- AHA
- Heartsaver Instructor
AHA Heartsaver Instructor Course in San Francisco
To become an AHA Heartsaver Instructor, you hold a current AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED card, find an AHA Training Center that agrees to accept you, complete Heartsaver Instructor Essentials (an online portion, then a hands-on session with Training Faculty and an exam), and are monitored teaching within 6 months. Your Training Center then issues your Instructor eCard. Send us an inquiry and we reply with the options we can offer.
What you teach
What an AHA Heartsaver Instructor teaches
Scope
Heartsaver Instructors teach AHA Heartsaver courses for people outside healthcare, such as workplace responders, coaches, teachers and the public. If you also want to teach BLS, the AHA BLS Instructor course qualifies you for both BLS and Heartsaver.
Before you start
Prerequisites
- Be at least 18 years old
- Hold a current AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED course completion card and be proficient in its skills
- Be aligned with an AHA Training Center that has agreed to accept you once Instructor Essentials and monitoring are complete
- Complete an Instructor Candidate Application
- Finish the online portion of Heartsaver Instructor Essentials
Format
How the instructor course works
Online portion
The online part of Heartsaver Instructor Essentials, finished before the hands-on session.
Hands-on session
Taught by AHA Training Faculty: how to run Heartsaver courses, give feedback and test skills with the AHA checklists.
Exam
A minimum score of 84% is part of completing the course.
Monitored teaching
Be monitored teaching within 6 months after the hands-on session. The Training Center Coordinator can ask for more monitoring if needed.
Step by step
Steps to become an AHA Heartsaver Instructor
Hold a current Heartsaver card
You need a current AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED card.
Find a Training Center
Ask an AHA Training Center whether it is accepting new instructor candidates. It guides the paperwork.
Instructor Essentials
Complete the online portion, then the hands-on session and the exam.
Monitored teaching
Teach your first course while you are monitored, within 6 months.
Instructor eCard and alignment
Your Training Center issues your Instructor eCard. You then align with it in Atlas, the AHA instructor system.
FAQ
AHA Heartsaver Instructor course: common questions
What do I need before the AHA Heartsaver Instructor course?
You must be at least 18, hold a current AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED course completion card and be proficient in its skills, be aligned with an AHA Training Center that agrees to accept you, complete an Instructor Candidate Application, and finish the online portion of Heartsaver Instructor Essentials.
Source: American Heart Association, Heartsaver Instructor Essentials Faculty Guide (2021)
Do I have to align with an AHA Training Center?
Yes. Every AHA instructor candidate needs a Training Center that has agreed to accept them once Instructor Essentials and monitoring are complete. After your Instructor eCard is issued, you align with that Training Center in Atlas.
Source: American Heart Association, How to Become an AHA Instructor
What is monitoring?
After Instructor Essentials, you are monitored teaching within 6 months of the hands-on session. Training Center Coordinators can require more monitoring if needed.
Source: American Heart Association, Heartsaver Instructor Essentials Faculty Guide (2021)
Should I take Heartsaver Instructor or BLS Instructor?
If you only plan to teach Heartsaver courses, Heartsaver Instructor fits. The AHA says BLS Instructor Essentials qualifies you to teach both BLS and Heartsaver courses, and you only need a BLS card to enroll.
Source: American Heart Association, BLS Instructor Essentials Faculty Guide (2026)
What is the minimum age to teach Heartsaver?
The AHA requires instructors to be at least 18 years old to teach Heartsaver and BLS courses.
Source: American Heart Association, FAQs about AHA Training (Instructor Courses)
How do I ask about the course in San Francisco?
Send the inquiry form on this page with your preferred timing. We reply by email or text with the options we can offer.
Sources for the facts on this page
- American Heart Association, How to Become an AHA Instructor
- American Heart Association, How Do I Become an AHA Instructor? (Atlas how-to guide)
- American Heart Association, Heartsaver Instructor Essentials Faculty Guide (2021)
- American Heart Association, BLS Instructor Essentials Faculty Guide (2026)
- American Heart Association, FAQs about AHA Training (Instructor Courses)