2026–27 school year
Kindergarten vaccine requirements by state
Every US state and the District of Columbia sets its own immunization rules for school entry. Pick your jurisdiction to see which vaccines it requires for kindergarten, how hepatitis A is handled, and a direct link to the official state source. Use it to plan backward from the first day of school.
Key takeaways
- School vaccine requirements are set by each US state and the District of Columbia, not by the federal government.
- 51 of 51 jurisdictions require DTaP, polio (IPV), MMR and varicella for kindergarten, and 46 require hepatitis B.
- Jurisdictions require between 4 and 6 vaccines for kindergarten in our data; 47 of 51 also list a religious or personal-belief exemption (see the exemptions overview for how each works).
- 20 of 51 jurisdictions require hepatitis A for school entry (some only in certain grades); Hib and PCV are typically childcare requirements, not kindergarten requirements.
- Exemption rules and provisional enrollment differ by state and change over time, so each state page links to its official source.
Heads up. Advisory only; requirements change and vary by grade/childcare. Always confirm on your state's official page.
Which vaccines does my state require for kindergarten?
This table covers what each state requires. For how exemptions work (forms, processes, medical exemptions), see the exemptions overview.
| State | Required for kindergarten | HepA? | Non-medical exemption listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 4 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR | No | Religious |
| Alaska | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious |
| Arizona | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious, Personal belief |
| Arkansas | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious, Personal belief |
| California | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | None listed |
| Colorado | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious, Personal belief |
| Connecticut | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | None listed |
| Delaware | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| District of Columbia | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious, Personal belief (limited) |
| Florida | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| Georgia | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious |
| Hawaii | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious |
| Idaho | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious, Personal belief |
| Illinois | 4 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR | No | Religious |
| Indiana | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious |
| Iowa | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| Kansas | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious |
| Kentucky | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious |
| Louisiana | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious, Personal belief |
| Maine | 4 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR | No | None listed |
| Maryland | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| Massachusetts | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| Michigan | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious, Personal belief |
| Minnesota | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Personal belief |
| Mississippi | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| Missouri | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| Montana | 4 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR | No | Religious |
| Nebraska | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| Nevada | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious |
| New Hampshire | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| New Jersey | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| New Mexico | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious |
| New York | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | None listed |
| North Carolina | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| North Dakota | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious, Personal belief |
| Ohio | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious, Personal belief |
| Oklahoma | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious, Personal belief |
| Oregon | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious, Personal belief |
| Pennsylvania | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious, Personal belief |
| Rhode Island | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| South Carolina | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious |
| South Dakota | 4 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR | No | Religious |
| Tennessee | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious |
| Texas | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious, Personal belief |
| Utah | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious, Personal belief |
| Vermont | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| Virginia | 6 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA | Yes | Religious, Personal belief (limited) |
| Washington | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious, Personal belief (limited) |
| West Virginia | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
| Wisconsin | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious, Personal belief |
| Wyoming | 5 DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB | No | Religious |
Counts are vaccines listed as kindergarten requirements in our data; dose counts and grade ranges are on each state page. “Limited” means available only in certain cases.
Sources
Each state page links to that state's own health or education department page, which is the authority. These are cross-checks.