AHA BLS Instructor Certification

The AHA BLS Instructor Course is a blended-learning (online and in-person) program. Students who take the Instructor Course (Instructor Candidates) must be a current BLS Provider, complete an online BLS Instructor Essentials Online course, participate in a live, in-person instructor class and be monitored by an instructor trainer (Training Faculty).

The course content includes:

- AHA BLS and Heartsaver® materials

- HeartCode® BLS and Blended Learning

- Required equipment and decontamination

- Organization of an AHA class

- AHA materials, and how they improve student retention

- The AHA Instructor Network website

- AHA exams and skills testing

- Completing your instructor certification

- Renewing your instructor certification

- Must be at least 18 years old,

- Must be AHA BLS Provider certified with current (not expired) eCard,

- Must be proficient in BLS skills (Adult, Child & Infant CPR AED), and

- Must complete the BLS Instructor Essentials Online course.

1. Have a current AHA BLS Provider eCard.

2. Complete online precourse assignment (BLS Instructor Essentials Online).

3. Review BLS Instructor Manual and BLS Provider Manual.

4. Complete Live, In-Person Instructor Class with one of our exception Training Faculty (Instructor Trainers).

5. Be monitored by Training Faculty within ninety (90) days or sooner of attending the Instructor Class.

Once you are a certified AHA BLS Instructor, your certification is valid for two (2) years.

1. Current AHA BLS Provider eCard = 3-4 hours

2. BLS Instructor Essentials Online =  1-2 hours

3. Review BLS Instructor Manual and BLS Provider Manual = varies

4. Live, In-Person Instructor Class = 6-7 hours

5. Be monitored by Training Faculty = 5 hours

Total Time Commitment = 15-20 hours

- AHA BLS Provider Manual Textbook -or- eBook

- AHA BLS Instructor Manual Textbook -or- eBook

- BLS Instructor Essentials Online Course

- AHA BLS Instructor Class = $309.99

- AHA BLS Provider Manual Textbook -or- eBook

- AHA BLS Instructor Manual Textbook -or- eBook

- BLS Instructor Essentials Online Course

- Government-Issued Photo Identification (Proof that you are at least 18 years old),

- Current AHA BLS Provider eCard,

- Certificate from BLS Instructor Essentials Online course,

- AHA Instructor Candidate Application.

Any person participating in any AHA Instructor Course must be aligned with an AHA-Authorized Training Center. When you register for the BLS Instructor Course with APHE TC, you are automatically aligned with APHE TC.

Each Instructor Candidate is required to teach a class while being monitored by an instructor trainer (AHA Training Faculty) within ninety (90) days or less after the instructor class. The Training Faculty is evaluating use of required AHA materials, course delivery, feedback from Instructor Candidate to students, testing of students, and professionalism of Instructor Candidate. 

Once the monitored class and the required documentation is successfully completed, an AHA BLS Instructor certification (eCard) is issued to the now-certified AHA BLS Instructor.  

- AHA BLS Provider classroom classes,

- AHA HeartCode® BLS skills sessions,

- AHA Heartsaver® First Aid CPR AED,

- AHA Heartsaver® Pediatric First Aid CPR AED,

- AHA Heartsaver® Bloodborne Pathogens,

- AHA Family & Friends® CPR.

Once you are a certified AHA BLS Instructor, your certification is valid for two (2) years. To recertify, you must:

1. Teach at least four (4) total of a combination of the following: 

• BLS Provider classes, 
• BLS Skills Sessions, 
• Heartsaver® First Aid and/or CPR AED, and/or
• Heartsaver® Skills Session
• = 4-16 hours

2. Complete BLS Provider Exam = 0.5-1 hour

3. Review APHE TC Update Video = 1 hour

4. Be monitored teaching (in-person or virtually) by Training Faculty = 1-3 hours

5. Complete renewal documentation = 0.5-1 hour

Total Ongoing Time Commitment (every two years) = 7-22 hours