What is AED certification?
AED certification is proof that you completed a course that taught and tested you on using an automated external defibrillator. In practice it comes inside a CPR course: you learn CPR and the AED together, and the card names both.
The course names show it. The American Heart Association’s Heartsaver CPR AED, Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED and Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED courses all include the AED, and its BLS Provider card states that the holder completed the AHA’s “Basic Life Support (CPR and AED) Program.” The American Red Cross calls its course Adult CPR/AED, and the National Safety Council’s is CPR & AED.
Strictly speaking, the AHA doesn’t certify anyone. It says its course completion card shows that the student passed the course skills at the time of the course, and that it doesn’t certify people in CPR or first aid. Employers, insurers and state laws still say “certified,” and they mean a current card from a recognized course.
The AHA also notes that its Heartsaver courses are designed to meet OSHA requirements, but that OSHA doesn’t review or approve any course for compliance.
What does AED certified mean?
Being AED certified means you hold a current course card that includes AED skills: you’ve shown an instructor that you can use an AED correctly alongside CPR, within the last two years.
“Current” is the important word. A card that expired last month doesn’t count, and most workplaces that require trained responders check the date. State AED laws often require it too: the AED law data in AED Log lists 23 states that require specified people to be trained, from school staff to health club employees.
The hands-on part matters as well. The AHA doesn’t issue a course completion card without a hands-on skills session, and HSI requires one for full BLS certification. An online course can teach the knowledge, but it can’t check that your compressions are deep enough or that you place the pads correctly.
How long do CPR and AED certifications last?
Two years, at all four major organizations: the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, HSI and the National Safety Council issue CPR, AED and BLS certifications valid for two years.
| Organization | CPR and AED | BLS | When it ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Heart Association | 2 years | 2 years | The end of the month, two years after the card was issued |
| American Red Cross | 2 years | 2 years | The date on your certificate |
| HSI (ASHI, MEDIC First Aid) | 2 years (Bloodborne Pathogens: 1 year) | 2 years | The date on your card |
| National Safety Council | 2 years | 2 years | The date on your card |
Only the AHA says its cards run to the end of the month. For the others, go by the date printed on your card or digital certificate, which is also the date an employer will check. The Red Cross puts an ID and a QR code on each digital certificate so an employer can verify it.
Two AHA details are worth knowing. Cards earned through the AHA’s RQI quarterly-practice programs can run up to three months past two years. And cards issued under the AHA’s 2020 Guidelines stay valid to their own date; the last of them expire by February 28, 2028.
How long is AHA BLS certification good for?
Two years. An AHA BLS Provider card is valid through the end of the month, two years after it was issued, whichever format you took: the classroom course, blended HeartCode BLS or HeartCode Complete.
A BLS card issued on October 12, 2026, for example, is good through October 31, 2028. The eCard shows the renew-by date as a month and a year, and anyone can verify an AHA eCard online with its code or QR code.
- Classroom BLS takes about four and a half hours, and the classroom BLS renewal about four.
- HeartCode BLS is blended: one to two hours online, then a hands-on skills session with an instructor or a HeartCode-compatible manikin.
- HeartCode Complete is self-guided, with online learning and skills testing at a CPR verification station.
AHA training centers must issue the card within 20 business days of the course.
How to renew a CPR and AED certification
Take a renewal or recertification course before your card expires, through an authorized training center. Most organizations offer a shorter class for people who are still current, or a blended course with an online part and a hands-on skills session.
- American Heart Association: contact an AHA training center about your options, which include renewal courses and blended HeartCode courses with a skills session.
- American Red Cross: shortened review or challenge classes renew CPR, and BLS recertification extends your certification for two years if your current one hasn’t expired by more than 30 days.
- HSI: renew through an approved training center or through HSI’s Remote Skills Verification, with a live instructor online.
Don’t wait for the date to pass. Once your card has expired you’re no longer current, and a shortened renewal class may no longer accept you. Put the renewal date on your calendar a few months ahead, so there’s time to find a class.
Tracking certifications for a team
For a team, the hard part isn’t one card, it’s dozens of cards that expire in different months. AED Log tracks every responder’s certifications from a catalog of 185 courses from 9 issuing organizations, and warns you before each one expires.
Pick the course, and the expiration date fills in from that certification’s standard validity, so a Heartsaver CPR AED card gets its two years automatically. Responders don’t need a login, certificate copies are stored privately, and every expiring card shows up on the dashboard, the compliance calendar and the alerts. The Certification Status report lists who is current at each location, as a CSV or a branded PDF.
See CPR and AED certification tracking, or how it fits a gym or a dental practice.
AED certification FAQ
What is AED certification?
It's proof you completed a course that taught and tested you on using an AED, almost always together with CPR, such as the AHA's Heartsaver CPR AED or the Red Cross's Adult CPR/AED. It's valid for two years.
How long do CPR certifications last?
Two years. CPR, AED and BLS certifications from the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, HSI and the National Safety Council are all valid for two years, and AHA cards run to the end of the month.
How long is AHA BLS certification good for?
Two years, through the end of the month it was issued in. A BLS card issued in October 2026 is valid through October 31, 2028, whether you took the classroom course or HeartCode BLS.
Can I get CPR and AED certified online?
You can do the knowledge part online, but the AHA won't issue a card without a hands-on skills session, and HSI requires one for full BLS certification. Check the course before you book.
How am I warned before a certification expires?
Each certification's expiration date feeds the alerts and the compliance calendar, with the same expiring-soon warning as equipment. Certificate copies can be uploaded and are kept private.