How to renew your PALS card
AHA PALS cards are valid two years and expire at the end of the issuing month. Renew before expiration with the PALS Update Course (about 8 hours 45 minutes) or HeartCode PALS online plus a hands-on skills session. Expired cards mean the full 12.5–17.5-hour provider course, and some employers accept AHA-issued PALS only.
- Cycle
- 2 years — expires at the end of the issuing month
- Renewal formats
- Update Course ~8 hrs 45 min, or HeartCode PALS + ~5.5-hr skills session
- Prerequisites
- Unexpired PALS card · precourse self-assessment · current BLS expected
- Expired
- Full provider course, 12.5–17.5 hours
- Issuer
- Some employers require AHA-issued PALS specifically — verify policy
- Find a class
- atlas.heart.org
- Claim eCards
- ecards.heart.org
- Check the expiration month on the cardPALS cards expire at the end of the month printed on the card. Verify in your eCard or Trust card.
- Confirm your employer's issuer ruleSome employers accept AHA or Red Cross for BLS and ACLS but require AHA specifically for PALS. Check the policy before you book a pediatric course.
- Book the Update Course before expirationFind an AHA training center at atlas.heart.org and book the PALS Update Course (about 8 hours 45 minutes) or HeartCode PALS plus a skills session.
- Complete the precourse self-assessmentThe precourse work is mandatory. Bring a current BLS card — training centers routinely require it at check-in.
- Pass the course and the pediatric megacodeYou lead pediatric scenarios and pass the written exam. HeartCode PALS pairs online cognitive work with a roughly 5.5-hour skills session.
- Claim the eCard and save the PDF to TrustClaim at ecards.heart.org so employers can verify it, then keep the PDF on-device for your next credential check.
Requirements
A current, unexpired card is required for the Update Course. Once it expires you are booking the full provider course — 12.5 to 17.5 hours instead of 8.75.
Complete the mandatory precourse self-assessment, and bring a current BLS card to check-in. Pediatric megacodes assume you can run compressions and ventilation correctly without prompting.
The AHA-only nuance. Several employers accept either AHA or Red Cross for BLS and ACLS but require AHA for PALS. A Red Cross pediatric advanced course can be refused for privileging even though it looks equivalent on paper.
CE credit for PALS depends on your nursing board and the training center's provider approval — it is not automatic. See your state guide before counting it toward license CE.
How to renew, step by step
- 01Check the expiration month on the cardPALS cards expire at the end of the month printed on the card. Verify in your eCard or Trust card.
- 02Confirm your employer's issuer ruleSome employers accept AHA or Red Cross for BLS and ACLS but require AHA specifically for PALS. Check the policy before you book a pediatric course.
- 03Book the Update Course before expirationFind an AHA training center at atlas.heart.org and book the PALS Update Course (about 8 hours 45 minutes) or HeartCode PALS plus a skills session.
- 04Complete the precourse self-assessmentThe precourse work is mandatory. Bring a current BLS card — training centers routinely require it at check-in.
- 05Pass the course and the pediatric megacodeYou lead pediatric scenarios and pass the written exam. HeartCode PALS pairs online cognitive work with a roughly 5.5-hour skills session.
- 06Claim the eCard and save the PDF to TrustClaim at ecards.heart.org so employers can verify it, then keep the PDF on-device for your next credential check.
If you're late
Expired means the full provider course: roughly double the hours, up to double the price, and fewer available dates.
In PALS-required roles — pediatrics, ED, PICU, transport — a lapse usually means coming off the schedule until the card is current. Book the update while the card is still valid.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I take the PALS Update Course with an expired card?
- By default no — an expired card means the full provider course (roughly 12.5 to 17.5 hours). Some centers allow exceptions at the coordinator's discretion; plan for the full course.
- Do I need current BLS for PALS?
- Most training centers expect it, and the scenarios assume high-quality CPR without coaching. Bring proof at check-in.
- Is a Red Cross pediatric course equivalent to AHA PALS?
- It depends entirely on the employer. Several large systems require AHA-issued PALS cards and will not credit a Red Cross pediatric course. Confirm before paying.
- What does PALS renewal cost?
- There is no board fee — the AHA training center sets the price, and the full provider course costs substantially more than the update.
- How do employers verify my card?
- They look it up on ecards.heart.org, or you share the PDF stored in Trust.
Last verified against American Heart Association sources:
Changelog
Every revision to this guide, newest first. Last updated .
- Reviewed and verified requirements, fees, and deadlines against American Heart Association sources.
Trust tracks this renewal for you.
Trust reminds you at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before your PALS expires — enough runway for the shorter update course — and keeps the eCard PDF on-device.
Keep exploring renewals
Adjacent boards, specialties, and states most often renewed alongside PALS renewal.