Good Samaritan Laws limit liability for a well-intentioned but untrained user. Good Samaritan Laws are critically important in encouraging others to respond if an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is present. Someone who suffers from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is technically dead and every second that passes is critical for survival. These laws extend the range from limiting the liability of the user, to the user and the owner of the AED, or to other known situations.
Laws involving the use of an AED vary state by state. This includes AED and CPR training, registration, AED placement, and physician oversight requirements. All 50 states have laws protecting people who use AEDs in good intentions. Everyone who has an AED in a public location should be familiar with the legal requirements and obligations, according to their state. An AED is an outstanding, life-saving tool that must be properly maintained to perform its job properly. Many states have legislation to help ensure owners are maintaining their AEDs responsibly.
Most states mandate that AEDs be located in specific locations, businesses, and public areas. The examples below illustrate how widely AED laws vary state by state.
Types of facilities and locations that require AEDs:
- Any facility with a capacity of over 300 people: Rhode Island
- Construction in accordance with SB 287: California
- Coal Mine Operators: Pennsylvania, West Virginia
- Dental Offices w/anesthesia: Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Virginia, Washington
- Dialysis Centers: Alabama, New Hampshire
- Golf Courses: Connecticut
- Health Clubs: California, Illinois, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin
- Jails/Lockup Facilities: Virginia
- Ocean Surf Beaches: New York
- Optometrists w/anesthesia: Tennessee
- Pools: Maryland
- Quarries: West Virginia
- Racing & Gaming Facilities: Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi
- All Cruise Ships - Mandated 5/28/2021 (1- year to comply)

We make every attempt to ensure the accuracy of our research regarding automated external defibrillator (AED) unit laws in each state across the country, however, with laws varying from state-to-state and even on a local basis, as you might imagine, staying abreast of constant changes is a very challenging process. As such, it's important to note that our findings should be used for informational purposes only and that any specific AED laws or AED requirements for your AED program should be developed between you and your legal counsel. If you have any suggestions, information, or tips on new or pending AED unit legislation that you feel might help improve our AED requirement pages, please contact us to let us know! By spreading knowledge about how to build and manage legally compliant AED programs, we hope to improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest.