No single national rule dictates where every AED must go. Automated external defibrillator placement requirements come from a patchwork of state laws, local building and fire codes, and industry guidance, and which pieces apply to you depends on your facility type and your state. An AED (automated external defibrillator) is a portable device that analyzes a collapsed person's heart rhythm and delivers a shock only if one is needed, guiding a lay rescuer by voice prompts.

Legal mandates answer whether you must have one. Response-time planning answers where it should actually sit, and that second question matters more than most people expect. A device that is legally compliant but locked in an office can fail the person who collapses down the hall.

Who Is Legally Required to Have an AED

For private workplaces in general, there is no federal mandate to own an AED. Requirements are set mostly by states, and sometimes by cities or counties, and they tend to target specific facility types rather than all employers. An office with 40 employees may have no legal obligation in one state and face a local code requirement in another.

Categories that commonly appear in state laws include:

Health clubs and fitness facilities
Public and sometimes private schools
Certain government or public buildings
Large assembly venues, in some jurisdictions

The list differs by state, as do the details: some laws specify the number of units, some tie the requirement to square footage or membership, and some attach training or registration conditions.

What federal law does cover

The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act, passed in 2000, is often misread as a general mandate. Its relevant provisions address placing AEDs in federal buildings and extending Good Samaritan liability protection to people who use AEDs in emergencies and to the entities that acquire them. It does not require private businesses to buy a device.

Good Samaritan protection is also not a blanket shield. State laws vary in who is covered, what conduct is protected, and whether acquirers and property owners are included, so liability questions deserve a check against your own state's statute.

Why multi-state employers can't assume uniformity

Consider an employer with a gym in one state and an office in another. One state may require AEDs in fitness facilities while the other only encourages them. A policy written around one state's rules can leave the other site out of compliance, or lead you to skip a purchase that a local code actually demands. Treat each location as its own question.

The Three-Minute Rule: How Response Time Shapes Placement

Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction of the heart that causes it to quiver or stop pumping, so the person collapses and stops breathing normally. It is different from a heart attack, which is a blockage of blood flow. The American Heart Association (AHA) teaches that survival depends on how quickly CPR and defibrillation begin, and that chances fall with each minute that passes without them. If you quote a specific survival figure in training materials, take it from the current AHA statistics update and name the year.

That is why placement is a time problem. AHA guidance for public access defibrillation, meaning programs that put AEDs where laypeople can use them before EMS arrives, aims for a short collapse-to-shock interval, commonly described as about 3 to 5 minutes. Many programs convert that into a planning target of roughly a 1.5 minute walk each way: to retrieve the device and return to the patient.

Walk it, don't measure it

A floor plan hides the things that cost time. Run the route yourself, from the farthest point in the area to the proposed AED and back, at a quick walk and not a sprint. Note every obstacle:

Stairs, or an elevator that may be slow or out of service
Doors that are locked, badge-controlled, or heavy
Crowded corridors, loading docks, or long outdoor stretches
Points where a person would not know which way to turn

Time each route and record it. A 150-foot distance that includes a stairwell can take longer than a 400-foot straight hallway.

Owning an AED is not the same as being covered

The common misconception is that buying a unit finishes the job. An AED in a locked manager's office, a back storeroom, or the far corner of a warehouse may exist on paper and still miss the response goal. Coverage is measured by how fast a bystander can reach the device from where the collapse happens, not by how many devices you own.

Choosing the Right Spot: Visibility, Access, and High-Risk Areas

Start with central, high-traffic places where people naturally gather and where a collapse is likely to be noticed quickly: lobbies, cafeterias, break rooms, areas near elevators, and gym floors. Then add weight for risk. Exercise areas, spaces used by older visitors, and locations with strenuous physical work justify a closer unit.

Unlocked and unobstructed

The device must be reachable without a key, a code, or a request to staff. Avoid placing it behind a counter, inside a locked room, or in a cabinet that needs a key. Many facilities use alarmed cabinets that sound when opened, which draws attention and alerts others. If you use one, tell staff and regular visitors that the alarm will sound so no one hesitates, and confirm that the alarm does not lock or delay access.

Large buildings and campuses

One unit rarely covers a multi-floor building or sprawling site. Let the walk test decide: typically that means at least one per floor or wing, with additional units where corridors, stairwells, or distance break the response target. Do not forget places people overlook:

Parking structures and lots
Outdoor fields, courts, and pools
Remote sites, satellite offices, and work vehicles

Mobile workforces and field crews may need a portable unit assigned to a vehicle or team.

Signage that works from a distance

Use standard AED signs that are visible from across the room, mounted high enough to be seen over people and equipment. Add signs at decision points such as corridor intersections and entrances, with arrows or directions when the unit is out of sight. A first-time rescuer should be able to find the device by following signs alone.

Mounting, Environment, and Accessibility Standards

Mounting height is where people most often guess. The ADA Standards for Accessible Design set reach ranges for operable parts, and those ranges are the usual reference for keeping an AED usable by someone in a wheelchair or of short stature. Check the current standards directly, and confirm any specific height against local code and your AED manufacturer's instructions before you drill. The practical principle is simple: the handle or release should sit within comfortable reach, not above a tall person's shoulder.

Temperature and conditions

Every AED and its electrode pads and battery have a stated operating and storage temperature range in the manual. Compare that range with the real conditions of the spot you picked. Unheated entryways, garages, vehicles, and outdoor locations can fall outside it, and a device kept there may fail or have a shortened battery life. In those cases, use a heated or weatherproof cabinet rated for the conditions.

Also keep the unit away from:

Wet areas such as pool decks, showers, and sinks, unless it is in a protective cabinet
Heavy vibration, such as machinery or equipment rooms
Direct sunlight, which can overheat the device and pads

Store a response kit with it

The AED is only part of what a rescuer needs. Keep a small kit in the same cabinet or carry case, typically including:

Disposable gloves
A razor, for removing chest hair that prevents pad contact
A towel, to dry a wet chest
Trauma shears, to cut clothing
A pocket mask for rescue breaths

Check the kit during routine inspections and replace anything used.

Maintenance, Registration, and Oversight Obligations

Medical oversight means a licensed physician who authorizes and advises on the AED program. Many states require or encourage a medical director or prescribing physician, and some also require you to notify local EMS about the device or register it. These rules differ, so check your state health department's requirements instead of assuming.

Routine checks

An AED that fails on the day it's needed is usually one nobody inspected. Build a schedule around the device manual:

Confirm the status indicator shows the unit is ready
Track the expiration dates of pads and the battery, which vary by model and manufacturer
Check that the cabinet, signage, and response kit are intact
Record each check in a written log with the date and the initials of the person who did it

Assign this to a named person with a backup, since shared responsibility often means no one does it.

After any use

Following a use, notify EMS and your medical director if required, and replace the used pads right away. Download or report the event data as the device instructions direct, since responders and physicians may need it. Then return the unit to service and confirm that it shows ready.

Training

Some states require trained users for certain facilities, and even where they do not, trained responders act faster and with more confidence. AED use works best alongside high-quality CPR. Best Choice CPR offers CPR, AED, and First Aid courses that suit staff teams, from general employees to those in roles with a defined emergency response duty.

How to Confirm the Rules That Apply to Your Location

Requirements are updated periodically, so verify them against current sources rather than a summary like this one. As of 2026, a reliable order of inquiry is:

Your state health department or legislature website, searching for AED or defibrillator statutes
The local fire marshal or building code office, which may impose city or county rules
Your insurer, which may require or reward an AED program
Any industry regulator or licensing body that governs your facility type

Ask each source the same questions:

Is my facility type covered?
Is training, registration, or physician oversight required?
Are there inspection or signage rules?

Get answers in writing or note the statute or code section so you can show your work later.

OSHA's position

OSHA does not require AEDs in general workplaces. It does address emergency preparedness and first aid, and it has published guidance on AEDs that encourages employers to consider them. Check OSHA's current wording before citing it in a policy.

Put it in a placement plan

Turn the research into one document: a floor plan with AED locations marked, the walk-test results for each, the name of the person who owns monthly checks, and a training schedule with renewal dates. Review it when you renovate, add a floor, change staffing, or move.

Placement Is Law Plus Response Time

Two things decide where your AEDs go: what your state and local rules require, and whether a bystander can realistically reach a device and return within the three to five minute window. Meet the legal floor first, then let your walk tests tell you if it is enough. Often it is not.

Check your local requirements, then make sure the people nearest the device know how to use it. Don't wait until an emergency happens: equip yourself with life-saving CPR skills that could make all the difference when seconds count. Register for a certification class today and gain the confidence to respond when someone needs help most.