By Kyle Nowack, AHA BLS Instructor, Red Cross BLS Instructor Trainer, AED Program Specialist
Not legal advice. This guide explains how California's AED statutes are structured so program managers know what applies to their facility. It is not a substitute for review by a California-licensed attorney.
California regulates AEDs through more separate statutes than most states. There is no single "California AED law." Instead, requirements are scattered across the Health and Safety Code, the Civil Code, and the Education Code.
Which rules apply to you depends heavily on your facility type. A gym, a school, a public pool, and a general office building are each governed by a different section. This guide breaks that apart section by section.
On this page
- California's AED Good Samaritan law
- Health and Safety Code 1797.196: the core compliance statute
- Which buildings must have an AED
- Health studios and fitness centers
- Public swimming pools
- California school AED requirements
- Youth sports: the Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act
- Signage, notification, and training
- Compliance checklist
- Frequently asked questions
1. California's AED Good Samaritan Law
California's core Good Samaritan protection for AED use lives in Civil Code Section 1714.21. It covers more parties than most states' equivalent statutes.
The rescuer is protected first. Under 1714.21(b), a person who, in good faith and not for compensation, renders emergency care using an AED is not liable for civil damages from acts or omissions in that care.
1714.21 protects four separate groups, not just the rescuer: the person who uses the AED, and the organization that acquired and installed it, conditioned on compliance with Health and Safety Code 1797.196.
It also covers any physician involved in the AED's selection or installation, and any entity that provided the CPR/AED training itself.
The immunity has one hard limit. It does not apply where the injury or death resulted from gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct by the person rendering care. Ordinary mistakes made in good faith are protected. Reckless conduct is not.
One detail facilities often miss: the statute preserves liability for AED manufacturers, designers, distributors, installers, and suppliers under otherwise-applicable product liability law.
The Good Samaritan shield protects the rescuer and the program, not the equipment supply chain.
A separate, older statute, Civil Code Section 1714.2, provides similar protection specifically for CPR rendered without an AED. The two statutes are often confused but cover distinct acts.
2. Health and Safety Code 1797.196: The Core Compliance Statute
If you only read one California AED statute, read this one. Section 1797.196 is the operational backbone that the Civil Code 1714.21 acquirer immunity is conditioned on.
It requires anyone who acquires an AED to meet several concrete obligations:
- Notify the local EMS agency of the device's existence, location, and type
- Maintain and test the device according to manufacturer guidelines
- Test the AED at least twice a year and after every use
- Inspect the device every 90 days for operability issues
- Keep documented records of all testing and maintenance
- Post usage instructions in no less than 14 point type next to the device
Where the AED is installed in a building, the owner has two additional annual obligations: notify tenants of the AED's location and how to get CPR/AED training, and offer at least one hands-on demonstration to building personnel each year.
No medical director sign-off required. Unlike some states, California does not require physician approval or medical direction for AED acquisition or placement.
A business can purchase and install an AED without a doctor's authorization for the program itself. The device purchase is separately FDA-restricted to a prescription, which your supplier handles.
3. Which Buildings Must Have an AED
Health and Safety Code Section 19300 sets occupancy-based AED requirements for buildings, but the trigger only applies going forward from specific construction dates. It is not retroactive to every existing building in the state.
| Building type | Occupancy threshold |
|---|---|
| Assembly occupancy | More than 300 |
| Business, educational, factory, institutional, mercantile, or residential occupancy (excluding single and multi-family dwellings) | 200 or more |
This requirement applies to structures constructed on or after January 1, 2017, or renovated in a way that meets the threshold on or after January 1, 2020.
An existing older building that has not been renovated to trigger the rule is not automatically required to add an AED under this specific statute.
This does not mean older or smaller buildings have zero exposure. A general negligence claim, an industry-specific rule, or an insurer requirement can still create a practical reason to install an AED even where Section 19300 does not apply.
Building-specific compliance is a floor, not a ceiling.
Two narrower sector rules layer on top of the building-occupancy trigger. Utility worksites with two or more electrical workers on lines of 601 volts or more must carry an AED under Public Utilities Code Section 8310.
That statute also requires a written emergency procedure and worker training.
Commuter trains have carried AEDs as standard safety equipment since a July 1, 2020 deadline under Public Utilities Code Section 99175.
4. Health Studios and Fitness Centers
Health and Safety Code Section 104113 sets a separate, more detailed requirement specifically for health studios and fitness centers, regardless of the general building-occupancy rule above.
Health studios must acquire and maintain an AED, following the same 1797.196 maintenance backbone described in Section 2. On top of that, the statute adds studio-specific staffing and check requirements.
- At least one staff member trained in CPR and AED use for every AED on site, up to five units
- One additional trained staff member per five additional AEDs beyond that
- A device readiness check at least every 30 days if the unit has not been used
- A written emergency response plan for sudden cardiac arrest
See our business AED programs page for equipment and package guidance suited to a staffed commercial facility like a gym or studio.
5. Public Swimming Pools
California's public pool AED requirement, established through AB 1766 and codified at Health and Safety Code Section 116045, is narrower than many facility operators assume.
The requirement applies specifically to an artificial public swimming pool that both charges a direct admission or use fee and is required to have a lifeguard on duty.
A pool that meets only one of those two conditions is not automatically covered by this specific statute.
Where it applies, the AED must be readily available during pool operating hours, not locked away or stored off-site. The same 1797.196 maintenance, testing, and EMS notification requirements from Section 2 above apply to pool AEDs as well.
For AED selection and layout guidance specific to aquatic facilities, see our public swimming pool AED programs page.
6. California School AED Requirements
California layered school AED law across several Education Code sections and one deadline-driven mandate, rather than a single school statute.
Acquisition deadline
AB 2009 required California public schools to acquire an AED by July 1, 2019. Schools with interscholastic athletics programs specifically must have at least one AED per participating school under Education Code Section 35179.6.
The device must be accessible to athletic trainers and coaches, not stored somewhere out of reach during practices and events.
Training and emergency planning
Education Code Section 35179.4 requires a written emergency action plan for athletic programs.
Section 51225.6 requires compression-only CPR instruction as part of any health education course that is itself a graduation requirement, effective for the 2018-19 school year onward.
Notification and immunity
Under 1797.196, school principals must ensure staff receive annual training on recognizing sudden cardiac arrest, emergency response, and AED use. Schools serving grades 6 through 12 must annually notify students of AED locations.
Education Code Section 49417 extends liability protection to trained school employees who respond to a cardiac emergency.
See our school AED programs page and the national AED compliance guide for the federal and multi-state framework school administrators should also know.
7. Youth Sports: The Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act
This is a genuinely new law most compliance guides have not caught up to yet. California's Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act, codified at Health and Safety Code Sections 124238 and 124238.5, was most recently amended by AB 310 in 2025.
It adds a full set of AED and CPR obligations for youth sports organizations, phased in over 2027 and 2028.
| Requirement | Effective date |
|---|---|
| Coaches certified, and recertified every two years, in CPR and AED operation | January 1, 2027 |
| Written cardiac emergency response plan, with annual electronic notice to parents covering AED locations and staff contacts | January 1, 2027 |
| Athletes must have AED access during official practices and matches | January 1, 2028 |
| AEDs maintained and tested per manufacturer guidelines and applicable FDA and state rules | January 1, 2028 |
Coach certification can be completed in person or online through an accredited organization using evidence-based cardiovascular care guidelines.
Youth sports organizations, including club and recreational leagues, not just school-affiliated programs, should begin planning for the 2027 coach-certification deadline now.
8. Signage, Notification, and Training
California's signage rule is specific but narrow: instructions for AED use must be posted next to the device in no less than 14 point type, per Health and Safety Code 1797.196.
There is no specified monetary fine for a signage violation. The statute states that acquiring an AED does not subject a person or entity to penalties under Health and Safety Code Section 1798.206.
That does not eliminate your exposure to a general negligence claim if a documented compliance failure contributed to a poor outcome. Treat the signage rule as real, not low-risk.
Beyond signage, annual notification obligations recur throughout California's AED statutes: building tenants under 1797.196, health studio staff training ratios under 104113, and students in grades 6 through 12 for schools.
Track these as a recurring calendar item, not a one-time task.
9. Compliance Checklist
- Confirm whether your building's occupancy and construction date trigger Health and Safety Code 19300, or whether a sector-specific rule (health studio, pool, school, utility worksite) applies instead.
- Notify your local EMS agency of your AED's existence, location, and type.
- Test your AED at least twice a year and after every use, with inspections every 90 days.
- Keep dated maintenance and testing records on file, not just a mental note of when it was last checked.
- Post usage instructions in at least 14 point type next to the device.
- If you own the building, notify tenants annually of AED locations and offer one hands-on demonstration per year.
- If you run a health studio, confirm your staff-to-AED training ratio and your 30-day readiness check schedule.
- If you sponsor youth sports, start planning now for the Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act's January 2027 coach-certification deadline.
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Are AEDs required in California businesses?
Only in specific circumstances, not as a blanket rule for every business. A building constructed after January 1, 2017, or renovated after January 1, 2020, meeting an occupancy threshold is required to have one under Health and Safety Code 19300.
That threshold is 300 for assembly use, 200 for most other commercial uses.
Health studios face a separate mandatory requirement under Section 104113 regardless of building age.
What are the AED maintenance requirements in California?
Under Health and Safety Code 1797.196, an acquired AED must be maintained per manufacturer specifications, tested at least twice a year and after every use, inspected every 90 days for operability issues, and documented with maintenance records.
Health studios add a 30-day readiness check on top of this baseline.
Does California have a Good Samaritan law for AEDs?
Yes. Civil Code Section 1714.21 protects the AED user, the program that acquired the device, any physician involved in its selection, and the training provider, all from civil liability for good-faith emergency care.
The protection does not extend to gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Who is responsible for AEDs in California schools?
School principals are responsible for ensuring staff receive annual training on sudden cardiac arrest recognition and AED use under Health and Safety Code 1797.196.
Schools with interscholastic athletics must maintain at least one AED per participating school under Education Code 35179.6, with a written emergency action plan under Section 35179.4.
What is California Health and Safety Code 1797.196?
It is the core statute governing what anyone who acquires an AED in California must do: notify local EMS, maintain and test the device on a set schedule, inspect it every 90 days, keep records, and post 14 point signage.
Civil Code 1714.21's liability protection for AED acquirers is conditioned on meeting these requirements.
Is AED training mandatory in California?
Not universally, but it is mandatory in several specific contexts: health studio staff, graduation-required high school health education classes, and annual school staff training.
Starting January 1, 2027, it also becomes mandatory for youth sports coaches under the Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act.
Are there specific fines or penalties if we don't follow California's AED signage rules?
California law does not specify a monetary fine for a signage violation, and Health and Safety Code 1797.196 states that acquiring an AED does not subject a person to penalties under Section 1798.206.
That does not remove general negligence liability exposure if a documented compliance gap contributes to a bad outcome.
What is the Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act and does it affect our AED program?
It is a 2025 California law, amended by AB 310, phasing in AED and CPR requirements for youth sports organizations: coach certification starting January 1, 2027, and athlete AED access starting January 1, 2028.
It applies to club and recreational leagues, not only school-affiliated programs, so most youth sports sponsors need to plan for it.
Related AED Compliance Resources
Sources: Cal. Civil Code §1714.2, §1714.21; Cal. Health & Safety Code §1797.196, §104113, §116045, §19300, §124238, §124238.5 (findlaw.com and justia.com codes mirrors).
Also: Cal. Education Code §35179.4, §35179.6, §49417, §51225.6; Cal. Public Utilities Code §8310, §99175; AB 310 (2025, Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act amendment); AB 1766; AB 2009.
