# How to Track Employee CPR, BLS and ACLS Renewals

> Track employee CPR, BLS and ACLS renewals from each card's Renew By date: a records owner, 90, 60 and 30 day flags, group renewals, and a free Excel tracker.

Source: https://qkchealth.com/resources/employee-cpr-certification-tracking/

Last updated: 2026-10-17

How do you track employee CPR, BLS and ACLS renewals? Record the Renew By month from each person's AHA card or eCard, name a records owner and a backup, review the list on a set schedule, and plan each group renewal before the group's earliest deadline. A free Excel tracker flags cards due within 90, 60 and 30 days.

Last updated: October 17, 2026 · Written by QKC Health, an AHA Authorized Training Center · Based on AHA course card information, OSHA guidance, and QKC Health's class pages and Terms of Service

**What this guide is:** a process an organization can follow to keep track of its team's American Heart Association course completion cards: what to record, who keeps the records, when to look ahead, and how to plan group renewals, with a downloadable Excel tracker. It draws on AHA card rules, OSHA guidance, and QKC Health's class pages and Terms of Service.

**What it is not:** hands-on training, a certification, a card lookup, a booking, or a promise that a specific card will be accepted. It does not decide which card a role needs or how often your organization must retrain. Confirm the course and card your employer, school or program, licensing board, or state rules require before you register.

## Team Renewal Tracker for Excel

A local workbook that turns each card's Renew By month into a last valid day, the days left, and a status word.

The team renewal tracker is an Excel workbook you keep on your own computer or drive. You enter one row per card; it works out each card's last valid day and the days left, shows a status word, and counts the statuses by card type. It uses standard formulas, with no macros and no links to other files.

### What is in the workbook

- **Instructions:** how to fill it in, what each status word means, what the workbook does not do, and a privacy note.
- **Tracker:** one row per card, with the person's name or initials, team or role, card type, Renew By month, last valid day, days left, status, whether a renewal class is booked, the confirmed class date, a check that the class falls before the card ends, how the card was verified, and notes.
- **Summary:** how many cards have each status, by card type, and how many flagged cards are not yet marked as booked.

### The status words

Each card shows Expired, Due within 30 days, Due within 60 days, Due within 90 days, or Current. A row with a person but no Renew By month it can read shows Enter Renew By date. The words carry the meaning; colors only support them. The status flags chapter of this guide explains what to do at each one.

### What it does not do

It sends no emails or reminders and uploads nothing. It does not look up or verify cards, and it does not book classes. Keep it where only the people who manage training records can open it.

### Download the team renewal tracker

Instructions, Tracker and Summary sheets, set up to print. Type only in the white columns; the gray columns calculate themselves.

[Download the team renewal tracker (Excel workbook, 29 KB)](https://qkchealth.com/resources/group-training/files/qkc-team-renewal-tracker.xlsx)

Prefer a browser tool? The [CPR and BLS renewal planner](https://qkchealth.com/resources/cpr-renewal-planner/) has a team tracker that keeps a list in your browser and exports a CSV file or calendar reminders.

## Record the Renew By Date From Each Card

Take the month and year printed on the card or eCard. Never work it out from a class date or a hire date.

An AHA course completion card is valid for two years, through the end of the Renew By month shown on the card. The [CPR and BLS renewal planner](https://qkchealth.com/resources/cpr-renewal-planner/) explains that rule and how a person finds their own Renew By date. This guide covers keeping those dates for a whole team.

### Use the card's date, not a calculated one

- **Not the class date or email date.** Copy the Renew By month from the verified card. The AHA allows up to 20 business days for card delivery; do not assume a later delivery email extends a card's validity. Ask the issuing Training Center to correct any date that looks wrong.
- **Not the hire date.** A new employee's card was issued whenever they last completed the course, which has nothing to do with their start date.
- **Not the old date plus two years.** A renewed card's Renew By month counts from the month the new card is issued. After each class, take the date from the new card.

On an AHA eCard, the AHA's Course Card Reference Guide says the Renew By date appears as a two-digit month and a four-digit year, such as 10/2028. The card is valid through the last day of that month. You can type the date into the team renewal tracker the same way.

### One row per card

Give each card its own row. Someone who holds a BLS Provider card and an ACLS Provider card has two Renew By dates to watch: the AHA says BLS is not included in its ACLS courses, and each course leads to its own course completion card.

### What to record, and what to leave out

Keep the minimum the tracker needs:

- name or initials
- role or team, enough to group people for scheduling
- card type as named on the card, for example BLS Provider or Heartsaver CPR AED
- the Renew By month and year from the card or eCard
- how and when you verified the card

Leave out dates of birth, home addresses, personal phone numbers, ID or license numbers, and health information. A renewal tracker does not need them. If your policy requires copies of cards, keep them in a restricted training or personnel file, not in the tracker.

## Check Each Card Before You Record It

Verify the card, then note how and when you checked in the tracker.

Before you enter a Renew By month, check the card. For an eCard, the AHA directs employers to its eCards site; for a printed card, it says to contact the Training Center that issued the card. [After the Class: Course Cards and Team Training Records](https://qkchealth.com/resources/cpr-course-cards-training-records/#verify-ecards) explains how an employer verifies an AHA eCard and what to do when one is missing. Note how and when you checked in the tracker's Verified how and Notes columns.

## Who Keeps the Tracker, and When It Is Updated

One named owner, one backup, an update after every class, and a regular review.

### Name a records owner and a backup

Give one person the job of keeping the tracker current, and name a backup who can take over during leave or a busy season. Write both names into your training procedure, together with:

- who sends card information to the owner, for example managers and new hires
- who can request training and confirm class dates
- who is told when a card is about to end or has ended

### Update after every class

Update the tracker when the new cards are issued, not on the class day. The AHA gives Training Centers up to 20 business days to issue cards, and a card goes to each participant who successfully completes the course, so attending is not the same as receiving a card. For each person:

- replace the Renew By month with the one on the new card or eCard
- verify the new card and update Verified how
- clear Renewal class booked and Confirmed class date
- follow up with anyone who attended but has no new card yet

For collecting cards and handing records to HR or compliance after a class, see [After the Class: Course Cards and Team Training Records](https://qkchealth.com/resources/cpr-course-cards-training-records/).

### Set a review rhythm

Pick a fixed review time, for example the first working day of each month, and put it on the owner's and the backup's calendars. Monthly is a suggestion, not a rule: a small team with few cards might review less often, and a large team might look every week. Also check the tracker before anyone plans a class date, and whenever someone joins, leaves, or changes roles.

### Where the file lives

Keep one master copy in a location with restricted access, such as a training or HR folder that only the owner, the backup, and the managers who need it can open. Avoid emailing copies: they drift out of date and spread personal information. When managers need an update, share the names, status words, and dates that concern their own team rather than the whole file.

## Renewal Tracker Review Checklist

The same review each time, in a list you can print.

### Review checklist

**Bring the tracker up to date**

- [ ] **Open the master copy of the tracker** Not a copy saved from an email.
- [ ] **Add the Renew By month from every card issued since the last review** Take it from the card or eCard, then verify it.
- [ ] **Add new hires and role changes, and remove people who have left** Follow your organization's records policy for former employees.

**Work through the flags**

- [ ] **Sort by last valid day, soonest first**
- [ ] **Expired: tell the person and their manager** Then confirm with the Training Center which course the person needs.
- [ ] **Due within 30 days: check that each person has a class date confirmed in writing** If not, plan another option now.
- [ ] **Due within 60 or 90 days: group people with similar dates and request training**
- [ ] **Enter Renew By date: get the card or eCard and record its Renew By month**
- [ ] **Class after last valid day: find an earlier option, or tell the manager about the gap**

**Finish the review**

- [ ] **Save the file in its restricted location**
- [ ] **Confirm the next review date on the owner's and the backup's calendars**

Ticks are not saved when you leave or reload the page.

## Flag Renewals at 90, 60 and 30 Days

Every flag counts down to the last day of the Renew By month, the last day the card is valid.

Under the AHA's rule, a card is valid through the end of its Renew By month, so a card that says Renew By March 2027 is valid through March 31, 2027. For that card, the tracker shows Due within 90 days from December 31, 2026, Due within 60 days from January 30, 2027, Due within 30 days from March 1, 2027, and Expired from April 1, 2027.

**Status words and next steps**

| Status | Days left | Next step |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Current | More than 90 | No action yet. Check again at the next review. |
| Due within 90 days | 61 to 90 | Group with others due soon and request training. |
| Due within 60 days | 31 to 60 | Get a class date confirmed in writing. |
| Due within 30 days | 0 to 30 | No confirmed date yet? Plan another option now. |
| Expired | Below 0 | Tell the manager and confirm which course fits. |
| Enter Renew By date | No date | Get the card and record its Renew By month. |

Days left counts from today to the last valid day. These are suggested steps, not rules, and a status never books a class.

### A flag is a prompt, not a booking

A status word tells you who needs attention. It does not hold a seat or a date. Under QKC Health's Terms of Service, submitting the contact form is a request for training, not a confirmed booking: a booking is confirmed only once QKC confirms the course, date, time, and location in writing. Set Renewal class booked to Yes, and enter the class date, only after that written confirmation arrives.

### Why the first flag comes at 90 days

Ninety days leaves time to collect cards, agree on a date with managers, request training, and get written confirmation before the earliest card in a group ends, with room to spare if a date has to move. It also allows for card issue: a new card can be issued up to 20 business days after the class, which matters if someone must show a current card with no gap.

Starting much earlier has a cost. Because a renewed card's Renew By month counts from the month the new card is issued, renewing many months early gives up part of the current card's time. The [CPR and BLS renewal planner](https://qkchealth.com/resources/cpr-renewal-planner/) suggests the Renew By month and the two months before it as a renewal window for an individual.

## Plan Group Renewals Around Individual Deadlines

Group people whose cards end close together, and schedule each group before its earliest deadline.

A group renewal saves organizing time, but each card still ends on its own date. Build each group so that nobody's card ends while they wait for the group's class.

1. **Sort by last valid day.** Start from the tracker, soonest first.
2. **Split by card.** People renewing different cards need different classes. The [renewal planner](https://qkchealth.com/resources/cpr-renewal-planner/) lists the usual QKC Health class for each card type.
3. **Group similar windows.** Within each card type, group people whose cards end within the same few months.
4. **Aim before the earliest deadline.** Plan the class before the earliest last valid day in the group, with a margin for confirmation and for new cards to be issued.
5. **Request training.** Send the course, the number of people, and the date by which each group must be trained through QKC Health's [contact page](https://qkchealth.com/contact/), or call [(212) 548-3284](tel:2125483284).
6. **Record the confirmed date.** When the date is confirmed in writing, set Renewal class booked to Yes and enter the confirmed class date. The tracker's class date check flags a class that falls after a card's last valid day.

### An example of the trade-off

A team holds five BLS Provider cards: two end in January, two in February, and one in May. One group before January 31 covers all five, but the May card is renewed about four months early. Two groups, four people before January 31 and one person before May 31, keep more card time, but a group of one runs into the minimum: QKC Health's Terms of Service say most courses require a minimum of three participants. Ask us what is possible for one person before you plan around it, or fold that person into the earlier group.

### Shifts, sites, and coverage

A renewal plan also has to keep enough trained people on duty while others are in class. For sessions across shifts and locations, see [Scheduling Group Training Across Shifts and Locations](https://qkchealth.com/resources/scheduling-group-cpr-training/). For the details a quote request needs, use the [group CPR training planner](https://qkchealth.com/resources/group-cpr-training-planner/).

## When Someone Cannot Wait, or a Card Has Expired

Individual deadlines, expired cards, and skills sessions after the AHA online course.

### People who cannot wait for the group date

If one person's card ends well before the rest of the group, move the group date earlier or plan that person separately. QKC Health's Terms of Service say most courses require a minimum of three participants, and ACLS is available to individual participants. Mention anyone who cannot wait when you request training, and ask us what is possible before you promise anyone a date. If a card will end before any confirmed class, tell the person's manager early: whether they can keep doing work that requires a current card is a decision for your organization, licensing board, or state rules.

### Renewal course or full course for an expired card

Our [BLS Renewal Course](https://qkchealth.com/classes/bls-renewal/) and the [ACLS Renewal Course](https://qkchealth.com/classes/acls-renewal/) are for a current or recently expired card. Someone whose card has been expired for an extended period, or who has never held the card, takes the full [BLS Provider Course](https://qkchealth.com/classes/bls-provider/) or [ACLS Provider Course](https://qkchealth.com/classes/acls-provider/) instead. We do not publish a cutoff for renewal eligibility. Ask us which course each person with an expired card needs before you plan the group. Participants bring their current or most recent card to a renewal class.

### Skills sessions after HeartCode, for BLS and ACLS

Staff renewing BLS or ACLS who finish the AHA's HeartCode online part before their deadline may fit a [BLS Skills Session](https://qkchealth.com/classes/bls-skills/) or [ACLS Skills Session](https://qkchealth.com/classes/acls-skills/) instead; [Group Class Formats: Classroom Training and Skills Sessions](https://qkchealth.com/resources/group-cpr-class-formats/) explains how that pathway works for a group.

## New Hires, Departures, and Role Changes

Update the tracker whenever the team changes, not only at the next review.

### New hires

- Ask for the card or eCard during onboarding and record its Renew By month. Do not assume a date from the hire date or from memory.
- Verify the card the same way as everyone else's.
- If the person has no current card, or not the card their role requires, plan the right first course. [Which Course Does Your Team Need? CPR/AED, First Aid, BLS or ACLS](https://qkchealth.com/resources/team-cpr-course-selector/) helps match role groups to courses.
- If a new hire's card ends soon, add them to the next group that fits their deadline.

### Departures

When someone leaves, remove their row from the working tracker so the counts stay accurate, and keep or dispose of their training records the way your organization's records policy says. Do not keep a former employee's details in the working tracker longer than you need them.

### Role changes

A new role can call for a different card, for example a move from an office role into patient care. Check the new role's written requirement with your employer, licensing board, or state rules rather than deciding from the job title, then add a row for any new card the person needs.

## When a Rule Sets an Earlier Retraining Date

The card's Renew By month is not always the only deadline.

Two-year validity is the AHA's card rule. An employer policy, a licensing board, an accrediting body, a contract, or an insurer can set a shorter interval for some roles. Find the written requirement, note who set it and its exact wording, and plan to whichever date comes first. The tracker counts down to the card's last valid day only, so record an earlier date in the Notes column and check those rows at each review. To work out which requirements apply to your workplace, see [Workplace CPR and First Aid Requirements: What Employers Should Verify](https://qkchealth.com/resources/workplace-cpr-first-aid-requirements/).

### OSHA's advice on refresher training

OSHA's Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program says instructor-led retraining for life-threatening emergencies should occur at least annually. The guide calls itself advisory: it is not a standard or regulation and creates no new legal obligations. Unless a rule that applies to you sets the interval, how often to retrain is your organization's decision.

### Bloodborne pathogens training has its own cycle

The same OSHA guide notes that an employee who is expected to give first aid as part of their job duties is covered by OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard, which has its own training requirements. That standard requires training for each employee with occupational exposure at initial assignment and "at least annually thereafter" (29 CFR 1910.1030(g)(2)(ii)), and the employer's exposure determination identifies the jobs involved. It is separate training, not an AHA course completion card, so if it applies to your team, track it with its own dates.

For Connecticut child care programs, the [Connecticut child care CPR and first aid requirements](https://qkchealth.com/resources/connecticut-childcare-cpr-requirements/) guide covers which courses count and how renewals and records work.

## Tracking Employee CPR Renewals: Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I track employee CPR certifications?

Keep one list with a row for each card: the person's name or initials, team or role, card type, and the Renew By month and year printed on the card or eCard. A card stays valid through the last day of that month. Name a records owner and a backup, review the list on a set schedule, flag cards due within 90, 60 and 30 days, and update the list when new cards are issued after each class.

### What should a CPR certification tracking spreadsheet include?

One row per card with the person's name or initials, team or role, card type, Renew By month, last valid day, days left, a status such as Expired or Due within 30 days, whether a renewal class is confirmed, the confirmed class date, and how the card was verified. Leave out dates of birth, home addresses, ID numbers, and health information, which a renewal tracker does not need.

### Who should be responsible for tracking staff CPR certifications?

Name one records owner, such as an HR, training, or office manager, plus a backup who can take over during absences. The owner records new Renew By dates after each class, runs a regular review, and tells managers who is due. Managers and new hires send card information to the owner, and the file stays where only the people who need it can open it.

### How far ahead should we schedule CPR and BLS renewals for staff?

Start planning about 90 days before the earliest last valid day in a group, and aim to have a class date confirmed in writing by about 60 days out. That leaves time to agree on a date, request training, and receive new cards, which the AHA allows a Training Center up to 20 business days to issue. Renewing many months early gives up part of the current card's time.

### What should we do if an employee's CPR card has expired?

Tell the employee and their manager, and check your own policy or licensing rules on whether they can keep doing work that requires a current card. Then confirm which course they need. Our BLS and ACLS renewal classes are for a current or recently expired card. After an extended lapse, the full Provider course is needed, so ask us before you book.

### Can we put the whole team on the same renewal cycle?

Yes, over time. People who complete the same class usually receive cards issued in the same month, so their Renew By months line up from then on. Getting there means some people renew early and give up part of their current card's time, so another approach is to group people whose cards end within a few months of each other.

## Sources

This guide summarizes the following official sources and QKC Health's own class pages and Terms of Service. They were checked on October 17, 2026.

1. [Course Card Information](https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/course-card-information), American Heart Association
2. [Course Card Reference Guide (PDF)](https://cpr.heart.org/en/-/media/CPR-Files/2025-documents-for-cpr-heart-edits-posting/Resources/KJ1976_CCRG_0926SECURED-%281%29.pdf), American Heart Association
3. [Course FAQs](https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/faqs/course-faqs), American Heart Association
4. [Basic Life Support (BLS) Course Options](https://cpr.heart.org/en/courses/basic-life-support-course-options), American Heart Association
5. [Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Course Options](https://cpr.heart.org/en/courses/advanced-cardiovascular-life-support-course-options), American Heart Association
6. [Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program (PDF)](https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3317first-aid.pdf), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
7. [29 CFR 1910.1030, Bloodborne Pathogens](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1030), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
8. [Terms of Service](https://qkchealth.com/terms/), QKC Health
9. [BLS Renewal Course](https://qkchealth.com/classes/bls-renewal/), QKC Health
10. [ACLS Renewal Course](https://qkchealth.com/classes/acls-renewal/), QKC Health
11. [BLS Skills Session](https://qkchealth.com/classes/bls-skills/), QKC Health
12. [ACLS Skills Session](https://qkchealth.com/classes/acls-skills/), QKC Health

Last updated: October 17, 2026

## Ready to Plan Your Team Renewals?

Use your tracker to list who is due and by when, then request group training with the courses, the number of people, and the date each group must be trained by. A booking is confirmed only in writing.

- [Request Group Training](https://qkchealth.com/contact/)
- [Call (212) 548-3284](tel:2125483284)

## Disclaimer

**General information only.** This guide 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 reading it does not certify you in any course. In an emergency, call 911.

**Accuracy.** We strive to keep this guide 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.

**Check the official source.** Before you rely on anything here, confirm course, card, and guideline details with the AHA at [cpr.heart.org](https://cpr.heart.org/), and confirm what you are required to hold with your employer, school or program, licensing board, or state agency. If this guide 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](tel:2125483284) or send us a message through our [contact page](https://qkchealth.com/contact/) so we can review it and update it.

**About the AHA.** QKC Health LLC is an AHA Authorized Training Center. This guide 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 guide is subject to our [Terms of Service](https://qkchealth.com/terms/), including its Limitation of Liability section and its notices for New Jersey and New York residents.

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Published by QKC Health LLC (https://qkchealth.com/), an American Heart Association Authorized Training Center serving Connecticut, Westchester County NY, and New Jersey. Phone: (212) 548-3284. Book training: https://qkchealth.com/contact/