?
Yes, with conditions. New Jersey 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 New Jersey (NJ) Good Samaritan law covers: Anyone, including licensed health professionals and volunteer squad members, who gives emergency care in good faith at an accident or emergency, or while taking the victim to a hospital, can’t be held liable for civil damages. The statute's text lists no exceptions.
AED-specific protection: A person who uses an AED in good faith is immune from civil claims unless grossly negligent or willful or wanton, and since 2012 the user does not need training. The owner is immune for its own acts only if it met the act's duties, and is not liable for a lay person's use of the AED.
Statutes and sources
Every answer on this page comes from these laws, read on New Jersey’s official legislature or code website.
- N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-23 to 2A:62A-27 (P.L.1999, c.34, as amended by P.L.2012, c.6): Automated external defibrillators: acquirer duties, user duties, immunity
- N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-28 to 2A:62A-29 (P.L.2001, c.375): Guidelines for placement of AEDs in State buildings
- N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-30 to 2A:62A-33 (P.L.2005, c.346, as amended by P.L.2012, c.6): Defibrillators in health clubs
- N.J.S.A. 18A:40-41a and 18A:40-41b (P.L.2012, c.51, "Janet's Law"): Schools required to have AED; emergency action plan
- N.J.S.A. 18A:35-4.28 to 18A:35-4.29 (P.L.2014, c.36): CPR and AED instruction for high school students
- N.J.S.A. 26:2H-12.26 (P.L.2004, c.93; amended P.L.2009, c.46 and P.L.2012, c.6): Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, defibrillator, trained personnel; required
- N.J.A.C. 8:26-5.3(a)8 and 8:26-5.12(a)3 (State Sanitary Code ch. IX, readopted eff. June 13, 2023): Public Recreational Bathing: emergency equipment for swimming pools; lifesaving equipment for bathing beaches
- N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-1: Civil immunity for emergency care (Good Samaritan Act)
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 New Jersey
AED Log keeps the records New Jersey 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.
New Jersey AED laws FAQ
Are businesses required to have an AED in New Jersey?
Only certain kinds. New Jersey law requires AEDs at health clubs, nursing homes or assisted living, swimming pools at public recreational bathing facilities and public bathing beaches. Other businesses aren’t required to have one by New Jersey law, and federal OSHA has no AED standard.
Where does New Jersey law require an AED?
New Jersey law requires AEDs in schools, health clubs, nursing homes or assisted living, swimming pools at public recreational bathing facilities and public bathing beaches. See the full list, with each statute, on this page.
Do you need medical direction for an AED in New Jersey?
No. New Jersey 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 New Jersey?
Yes. Anyone expected to use the AED as part of a job or volunteer role must hold current CPR/AED certification (Red Cross, AHA or a state-recognized program) before using it (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(a)). Health clubs need a certified employee on site during business hours (2A:62A-31).
Does New Jersey law require AED inspections?
Yes. Anyone who acquires an AED must have it maintained and tested to the manufacturer's operational guidelines. Meeting the act's duties is also a condition of the AED immunity. Schools, health clubs, nursing homes and assisted living facilities have the same duty in their own statutes.
Do you have to register an AED in New Jersey?
There’s no formal registration, but you must report the AED. Anyone who acquires an AED must tell the local first aid, ambulance or rescue squad, or another EMS provider, that it has an AED, what type, and where it is (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25(c)).
What does New Jersey law require after an AED is used?
Anyone who uses an AED must call for emergency medical help as soon as practicable. A lay person who fails to call, in good faith, is immune for that failure (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-26(b)). Health clubs, nursing homes and assisted living facilities must make sure employees who use the AED call EMS.
Are AEDs required in New Jersey schools?
New Jersey law requires AEDs at every public and nonpublic school with any of grades K to 12, within reasonable reach of the athletic field or gym (since September 1, 2014; it must be on hand all school day and at school athletic events and practices).
Do New Jersey schools need a cardiac emergency response plan?
Yes. Every public school district and every nonpublic school with any of grades K to 12 must adopt and carry out an emergency action plan for sudden cardiac events.
Do gyms in New Jersey need an AED?
New Jersey law requires AEDs at health clubs registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Are AEDs required in nursing homes in New Jersey?
New Jersey law requires AEDs at licensed nursing homes and licensed assisted living facilities.
Do swimming pools and beaches in New Jersey need an AED?
New Jersey law requires AEDs at swimming pools at public recreational bathing facilities (only pools that have a lifeguard), plus public bathing beaches (beaches that can hold 500 swimmers and bathers, or any beach with a lifeguard present).
What does the New Jersey Good Samaritan law cover?
Anyone, including licensed health professionals and volunteer squad members, who gives emergency care in good faith at an accident or emergency, or while taking the victim to a hospital, can’t be held liable for civil damages. The statute's text lists no exceptions.
Does the New Jersey Good Samaritan law protect someone who uses an AED?
Yes, with conditions. Good-faith users, trained or not, are protected, but an owner's immunity for its own acts depends on trained users, manufacturer maintenance, EMS notice and a protocol documented to the prescribing physician (N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-25, 2A:62A-27).