Hospital and clinic staff
Nurses, physicians, techs and other clinical staff at hospitals and clinics usually need a current AHA BLS card to work with patients. Check the exact course name your employer lists.
- BLS
- Blended
BLS Certification in San Francisco
BLS certification in San Francisco at CPR San Francisco is the American Heart Association BLS Provider course in its blended form. You finish HeartCode BLS online first, a course sold separately by the AHA, then come to 26 7th St in SoMa for a 60 minute hands-on skills session and test. Your AHA BLS Provider card is valid for 2 years.
The course
What is AHA BLS Provider?
BLS (Basic Life Support) is the American Heart Association course for healthcare providers and students. It teaches high-quality CPR for adults, children and infants, early use of an AED, rescue breaths with a pocket mask and a bag-mask device, relief of choking, and how a team works a cardiac arrest together.
HeartCode BLS is the AHA name for the blended version. The knowledge part is online and adaptive, and the hands-on part is a skills practice and testing session with an instructor. Both parts lead to the same AHA BLS Provider card as the classroom course.
In class
What the AHA BLS Provider class covers
Six skill areas from the American Heart Association course content, practiced hands-on at 26 7th St.
High-quality CPR
Compression rate, depth and full recoil for adults, children and infants, with as few pauses as possible.
AED use
Turning on the AED, placing pads for adults and children, and resuming compressions right after a shock.
Breaths and bag-mask
Rescue breaths with a pocket mask, and one and two rescuer bag-mask ventilation.
Choking relief
Responsive and unresponsive choking for adults, children and infants.
Team resuscitation
Clear roles, closed-loop communication and switching compressors during a code.
Chain of Survival
The AHA Chain of Survival, and the BLS links in it: early recognition, calling for help, CPR and early defibrillation.
Who needs it
Who needs AHA BLS Provider?
Always check the exact course name your employer, school or licensing office asks for.
Nursing, medical and allied health students
Most clinical programs ask for BLS for healthcare providers before your first clinical placement, and many name the American Heart Association.
Dental offices
The Dental Board of California requires BLS for license renewal, from a provider such as the AHA or the Red Cross, and the course must include an in-person skills session and test. Online-only BLS does not count.
EMT students
Local EMT programs ask for AHA BLS before you start: City College of San Francisco accepts only a current AHA BLS card from Summer 2026 admission, and Skyline College's EMT course requires an AHA BLS Healthcare Provider card.
Local proof
Who asks for BLS near our SoMa classroom
Local programs and California rules that ask for BLS, and the hospitals closest to our SoMa classroom.
Programs and rules that require it
- City College of San Francisco EMT programAccepts only a current AHA BLS card from Summer 2026 admission. Source
- Skyline College Emergency Medical TechnologyThe EMT course requires an AHA BLS Healthcare Provider card. Source
- Dental Board of CaliforniaBLS is required for license renewal, and the course must include an in-person skills session and test. Source
Hospitals near the classroom
- Hospital at 900 Hyde St, formerly Saint Francis Memorial900 Hyde St
- CPMC Van Ness Campus1101 Van Ness Ave
- Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center1001 Potrero Ave
- UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay1975 4th St
- Chinese Hospital845 Jackson St
Nursing schools in San Francisco
- SF State School of Nursing1600 Holloway Ave
- UCSF School of NursingParnassus campus
- USF School of Nursing and Health Professions2130 Fulton St
- City College of San Francisco Registered NursingCity College of San Francisco
Named as nearby places, not partners or clients. Your employer, school or licensing office has the final word on which card you need.
Format
How the blended course works
Book your skills session
Pick a date on the booking page. It opens right here on the site.
Do HeartCode BLS online
Buy HeartCode BLS from the American Heart Association, work through it at your own pace and save the certificate of completion.
Come to 26 7th St
Bring your completion certificate. The in-person session is about 60 minutes of hands-on practice and the skills test.
Get your AHA card
Pass the skills test and the AHA BLS Provider card is issued to you as an eCard. It is valid for 2 years.
Before class
How long, how long it lasts, before class checklist
How long is it?
About 60 min in person in person at 26 7th St, after the online part.
How long is it valid?
The AHA BLS Provider eCard is valid for 2 years. Renew before it expires.
What card do I get?
The AHA BLS Provider eCard, issued the same day you pass the skills session.
Before class checklist
- Buy HeartCode BLS from the American Heart Association and finish it before your session date
- Save or print the HeartCode BLS certificate of completion and bring it with you
- Check that AHA BLS Provider is the course your employer, school or licensing board names
- Book with the email address you want your AHA BLS Provider eCard sent to
- Wear clothes you can kneel in, since compressions are practiced on the floor
- Plan the trip: Civic Center/UN Plaza BART and Muni, 7th and Market entrance
What to bring
- Your HeartCode BLS certificate of completion, printed or on your phone
- Clothes you can kneel in, since compressions are practiced on the floor
- Glasses or anything else you need to read a screen and a manikin feedback light
About the online part (sold separately by the AHA)
The online part is HeartCode BLS, sold separately by the American Heart Association, not by CPR San Francisco. You buy it from the AHA, complete it before your session, and bring the certificate of completion.
The AHA says the online part takes about 1 to 2 hours, depending on what you already know. Finish it before your skills session date: the session is the hands-on practice and test only.
Getting here
Getting to 26 7th St
The classroom is in SoMa, just south of Market Street on 7th, at Civic Center/UN Plaza BART and Muni.
BART
Civic Center/UN Plaza, under Market St between 7th and 8th Streets. Street entrances at 7th and Market, at UN Plaza and at 8th and Market, with a street elevator on Market between 7th and 8th.
Muni Metro
Civic Center station, lines J, K, L, M, N, S.
The T Third does not stop at Civic Center. It connects to Powell station through Union Square/Market St.
Muni bus and streetcar
- F Market and WharvesMarket and 7th
- 7 Haight/NoriegaMarket and 7th
- 9 San Bruno and 9RMarket and 7th
- 14 MissionMission and 7th
- 19 Polk7th and Mission (inbound on 7th St)
Car and Caltrain
From the Bay Bridge or US-101, I-80 has ramps at 7th and 8th Streets (the westbound 8th St exit is signed 9th St), in SoMa south of the classroom. Parking details are not posted yet, so transit is the simplest way in.
From Caltrain's San Francisco station at 4th and King, the N Judah runs through the Market Street subway to Civic Center.
FAQ
AHA BLS Provider: questions
Where can I get BLS certification in San Francisco?
CPR San Francisco teaches the American Heart Association BLS Provider skills session at 26 7th St, San Francisco, CA 94103, in SoMa between Market and Mission. You do HeartCode BLS online first, then come in for about 60 minutes.
How long is the in-person part of BLS?
About 60 minutes. The knowledge part is done online beforehand in HeartCode BLS, so the session is hands-on practice and the skills test.
Is the online HeartCode BLS course included?
No. HeartCode BLS is sold separately by the American Heart Association. You buy and finish it with the AHA, then bring the certificate of completion to your session.
How long is an AHA BLS card valid?
The AHA BLS Provider card is valid for 2 years. Renew before it expires so your card stays current.
Is HeartCode BLS the same card as the classroom BLS course?
Yes. HeartCode BLS is the blended version of the AHA BLS Provider course. After you pass the skills session you receive the same AHA BLS Provider card.
When do I get my BLS card?
The AHA BLS Provider card is issued as an eCard after you pass the skills test, following American Heart Association practice. It is sent to the email address you booked with.
Can I take BLS if my card already expired?
Yes. The blended BLS Provider course works for first-time students and for people whose card has lapsed. You complete HeartCode BLS online and the skills session the same way.
What should I bring to the BLS skills session?
Your HeartCode BLS certificate of completion and clothes you can kneel in. Compressions are practiced on the floor.
Which Bay Area programs require AHA BLS?
City College of San Francisco's EMT program accepts only a current AHA BLS card from Summer 2026 admission, Skyline College's EMT course requires an AHA BLS Healthcare Provider card, and the Dental Board of California requires BLS with an in-person skills test for license renewal.
Areas we serve
BLS for nearby neighborhoods and cities
Every class is held at 26 7th St. Each page covers the trip from that area and the local hospitals, schools and employers.
Sources for the facts on this page
- American Heart Association, BLS course options
- American Heart Association, HeartCode BLS
- American Heart Association, Basic Life Support (BLS) training
- Dental Board of California, continuing education and BLS
- City College of San Francisco, EMT program
- Skyline College, Emergency Medical Technology
- 900 Hyde St hospital, formerly Saint Francis Memorial (Wikipedia)
- Sutter Health, CPMC Van Ness Campus
- SF.gov, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center
- UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Mission Bay, 1975 4th St
- Chinese Hospital, 845 Jackson St (GuideStar)
- SF State School of Nursing
- UCSF School of Nursing
- USF School of Nursing and Health Professions
- City College of San Francisco, Registered Nursing
- BART, Civic Center/UN Plaza station
- Civic Center/UN Plaza station, Muni Metro lines (Wikipedia)