Rescue Beats – AED, CPR & Workplace Safety

Good Samaritan & AED Liability

AED & CPR Good Samaritan Laws by State

“What if I get sued?” is the most common worry we hear about owning an AED. The reassuring answer: every U.S. state has a Good Samaritan law, and lay rescuers who use CPR or an AED in good faith are broadly protected from civil liability. Use the map to see the laws where you operate.

The high-level picture

Good-faith rescuers are protected

Good Samaritan laws in all 50 states shield bystanders who voluntarily give emergency care — including CPR and AED use — from civil liability when acting reasonably.

A federal baseline exists

The federal Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. § 238q) adds baseline immunity for AED users and acquirers; your state’s law is what applies day-to-day.

The limit is bad faith

Protection generally ends only at gross negligence, willful/wanton conduct, or acting far outside what a reasonable person would do — not honest mistakes made while trying to help.

Find the law in your state

All 50 states & D.C. covered
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Select a state

Click any state

All 50 states and Washington, D.C. now have a plain-English summary of their Good Samaritan and AED-immunity laws, each linked to the actual statute. Click any state — Florida and North Carolina, our home markets, are the most detailed.

Common questions

If I use an AED and the person doesn’t survive, can I be sued?

Anyone can file a lawsuit, but Good Samaritan and AED immunity laws are designed to protect a volunteer who acted in good faith. Cardiac arrest is already fatal without intervention — using an AED can only help. Courts have consistently protected reasonable, good-faith rescuers.

Does our business take on liability by putting an AED on the wall?

In most states, an organization that acquires an AED is protected as long as it maintains the device and provides training to likely responders. In practice, the bigger legal and moral risk is not having one where a cardiac emergency is foreseeable. This is general information — see your state below.

Do we need training for the protection to apply?

AEDs are designed for untrained bystanders, but many state immunity provisions for the acquirer are tied to having a training program in place. Training also makes responders faster and more confident. Rescue Beats provides AHA, Red Cross, and HSI CPR/AED certification.

Important — this is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and their application depends on the specific facts of a situation. Nothing here creates an attorney–client relationship. Before making compliance decisions, confirm the current statute text at the official link provided and consult a licensed attorney in your state. Statute summaries current as of 2026.

Protect your people — and do it right.

Rescue Beats places AEDs, trains your team, and keeps you compliant across Florida and the Carolinas.

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