Does Stop the Bleed certification expire? No date, but skills fade
No published expiry: the American College of Surgeons sets no expiration date or renewal interval for ACS Stop the Bleed certificates. Skills fade fast, though. In a 465-person trial, correct tourniquet use fell from 88% after the course to 54.5% at 3 to 9 months. Refresh yearly; courses take 90 minutes or less.
Onsite Stop the Bleed, $200 for 10 Compare the courses
01Does Stop the Bleed certification expire?
The American College of Surgeons, which runs ACS Stop the Bleed, publishes no expiration date or renewal interval on its course FAQ; certificates are requested from the course instructor[1]. Licensed courses can lead to a U.S. Department of Defense STOP THE BLEED certificate[2].
The certificate may not lapse, but the skill does. In a randomized trial of 465 laypeople, 88% applied a tourniquet correctly right after a bleeding control course, against 16% in the control group; 3 to 9 months later, 54.5% of those retested still could[3].
88% correct after the course → 54.5% correct at 3 to 9 months[3]
88 − 54.5 = 33.5 percentage points lost, about 4 in 10 trained people
Our recommendation: refresh yearly, on the same day as the annual bloodborne pathogens or fire extinguisher training your site already needs.
02How long is Stop the Bleed training?
| Course | Length | Certificate | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACS Stop the Bleed (in person) | No longer than 90 minutes[1] | From your instructor[1] | Typically no charge[1] |
| ACS Stop the Bleed Interactive (online) | Online; free and repeatable[4] | Online course | Free[4] |
| Stop the Bleed Coalition course | About an hour[2] | DoD certificate eligibility[2] | Varies by instructor |
| AED Leader onsite add-on Onsite | 1 hour[5] | None (awareness course)[5] | From $200 for up to 10[5] |
Choose by need: if a job requires a certificate, take an ACS or DoD-licensed course. If you want your whole team trained at your site on the same visit as CPR, the onsite add-on fits.
03Why train staff to stop bleeding?
Time to bleed out: 3 to 5 minutes[1] · Urban EMS arrival: up to 10 minutes[6]
Gap a coworker must cover: up to 5 to 7 minutes
04What does Stop the Bleed training teach?
| Skill | What staff practice | Kit item |
|---|---|---|
| Direct pressure | Firm pressure on the wound | Gloves, gauze |
| Wound packing | Packing deep wounds to control bleeding | Hemostatic or plain gauze |
| Tourniquet | Applying a tourniquet to an arm or leg | Commercial tourniquet |
| Chest seals | Sealing chest wounds (covered in the AED Leader add-on)[5] | Chest seal |
The three core techniques, pressure, packing and tourniquets, come from the ACS course[1]. Training without kits fails: place a bleeding control kit next to each AED so responders find both in one place.
Stop the Bleed at your site
1-hour onsite add-on: tourniquets, wound packing, pressure and chest seals. Awareness course, no certificate. 23 Oct 2026 price: $200 for up to 10 people, $500 for up to 25.
Stop the Bleed at AED Leader, from $200 Book at Response Ready05What does Stop the Bleed training cost for a team?
| Group size | Up to 10 | Up to 12 | Up to 15 | Up to 20 | Up to 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop the Bleed add-on | $200 | $240 | $300 | $400 | $500 |
| Per person | $20.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 |
CPR, AED & First Aid ($850) + Stop the Bleed ($200) + Bloodborne Pathogens ($200), up to 10 people
= $1,250, or $125 per person[5]
All class prices side by side: group CPR training cost and the CPR and safety training category.
06Who should take Stop the Bleed?
| Workplace | Why bleeding control matters | ABB guide |
|---|---|---|
| Construction and utilities | Cutting tools, falls, heavy equipment | AEDs for construction |
| Manufacturing and warehouses | Machinery and forklifts | AEDs for manufacturing |
| Schools | Large groups, sports, playgrounds | AEDs for schools |
| Restaurants | Knives, slicers, glass | AEDs for restaurants |
| Gyms | Equipment injuries, crowds | AEDs for sports |
07Your Stop the Bleed plan in 4 steps
- Decide if anyone needs a formal certificate; if so, book an ACS or DoD-licensed course[1][2].
- Train the rest of the team onsite: Stop the Bleed at AED Leader or Response Ready.
- Mount a bleeding control kit beside each AED and check it with your AED maintenance routine.
- Refresh yearly; skills fell from 88% to 54.5% within 3 to 9 months in the PATTS trial[3].
08Stop the Bleed certification: questions
Does Stop the Bleed certification expire?
The American College of Surgeons publishes no expiration date or renewal interval for ACS Stop the Bleed course certificates. Skills fade, though: in the PATTS trial, correct tourniquet use fell from 88% after training to 54.5% at 3 to 9 months, so a yearly refresher is sensible.
How long does Stop the Bleed certification last?
No official renewal period is published by ACS. Treat it as current for about 12 months and refresh yearly, because trained laypeople lose tourniquet skill within months.
How long is Stop the Bleed training?
Most ACS Stop the Bleed courses last no longer than 90 minutes. The Stop the Bleed Coalition describes classes of about an hour, and the AED Leader onsite add-on runs 1 hour.
Is Stop the Bleed training free?
Most ACS Stop the Bleed courses are typically free, and the ACS online interactive course is free. Onsite group training at your workplace from AED Leader costs $200 for up to 10 people.
Does the AED Leader Stop the Bleed class give a certificate?
No. It is a 1-hour awareness add-on covering tourniquets, wound packing, pressure and chest seals, designed to pair with CPR, first aid or fire extinguisher training.
Who issues Stop the Bleed certificates?
ACS course certificates come from the course instructor. Licensed courses through the Stop the Bleed Coalition can lead to a U.S. Department of Defense STOP THE BLEED certificate.
Related guides
OSHA first aid requirements · OSHA CPR requirements · Bloodborne pathogens training · 7 life-saving skills · Group CPR training cost
How we check: prices are read from the live AED Leader and Response Ready listings on the date shown; rules are quoted from the eCFR. See our editorial standards and methodology. AED Best Brands is independent of AED manufacturers.
Sources
- American College of Surgeons, ACS Stop the Bleed FAQ: course length, cost, certificates, bleeding statistics.
- Stop the Bleed Coalition, STOP THE BLEED Course.
- Goolsby C, et al. Effectiveness of Instructional Interventions for Hemorrhage Control Readiness for Laypersons (PATTS): A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Surgery, 2018;153(9).
- American College of Surgeons, ACS Stop the Bleed Interactive Course.
- AED Leader course listings, CPR & AED, CPR, AED & First Aid, Stop the Bleed, OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens, Fire Extinguisher Live Fire: price by group size, length and certification, checked 23 Oct 2026; Response Ready lists the same price ranges.
- DoW STOP THE BLEED (U.S. Department of Defense program site): bleed-out and responder arrival times.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2.5 million workplace injuries and illnesses in private industry in 2024.
Updated 23 October 2026.