How Long Does CPR Certification Last? CPR and BLS Renewal Planner
How long does CPR certification last? An American Heart Association CPR, BLS, ACLS, or first aid card is valid for two years, through the end of the month shown as the Renew By date on the card. Enter that month in the planner below to see your last valid day, when to renew, and a calendar reminder.
What this planner is: a tool that turns the Renew By date printed on an American Heart Association course card into a last valid day, a suggested renewal window, and an optional calendar reminder, based on the AHA's card rules.
What it is not: hands-on training, a certification, a card lookup, or a promise that a specific card will be accepted. Confirm the course and card your employer, school or program, licensing board, or state rules require before you register.
CPR and BLS Renewal Planner
Enter the Renew By month and year printed on your AHA card or eCard. The planner uses the date on your card, never your class date.
Your renewal plan
The reminder is a calendar file that opens in most calendar apps. It is built in your browser and is not sent anywhere. It adds an all-day event, so check that your calendar app alerts you for all-day events.
Always check this plan against the Renew By date on your card or eCard. If they differ, the card is right.
Work it out by hand
- Find the Renew By month and year on your AHA card or eCard.
- Your card is valid through the last day of that month. A card that says Renew By October 2027 is valid through October 31, 2027.
- Plan to take your renewal class in the Renew By month or the two months before it, and set a reminder now. If you need proof of a current card with no gap, book early in that window, because a Training Center can take up to 20 business days after your class to issue your new eCard.
Copy the Renew By month from your card or eCard. Do not calculate it from a class date, a delivery email, or a previous card. If the date looks wrong, ask the Training Center that issued the card to check it.
Team CPR Certification Tracker
Track the Renew By dates on your staff's AHA cards, see who is due first, and export a CSV file or calendar reminders. Your list stays in this browser.
Where your list is kept: only in this browser on this device, in your browser's local storage. Nothing you enter is sent to QKC Health or anyone else. Anyone who uses this browser profile can see the list, so use initials on a shared computer. Clearing your browser data deletes the list, and Clear all deletes it at any time. To keep a copy, export a CSV file.
Your team
No one is in the tracker yet. Add a person above to start.
Delete everyone from this tracker? This cannot be undone. Export a CSV file first if you want a copy.
Tracking renewals in your own spreadsheet
If you prefer a spreadsheet, or JavaScript is off, keep these columns for each person: name or initials, card type (for example BLS Provider or Heartsaver CPR AED), the Renew By month and year from the card, the last valid day (the last day of the Renew By month), and a status such as Expired, Due within 30 days, Due within 90 days, or Current. Sort by last valid day so the soonest renewals come first, and update the row with the new Renew By date each time a new card is issued.
To confirm a card, an employer can enter its eCard code on the AHA eCards site, which has an employer section for checking up to 20 codes at a time.
How often should a team retrain?
AHA cards are valid for two years. OSHA does not set how often first aid and CPR refresher training must happen, but OSHA's Best Practices Guide recommends instructor-led retraining for life-threatening emergencies, such as CPR and AED use, at least once a year. That is guidance, not a rule, and your organization decides its own schedule. To schedule a group, see the group CPR training planner.
How Long Is CPR Certification Good For?
Two years, through the end of the Renew By month printed on the card.
American Heart Association course completion cards are valid for two years, through the end of the month in which the card was issued. The card shows that end point as its Renew By date, a month and year. A card issued in October 2026, for example, says Renew By October 2028 and is valid through October 31, 2028.
The same two-year rule applies to the AHA cards we teach:
- BLS Provider: two years, through the end of the Renew By month.
- ACLS Provider: two years, through the end of the Renew By month.
- Heartsaver CPR AED: two years, through the end of the Renew By month.
- Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED: two years, through the end of the Renew By month.
Does CPR certification expire at the end of the month?
Yes. An AHA card does not expire on the anniversary of your class. It stays valid through the last day of its Renew By month, so a card that says Renew By March 2027 is valid through March 31, 2027.
Is a card from the 2020 Guidelines still valid?
Yes, until its Renew By date. The AHA began issuing cards for the 2025 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC on October 22, 2025, and stopped issuing 2020 Guidelines cards after February 28, 2026. A 2020 card stays valid through its Renew By month.
How to Find Your Renew By Date and AHA eCard
Your eCard shows the course name and its Renew By month and year.
If you have an AHA eCard, find it on the AHA eCards search. Enter your first name, last name, and the email address you gave at class, or enter the eCard code. Your eCard shows the course you completed and the Renew By month and year that this planner needs.
- No eCard found? A Training Center has up to 20 business days after your class to issue it. Check that you used the same email address you gave at class, then contact the Training Center that ran your class.
- Printed card? Older printed cards may show a Recommended Renewal Date instead of Renew By. Use that month and year.
- Employers: the same AHA site has an employer section for verifying eCard codes, up to 20 at a time.
- QKC Health students: if you cannot find a card from a QKC Health class, call (212) 548-3284 and we can help verify your certification status.
What Happens If Your CPR Certification Expires?
After the last day of its Renew By month, your card no longer counts as current.
After the last day of the Renew By month, your card is no longer current. The AHA sources listed on this page do not describe a grace period after that date. What happens next is decided by two parties: your employer, school, or licensing board decides whether you can keep working or studying without a current card, and the Training Center decides which course you need for a new one.
Can you still renew after your card expires?
Often, but it depends on the course and the Training Center. At QKC Health, the BLS Renewal Class and the ACLS Renewal Class are for providers with a current or recently expired card. If your BLS or ACLS card has been expired for an extended period, you need the full BLS Provider or ACLS Provider course instead. Call (212) 548-3284 before you book and we will confirm which class fits.
Can you perform CPR if your certification is expired?
Yes. A card is proof of training, not permission to help. The 2025 AHA Guidelines say all lay rescuers should give chest compressions to an adult in presumed cardiac arrest, and that compression-only (Hands-Only) CPR is appropriate for a rescuer who is untrained or unwilling to give breaths. Call 911 and start compressions. A job that requires a current card is a separate matter, so check with your employer.
How to Renew CPR, BLS, or ACLS Certification
Every AHA renewal path ends with hands-on skills testing.
To renew, you complete an AHA course again and receive a new card with a new Renew By date. Every AHA course that includes CPR skills requires a hands-on skills session before a card is issued, so a course done entirely online does not renew an AHA card. OSHA has also stated that online training alone does not meet its first aid and CPR training requirements.
- BLS Provider: the AHA offers BLS as a classroom course, as blended learning (HeartCode BLS online followed by a hands-on skills session), or as self-guided HeartCode Complete at a CPR verification station. The AHA also has a BLS Renewal Course, and each Training Center sets its own renewal options.
- ACLS Provider: HeartCode ACLS lets you do the learning online, but you must then complete a hands-on session with an AHA Training Center to receive a card. ACLS is also taught in a classroom.
- Heartsaver CPR AED: the AHA offers classroom, blended (online learning plus a skills session), and self-guided options.
Should you renew early?
Leave enough time to complete training and receive your new card before the current one expires. Your new card's Renew By date is counted from the month the new card is issued, not from your old Renew By date, so unused time on the old card does not carry forward. This planner suggests the Renew By month and the two months before it as a renewal window, as a planning starting point. Book earlier if your employer, schedule, or card delivery deadline requires it.
Which QKC Renewal Class Matches Your Card?
Typical matches by card. Your employer, school or program, licensing board, or state rules make the final call.
BLS Provider Card
Usually the BLS Renewal Class, for providers with a current or recently expired BLS certification. If you completed the AHA HeartCode BLS online course, the BLS Skills Session completes your hands-on skills testing. See the BLS Renewal Class.
ACLS Provider Card
Usually the ACLS Renewal Class, for providers with a current or recently expired ACLS Provider card. ACLS is available to individual participants. See the ACLS Renewal Class.
Heartsaver CPR AED Card
Usually the Heartsaver CPR AED class, which teaches adult, child, and infant CPR along with AED use and choking relief, and leads to a new two-year card. See Heartsaver CPR AED.
Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Card
Usually the Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED class, which covers first aid, CPR, AED use, and choking relief in one course. See Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED.
Other AHA Cards
QKC Health does not have a class page for every AHA card. If your card is not listed here, for example Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED, call (212) 548-3284 or send us a request and we will tell you whether we can help.
Teams of 3 or More
QKC Health brings on-site training to your workplace for groups of 3 or more, with the training equipment. Use the team tracker above to see who is due, then see workplace training.
Confirm the course and card your employer, school or program, licensing board, or state rules require before you register.
Book Your Renewal With QKC Health
QKC Health is an AHA Authorized Training Center serving Fairfield County CT, Westchester County NY, and New Jersey. On-site classes are available for groups of 3 or more.
BLS Renewal Class
Streamlined renewal course for providers with a current or recently expired BLS certification.
BLS Skills Session
For healthcare providers who have completed the AHA BLS online course and need in-person skills testing.
ACLS Renewal Class
Streamlined recertification class for healthcare providers who hold a current or recently expired AHA ACLS Provider card.
Heartsaver CPR AED
Learn adult, child, and infant CPR along with AED use and choking relief. No prior training or medical background is required.
Course details and pricing are on each class page. To find a class date, call (212) 548-3284 or request training. Most QKC Health courses need at least three participants, and ACLS is available to individual participants. Need a first card, or has your card been expired for an extended period? See the BLS Provider class or the ACLS Provider class. Need CPR and first aid together? See Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED. Renewing a whole team? Workplace training brings the training equipment to your office or facility for groups of 3 or more.
CPR Certification Renewal: Frequently Asked Questions
An American Heart Association CPR card, including BLS Provider and Heartsaver CPR AED, is valid for two years, through the end of the month shown as the Renew By date on the card. For example, a card that says Renew By October 2027 is valid through October 31, 2027.
At the end of the Renew By month printed on the card, not on the anniversary of your class. AHA cards are valid for two years through the end of the month in which the card was issued. Use the date on your card or eCard, because a card can be issued after the class.
Two years. An AHA BLS Provider card is valid through the end of its Renew By month, two years after the month it was issued. The classroom BLS Provider course, the BLS renewal course, and the blended HeartCode BLS path all lead to the same BLS Provider card.
Search the AHA eCards website at ecards.heart.org with your first name, last name, and the email address you gave at class, or with your eCard code. A Training Center has up to 20 business days to issue an eCard. If yours does not appear, contact the Training Center that ran your class.
Complete an AHA course again, including its hands-on skills test, to receive a new two-year card. BLS can be renewed in a classroom renewal course or through HeartCode BLS online plus a skills session. A course done entirely online does not renew an AHA card, and each Training Center sets its own renewal options.
Often, but it depends on the course and the Training Center. At QKC Health, the BLS and ACLS renewal classes are for a current or recently expired card, and after an extended lapse you need the full provider course. The AHA sources listed on this page do not describe a grace period after the Renew By month.
Yes, and QKC Health recommends renewing before your card expires so there is no gap. Your new card's Renew By date is counted from the month the new card is issued, so unused time on the old card does not carry forward.
Yes. A card is proof of training, not permission to help. The AHA says all lay rescuers should give chest compressions to an adult in presumed cardiac arrest, and Hands-Only CPR is appropriate for a rescuer who is untrained or unwilling to give breaths. Call 911 and start compressions.
Sources
This planner summarizes the following official sources. Card rules and course details were checked against them on October 17, 2026.
- Course FAQs, American Heart Association
- Course Card Information, American Heart Association
- Course Card Reference Guide (PDF), American Heart Association
- AHA eCards Search, American Heart Association
- BLS Course Options, American Heart Association
- 2025 Guidelines FAQ: BLS Instructor-Led Training (PDF), American Heart Association
- 2025 Guidelines HeartCode FAQs (PDF), American Heart Association
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), American Heart Association
- ACLS Course Options, American Heart Association
- HeartCode ACLS Online, American Heart Association
- Heartsaver Courses, American Heart Association
- Heartsaver CPR AED Training, American Heart Association
- 2025 AHA Guidelines, Part 7: Adult Basic Life Support, American Heart Association
- OSHA Standard Interpretation, February 23, 2023, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- OSHA Standard Interpretation, August 2, 2012, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Last updated:
Disclaimer
General information only. This planner is general educational information about American Heart Association (AHA) courses. It is not medical, legal, or OSHA compliance advice. It does not replace hands-on CPR, BLS, or first aid training, and using it does not certify you in any course. In an emergency, call 911.
Accuracy. We strive to keep this planner accurate and current, but AHA guidelines, course content, card rules, and certification requirements can change, and we cannot promise that every detail is complete, current, or free of errors. Prices and class details shown here can also change; the price confirmed in writing before your class is the price you pay.
Check the official source. Before you rely on anything here, confirm course, card, and guideline details with the AHA at cpr.heart.org, and confirm what you are required to hold with your employer, school or program, licensing board, or state agency. If this planner differs from an official source, follow the official source. You are responsible for confirming which course and card you need before you register.
Spot an error? If anything on this page, or anywhere on our site, looks incorrect or out of date, please call us at (212) 548-3284 or send us a message through our contact page so we can review it and update it.
About the AHA. QKC Health LLC is an AHA Authorized Training Center. This planner is written and published by QKC Health, not by the AHA, and the AHA has not reviewed or endorsed it.
The American Heart Association strongly promotes knowledge and proficiency in all AHA courses and has developed instructional materials for this purpose. Use of these materials in an educational course does not represent course sponsorship by the AHA. Any fees charged for such a course, except for a portion of fees needed for AHA course materials, do not represent income to the AHA.
Outside links and terms. Links to the AHA, OSHA, and other outside websites are provided for convenience. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their content. Your use of this planner is subject to our Terms of Service, including its Limitation of Liability section and its notices for New Jersey and New York residents.
Printed from qkchealth.com/resources/cpr-renewal-planner/. General information only, not medical, legal, or compliance advice. Always confirm requirements with the AHA (cpr.heart.org) and with your employer, school or program, licensing board, or state agency. Full terms: qkchealth.com/terms. More free tools and guides: qkchealth.com/resources.