It should work! What they are telling you that you are missing the course certificate with the correct code (AMERHA-216) on it from American Heart Association (AHA).
The course you took should work, you just need to obtain a course certificate with the correct code on it if you are taking CPR / First Aid from an American Heart Association provider and give that to the USCG.
CPR and First Aid courses taken from an American Heart Association Provider are accepted but they can cause some confusion for you and the USCG. The USCG will not accept your American Heart Association First Aid / CPR card as documentation of taking First Aid. They will only take it as documentation for CPR.
The USCG will accept a USCG approved course certificate with the specific course code for American Heart Association.
How to get the correct USCG approved course certificate from an American Heart Association provider:
You need to ask your instructor to take the following steps and provide you with a US Coast Guard (USCG) approved AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Course and Certificate that has the code (AMERHA-216) on it.
- Log into the AHA’s Student Portal
- Go to: https://elearning.heart.org
- Sign in with the email you used when registering for the course.
- Access Your E-Card
- Click on the “My Courses” or “My E-cards” section.
- Locate your most recent CPR/First Aid or BLS course.
- You should see a certificate or an eCard verification link.
- Check Course Code on the E-Card
- It may already list a course title like:
- Heartsaver® First Aid CPR AED
- BLS Provider
- However, “AMERHA 216” might not be shown unless the issuing Training Center included it in their setup.
- Contact the Training Center
- Reach out to the AHA Training Center or Instructor who issued your certification.
- Ask them to re-issue your eCard or provide a supporting letter/email that states your course matches the AMERHA 216 standard.
- If they are unsure, they can contact AHA support themselves.
- Contact AHA Customer Support (if needed)
- CustomerSupport@heart.org
- Or call: 1-877-AHA-4CPR (1-877-242-4277)
- Ask for a course verification letter or documentation that confirms your certification aligns with AMERHA 216.
- Download the The US Coast Guard (USCG) approved AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Course and Certificate inside their instructor Network.
- Email you the pdf of the The US Coast Guard (USCG) approved AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Course and Certificate
You know you have the right thing when it has your name, the code AMERHA-216, the date you completed the course and your instructor's name on it.
I've got my USCG approved AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED course certificate now what do I do?
If you are using MM-SEAS
Add it into the system, let us know and we will handle the rest.
If you are not using MM-SEAS and you got an Awaiting Information Letter
Upload it to your application in Navita, the Coast Guard's new submission portal, and name the file with your Last Name, MMC number and Application ID.
If you are not using MM-SEAS and you are submitting your application
Include it in your complete package when you submit through Navita, the National Maritime Center’s online system, and name the file with your Last Name, MMC number and Application ID. Rather not do it alone? With a Stress-Free MMC, an MM-SEAS Navita Navigator walks you through submitting in Navita on a short video call, or our team submits it for you.
We hope this made your life a little easier and if you have other questions the MM-SEAS team is always here to help!
MM-SEAS is free to use on your own and if you need some more personalized help you can upgrade to MM-SEAS Expert Access inside of the site.
No matter what, when you are ready to submit your application you can do it yourself, or you can hand the whole thing to us. An MM-SEAS Navita Navigator walks you through submitting in Navita, the Coast Guard's new submission portal, on a short video call. No computer, or not up for a video call? Our team gets your application submitted to the Coast Guard for you anyway. A Stress-Free MMC is $399. Two MM-SEAS licensing experts check every page, we pay your Coast Guard fees at submission and charge your card so you never touch pay.gov, and we stay on it with the National Maritime Center until your credential is issued.
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About the author
Nate Gilman is President and Co-Founder of MM-SEAS. He hawsepiped from the deck to a 3rd Mate Unlimited license with full STCW compliance over more than 15 years at sea, and is a veteran of the NOAA Commissioned Corps. He works directly with the National Maritime Center, USCG-approved training schools, and vessel operators on credentialing policy, and writes on sea service documentation, evaluation standards, and how mariners move up the license ladder.
