A BLS certification is a credential that proves you can perform Basic Life Support, a set of emergency techniques used to keep someone alive during cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, or airway obstruction. It goes beyond standard CPR training and is designed primarily for healthcare professionals, though anyone can earn one. The certification is valid for two years and can typically be completed in a single day.
What BLS Covers
BLS training teaches you how to respond when someone’s heart stops, they stop breathing, or their airway is blocked. The core skill is CPR, including chest compressions and rescue breathing for adults, children, and infants, both as a solo rescuer and as part of a team. You also learn to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) and a bag-valve mask for delivering breaths.
Beyond hands-on resuscitation, BLS courses cover rapid assessment (quickly determining whether someone needs help and what kind), choking relief, responding to opioid overdoses, and working within the emergency medical services system. There’s also training in communication and teamwork during emergencies, legal considerations for rescuers, and infection-control precautions like using personal protective equipment while performing CPR.
How BLS Differs From Standard CPR
Standard CPR/AED courses teach the fundamentals of chest compressions and defibrillator use, and they satisfy most workplace safety requirements, including OSHA mandates. BLS certification covers everything in a CPR class but adds techniques and decision-making skills geared toward professional rescuers.
The practical difference matters for your career. A CPR certificate works fine for lifeguards, fitness instructors, or office safety teams. A BLS certification meets the credentialing and competency requirements that hospitals, EMS agencies, and clinical facilities expect from nurses, physicians, paramedics, and other healthcare workers. If your employer or licensing board specifies BLS, a basic CPR card won’t satisfy the requirement.
Who Needs BLS Certification
Nurses, doctors, paramedics, EMTs, respiratory therapists, dental professionals, and medical or nursing students are the most common groups required to hold a current BLS card. Many allied health programs, from physical therapy to radiology tech, also require it before clinical rotations begin. Some non-clinical roles in hospitals and public safety, such as police officers and firefighters, need BLS as well.
You don’t have to work in healthcare to take the course. Anyone who wants training beyond a basic CPR class can enroll, and the skills apply anywhere a medical emergency might happen.
What the Course Looks Like
BLS certification can be completed in one day. A fully instructor-led class runs about four to five hours. Blended learning options split the work into one to two hours of online coursework followed by a two- to three-hour in-person skills session where an instructor watches you perform compressions, ventilations, and AED use on practice manikins.
At the end of the course, you complete a skills test and a written exam. Passing both earns you a course completion card. Pricing varies by location and provider, so expect to compare options in your area.
Where to Get Certified
The two most widely recognized BLS providers in the United States are the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Red Cross. Most hospitals and healthcare employers accept either, though some specifically require AHA certification. Check with your employer or school before registering so you don’t end up with a card they won’t accept.
Both organizations operate through a network of authorized training centers. Classes are offered at hospitals, community colleges, fire stations, and dedicated training facilities. You can search for a location on either organization’s website.
2025 Guideline Updates
BLS protocols are updated periodically based on the latest resuscitation science. The 2025 AHA guidelines introduced several notable changes. The professional algorithm now incorporates the use of opioid-reversing medication for both respiratory and cardiac arrest, reflecting the reality of the opioid crisis. For choking in adults, the recommended technique is now cycles of five back blows followed by five abdominal thrusts, repeated until the object is dislodged or the person becomes unresponsive.
Other updates include positioning guidance: during cardiac arrest, rescuers should perform chest compressions with the patient’s torso at approximately knee level, which typically means lowering the patient to the floor rather than compressing on a bed. For someone who isn’t breathing but still has a pulse, the recommended rate is one breath every six seconds. If you’re certified under older guidelines, a renewal course will bring you up to speed on these changes.
Renewal and Expiration
Your BLS card is valid for two years through the end of the month it was issued. After that, you need to recertify. Renewal courses are shorter than the initial class since you’re refreshing skills rather than learning them from scratch. Contact a training center near you to find renewal class dates and availability. Most healthcare employers track your expiration date and will flag it well in advance, but keeping your own record is smart since a lapsed certification can delay clinical assignments or even affect your employment status.