Guide
How long is CPR certification good for?
Updated 7 min read
The short answer
Most CPR, BLS and first aid certifications are good for two years. The exact expiration date depends on who certified you: AHA, NSC and HSI cards run to the end of the month two years after your class, while Red Cross and ECSI certificates expire on the same date two years later.
Key takeaways
- CPR, BLS and first aid certification from the AHA, the American Red Cross, HSI, NSC and ECSI lasts two years; bloodborne pathogens training from HSI and ECSI lasts one.
- AHA, NSC and HSI cards run to the end of the month; Red Cross and ECSI certificates end on the exact date.
- The date printed on your card or digital certificate is the one that counts, and you can look it up online.
- Once it passes you are no longer certified, and the shorter renewal classes are meant for people who are still certified.
Expiration rules by organization
All five major certifying organizations issue CPR, BLS and first aid certifications for two years. They differ in where the two years end: AHA, NSC and HSI cards run through the last day of the month, while Red Cross and ECSI certificates expire on the same date as the class, two years later.
| Organization | How long it lasts | Expiry rule | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Heart Association (AHA) | 2 years | End of month | March 31, 2028 |
| National Safety Council (NSC) | 2 years | End of month | March 31, 2028 |
| Health & Safety Institute (HSI) | 2 years (1 year for Bloodborne Pathogens) | End of month | March 31, 2028 |
| American Red Cross | 2 years | Exact date | March 14, 2028 |
| ECSI | 2 years (1 year for Bloodborne & Airborne Pathogens) | Exact date | March 14, 2028 |
- AHA: Valid for two years through the end of the month the card was issued in.
- NSC: NSC’s own sample certificates expire on the last day of the month, two years on.
- HSI: HSI’s Training Center manual allows up to two years from the month of issue.
- Red Cross: Two years after you complete the class; your digital certificate shows the Valid Until date.
- ECSI: Valid for two years from the date of issue.
The difference matters most early in a month. A card from a class on March 14, 2026 is good until March 31, 2028 under the end-of-month rule, but only until March 14, 2028 under the exact-date rule. For the terms themselves, see certification expiration in the glossary.
How to find your exact expiration date
Your expiration date is printed on your card or digital certificate. If you can’t find the card, each organization has an online lookup, or the training center or instructor who taught your class can tell you the date and send a copy.
- AHA: the date is shown as a month and year, labelled Renew By on eCards. Find your eCard on the AHA’s eCard site by searching with your name and the email you registered with, or with your eCard code. Employers can check an eCard with its code or the QR code on it.
- American Red Cross: your digital certificate shows a Valid Until date. Search for it on the Red Cross’s Find My Certificate page, allowing 12 hours after your instructor submits the class; certificates from the last three years are there, each with an ID and a QR code employers can check.
- HSI: digital cards for programs released since January 1, 2022 can be checked with the QR code on the card’s letter or on HSI’s student card validation page.
- NSC: look up a digital certificate at nsc.org/faverify with the student’s email or the certificate’s security control number.
- ECSI: enter the student authorization number or certificate ID on ECSI’s certificate lookup; it shows the course and the expiration date.
Still can’t find it? Contact the training center or instructor who taught your class. For an AHA card, the Training Center that issued it keeps the record and can reissue a lost card, sometimes for a fee.
What happens when your CPR card expires
When the date passes, you are no longer certified, and an employer that requires certification can’t count the expired card. Most organizations’ shorter renewal classes are only open to people who are still certified, so letting it lapse can mean taking the full course again.
The certifying organizations handle a lapsed card differently:
- AHA: the AHA publishes no grace period. It tells students whose cards are expiring to contact an AHA Training Center about their options for renewing.
- American Red Cross: its First Aid/CPR/AED Review course requires a current certificate. For BLS, its renewal page asks for a certificate that is current or expired by no more than 30 days, while its current BLS Recertification and Challenge course pages accept a certificate expired by up to a year.
- HSI: renewal classes are only for people who are currently certified, with a 30-day grace period to enter one; the grace period doesn’t extend the certification.
If your card has already expired, ask the training center which course you need before you book, so you don’t pay for a renewal class you can’t take.
How to renew CPR or BLS certification
To renew, take a renewal class, or the full course again, before your card expires. Renewal classes are usually shorter than the first course, and many come in a blended format: an online part at home, then a short in-person skills session.
- AHA: the BLS Renewal Course takes about 4 hours, against about 4.5 for the full course. HeartCode BLS is the blended option: 1 to 2 hours online, then a hands-on skills session of 1 to 2 hours. ACLS has a shorter ACLS Update Course.
- American Red Cross: look for courses marked Review, Recertification or Challenge. They take less time than the standard class and renew your certification for another two years. In blended courses you have up to 90 days after the online part to attend the skills session.
- HSI, NSC and ECSI: each offers classroom and blended courses, where you finish the online part before a skills test with an instructor; ask the training center which renewal option it runs.
Book the renewal in the month or two before your date. Your new card is dated from the renewal class, so renewing a long way ahead gives up part of the two years you already have, and waiting until after the date can mean a longer course.
For instructors: track student expirations automatically
Every certification you issue expires, and each expiration is a renewal class waiting to be booked. Recording each student’s date by their certifying body’s rule, and reminding them a few weeks before it arrives, keeps your students certified and your renewal classes full.
Keep the certifying body’s rule for each course: AHA, NSC and HSI cards to the end of the month, Red Cross and ECSI certificates to the exact date. Then remind each student a month and a week before the date, with a link to your next renewal class. Imported students count too, so bring your past records with you when you change systems.
See how certification tracking and renewal reminders work in JoinCPR.
Frequently asked questions
Is BLS certification good for two years?
Yes. AHA BLS cards are valid for two years through the end of the month they were issued in, and American Red Cross, HSI and NSC BLS certifications also last two years. Check the date on your own card, because that is the one employers go by.
Does AHA certification expire at the end of the month?
Yes. AHA course completion cards are valid for two years through the end of the month in which they were issued. A card issued on March 14, 2026 is valid through March 31, 2028.
Is there a grace period after CPR expires?
Not for the certification itself: once the date passes, you are no longer certified. Some renewal courses accept a recently expired card, such as HSI’s 30-day window to enter a renewal class and some Red Cross BLS renewal courses, but the AHA publishes no grace period. Ask the training center which course you need.