Where should AEDs be placed?
Put AEDs in visible, accessible places near where people gather and where the risk is highest, never locked away, and close enough that one can be brought to any point on site within minutes.
The American Heart Association’s guide to on-site AED programs says the AED should be visible, accessible and in line with ADA guidelines, and warns that locking an AED up might significantly delay its use. OSHA’s AED guide for employers lists the places to consider first: areas where many people work close together, near confined spaces, where work is done on or near electricity, outdoor areas where lightning is a risk, fitness areas and cafeterias, and remote sites.
In most buildings that means main corridors, lobbies and entrances, near elevators, and beside the places people gather, such as gyms, auditoriums and break rooms. Mount the AED where people already walk, so the person sent to get it knows the way without a map.
Keep the location consistent. An AED that moves to a storage closet during a renovation is effectively missing, so record each AED’s exact placement and check it at every monthly inspection.
How many AEDs does a building need?
Enough that one is always within a 3- to 5-minute round-trip walk of anywhere on site, which is the American Heart Association’s rule for how many AEDs to buy. You can start with fewer and add more as you learn how the building really works.
There’s no fixed number per square foot, because the answer depends on the layout. How many AEDs a building should have comes down to how long it takes to reach each one:
- Mark the candidate spots on a floor plan, near where people gather and work.
- Walk it. From the farthest point each AED should cover, walk briskly to the AED and back, and time it.
- Count the floors. Stairwells, elevators, secured doors and large open floors all add time, so multi-story buildings usually need AEDs on more than one floor.
- Add a unit wherever the round trip runs over 3 to 5 minutes.
Federal buildings follow a similar method. The General Services Administration’s 2023 guidelines for safety stations in federal facilities place AEDs using a response time of three minutes or less plus a risk assessment. For a portfolio of buildings, see AED management for property managers.
Retrieval time and walking distance
The AHA’s 2023 implementation guide sets the target: no more than 1½ to 2½ minutes to reach an AED and 1½ to 2½ minutes to return, so a shock can be delivered within 3 to 5 minutes of collapse.
The clock matters because survival falls quickly. OSHA notes that the chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest drops by 7 to 10 percent for every minute without CPR or defibrillation, and the AHA’s guide puts the average EMS response time in the United States at 7 minutes. An AED on site is what fills that gap.
Measure in the real building, not on a drawing. Doors that need a badge, an elevator that takes a minute to arrive, a crowded hallway at shift change: each one adds seconds that a floor plan doesn’t show. Repeat the walk when the building changes.
AED mounting height and signage requirements
No federal rule sets an AED mounting height, but the ADA reach range is the common guide: the handle or controls no higher than 48 inches above the floor, and a wall cabinet that sticks out no more than 4 inches if its bottom edge is between 27 and 80 inches high. Then mark each AED with a sign people can see from a distance.
Mounting height
The 2010 ADA Standards set an unobstructed reach range of 48 inches maximum and 15 inches minimum above the floor, for both forward and side reach (section 308). Objects mounted on a wall with their leading edge between 27 and 80 inches high may stick out no more than 4 inches into a walkway (section 307), and controls should work with one hand and no more than 5 pounds of force (section 309). The ADA Standards don’t mention AEDs by name, so applying them to AEDs and AED cabinets is the common reading rather than a stated rule. Check your state and local codes as well.
Signage
The AHA’s guide, citing the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), recommends an AED sign that can be seen from far away, with lettering at least 12 centimeters tall, and checking the signs at least once a year. ILCOR’s universal AED sign is green and white, can carry an arrow or the letters AED, and ILCOR discourages spelling out the word “defibrillator” on it. Put directional signs at hallway corners, so people can find an AED they can’t see yet.
Need a sign? Download our free printable AED sign, with arrow versions for hallways.
AED cabinets: when you need one
An AED doesn’t have to live in a cabinet, but a cabinet protects it, marks its spot and can sound an alarm when opened. Choose one that opens easily: the AHA warns that locking an AED away can delay its use.
- Public spaces: an alarmed cabinet discourages tampering and alerts staff when someone opens it, without locking anyone out.
- Outdoors and unheated spaces: AED makers list a storage temperature range in their manuals, so an outdoor AED needs a cabinet that keeps it inside that range.
- Offices and staffed areas: a simple wall mount or bracket can be enough, as long as the AED is visible and marked.
A cabinet adds things to check: the door, the alarm and its battery, and the glass. AED Log’s monthly AED checklist includes “If there is an AED wall cabinet with an alarm, is the door alarm working?” so the cabinet gets inspected with the AED.
Placement rules in state law
Many state AED laws say where AEDs must be placed or how their locations are reported: the AED law data in AED Log lists 41 states that require AEDs at specified locations and 24 with AED placement reporting rules.
Required locations range from schools and health clubs to places of public assembly, and some laws set conditions on the AED itself. New York’s Desha’s Law, for example, requires the AEDs in school instructional facilities to be clearly marked, accessible and maintained, and Indiana’s health club law requires a sign at each entrance showing where the AEDs are. See AED laws by state and our gym AED page for the health club laws we’ve checked.
Registration is the other half. The AHA suggests registering each AED with your state or local EMS where that’s required, so dispatchers know where it is, and with the manufacturer, so you hear about updates and recalls.
AED placement FAQ
How many AEDs should a building have?
Enough that someone can bring an AED to anyone in the building within 3 to 5 minutes, the target in OSHA's AED guidance. Our AED placement guide shows how to work it out.
How far should an AED be from where people are?
Close enough for a 3- to 5-minute round trip. The American Heart Association's guide allows no more than 1.5 to 2.5 minutes to reach the AED and the same to return, so a shock can be given within 3 to 5 minutes of collapse.
How high should an AED be mounted?
No federal rule sets it, but most placements follow the ADA reach range: the AED's handle no higher than 48 inches from the floor, and a cabinet sticking out no more than 4 inches if its lower edge is 27 to 80 inches high. Check local codes.
Do AEDs need a sign?
Federal law doesn't require one, but the American Heart Association recommends an AED sign visible from a distance and checked at least yearly. Our free printable AED sign uses the familiar heart-and-bolt symbol.
Can an AED be kept in a locked cabinet?
It's best not to. The American Heart Association warns that locking an AED away can significantly delay its use in an emergency. An alarmed cabinet that opens freely is the usual choice for public spaces.