You can get CPR certified through the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, or local training centers like community colleges and fire departments. Most people complete certification in a single session lasting two to four hours, and classes are available in every U.S. state year-round.
National Certification Providers
Two organizations dominate CPR training in the United States, and either credential is widely accepted by employers, schools, and licensing boards.
The American Heart Association (AHA) offers Heartsaver courses designed for people with little or no medical background who need a certification card for work, regulatory requirements, or personal preparedness. Their core options include Heartsaver CPR AED (covering chest compressions and defibrillator use), Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED (adding wound care and injury response), and Heartsaver Pediatric (focused on infants and children). For healthcare workers, the AHA offers Basic Life Support (BLS), which covers CPR, airway management, rescue breaths, and AED use for all age groups.
The American Red Cross offers a similar lineup: CPR/AED courses for the general public and BLS certification for clinical professionals. Both organizations issue completion cards that are valid for two years from the date of issue.
Which Course Level You Need
If you’re a lifeguard, teacher, coach, personal trainer, or office safety officer, a standard Heartsaver or CPR/AED course covers everything your employer expects. These courses teach adult and child CPR, how to use an automated external defibrillator, and how to help someone who is choking.
If you’re a nurse, paramedic, dental hygienist, physician, respiratory therapist, or other healthcare professional, you need BLS certification. BLS builds on the same core skills but adds team-based resuscitation techniques and is the prerequisite for advanced courses. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) go further into medication administration, advanced airway management, and cardiac rhythm interpretation, but those are only relevant for clinical roles that manage complex emergencies.
Where to Find a Class Near You
The fastest way to find a class is through the provider’s online search tool. The AHA’s “Find a Class” page at cpr.heart.org lets you enter your zip code and filter by course type. The Red Cross has a similar class finder at redcross.org. Both tools show dates, locations, prices, and available spots.
Beyond these two major providers, many local organizations run AHA- or Red Cross-affiliated training. Community colleges frequently offer CPR as a continuing education course, sometimes at a lower price than standalone training centers. Fire departments and local EMS agencies often host community classes, and some run free sessions during events like national CPR awareness campaigns. Hospitals, urgent care networks, YMCAs, and workplace safety companies also hold regular classes. When you book through any of these venues, confirm that the course issues a nationally recognized card from the AHA or Red Cross, since that’s what most employers require.
In-Person, Online, or Blended
CPR courses come in three formats, and the distinction matters more than you might think.
In-person classes combine lecture with hands-on practice on mannequins. You learn the material and demonstrate the skills in one visit, and you walk out certified. This is the most straightforward option.
Blended learning splits the course into two parts: you complete the knowledge portion online at your own pace, then attend a shorter in-person skills session where an instructor watches you perform CPR and use an AED. This format saves time in the classroom and works well if you want to absorb the material before showing up to practice.
Fully online courses teach you the concepts but do not include hands-on practice. This is an important distinction: OSHA has clarified that online training alone does not satisfy workplace CPR requirements. The agency’s position is that physical skills like chest compressions and bandaging can only be learned by actually practicing them on mannequins or partners. If your employer or licensing board requires CPR certification, a fully online course without a skills session will not count. Online-only courses are fine for personal knowledge, but if you need an official card for work, choose in-person or blended.
Cost and Time Commitment
A standard CPR/AED or Heartsaver course typically costs between $35 and $80, depending on your location and the training center. BLS courses for healthcare providers tend to run $60 to $90. Prices vary by region, and community-based options like fire department classes or community college courses sometimes charge less than private training centers.
Most CPR/AED courses take about two to three hours. BLS courses run slightly longer, closer to three to four hours, because they cover additional clinical scenarios. Blended courses shorten the in-person portion since you’ve already completed the online module, so the hands-on session may last only 45 minutes to an hour and a half.
What Happens in the Class
Expect to spend most of your time on the floor next to a plastic mannequin. You’ll practice chest compressions at the correct depth and rate (about two inches deep, 100 to 120 compressions per minute for adults), learn how to tilt the head and deliver rescue breaths, and run through the steps of turning on and using an AED. The instructor will also walk you through choking response for adults, children, and infants.
At the end of the class, you’ll complete a short written or digital quiz and perform a skills check where the instructor confirms you can do compressions and use the AED correctly. Pass both, and you receive your certification card, usually as a digital eCard you can print or store on your phone. The card is valid for two years through the end of the month it was issued. When it expires, you’ll take a renewal or recertification course, which is often shorter than the original class.
Free and Low-Cost Options
If cost is a barrier, several paths can reduce or eliminate the expense. Many fire departments offer free community CPR classes, especially during events tied to Heart Month in February or CPR and AED Awareness Week in June. Some employers cover the full cost of certification if it’s a job requirement. Community colleges occasionally bundle CPR into broader health or safety programs at reduced tuition rates.
The AHA also offers Hands-Only CPR training, which teaches compression-only CPR without rescue breaths. This isn’t a formal certification course, but it’s free and available as brief community training sessions or online videos. It’s a solid starting point if you simply want to know what to do in an emergency and aren’t seeking a card for work.