Washington D.C. State AED Law

In July 2022,The District repealed its so-called medical direction requirement. As a result of this positive change, AED programs no longer need to involve a DC licensed physician to “oversee all aspects of the defibrillation program, including training, coordination with the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (“Department”), protocol approval, AED deployment strategies, and equipment maintenance plan, and shall review each case in which the AED is used by the program.

Expected AED users must receive training from and be certified by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, or an equivalent state or nationally recognized course, in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (“CPR”) and in the use of an AED, and the users must maintain their certification in CPR and AED use.

Any person or entity who acquires an AED shall notify an agent of the Fire Chief, the EMS Medical Director, and the emergency communications or vehicle dispatch center of the existence of the AED and the Department of the existence, location, and type of AED. If an AED is removed, the Department shall be notified.

The defibrillator must be maintained and tested according to the manufacturer’s operational guidelines, and written records of the maintenance and testing must be maintained. Upon meeting the requirements of subsection (a) of this section, the defibrillation program shall be registered with the Department and the Department shall issue to the defibrillation program a certificate of registration. There shall be a registration fee of $25. The certificate of registration shall expire after 4 years. To renew a certificate of registration, the person or entity shall be required to repeat the application process. If protocol is not followed, the Department may issue a citation, suspend certification, or revoke the certificate of registration.

Any person who uses an AED to provide emergency care or treatment on a person in cardiac arrest shall activate the Department’s emergency medical service system as soon as possible, and shall report any clinical use of the AED to the licensed physician or medical authority. Data on AED use shall be submitted to the Department and reviewed by the Department.