Your BLS Provider card is the credential employers check most, and it is also the one most often allowed to lapse. A lapsed card can take you off the schedule until you complete a new course, so the safest habit is to plan the renewal well before the month it expires.
How long a BLS card is valid
The American Heart Association states that course completion cards are valid for two years through the end of the month in which they were issued.
| Card fact | What the AHA says |
|---|---|
| How long it is valid | Two years, through the end of the month it was issued |
| How the date appears on an eCard | A 2-digit month and 4-digit year, two years from the issue date |
| How an employer checks it | Scan the QR code on the eCard, or enter the eCard code at heart.org/CPR/mycards |
For example, a card issued on March 3, 2026 is valid through the end of March 2028. The exact day you took the class does not change the month-end date.
Plan your renewal
- Find the expiration month on your card or eCard.
- Book a renewal class at least 30 to 60 days before that month, because classes near the end of a month fill quickly.
- Confirm the course is the one your employer requires (for example, AHA BLS Provider rather than a lay-rescuer CPR course).
- Claim your new eCard as soon as it is issued and replace the old card in your records.
- Send your employer the new card, or a secure link to it.
How Med-Cert Pro helps
- Store the card or certificate once, with the expiration date read from the document by on-device scanning.
- See the credential move from Active to Expiring Soon, Critical and Expired, so nothing surprises you on shift.
- Get a reminder before the window closes, and mark a renewal In Progress while you finish it.
- Share a time-limited link or QR packet with an employer instead of emailing photos of your card.
- Your whole professional wallet is $24.99 per year, and agency-sponsored seats cost you nothing.
Med-Cert Pro is not affiliated with or endorsed by the American Heart Association. Always confirm requirements with your employer and the course provider.