2026 · School entry
California school & kindergarten vaccine requirements
To enter kindergarten in California, children generally need 5 vaccines — DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB. Below is what each one protects against, how exemptions and provisional enrollment work, and the official California source. Hepatitis A is not required for kindergarten entry here.
Key takeaways
- To enter kindergarten in California, children generally need 5 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB.
- No. California does not require hepatitis A (HepA) for kindergarten entry, although the CDC still recommends it for children. Your required list is DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB.
- California exemptions: medical available; religious not available; personal belief not available. Confirm on the official source.
- Standard core. Medical exemptions only (no personal/religious since 2016).
Which vaccines does California require for kindergarten?
Each card links to a full guide for that vaccine — brands, ingredients, and how a delayed schedule changes the dose count.
California specifics
Standard core. Medical exemptions only (no personal/religious since 2016).
What does California say about exemptions?
- Medical Available
- Religious Not available
- Personal belief Not available
How does the process work?
California no longer allows personal-belief or religious exemptions for school entry (SB 277, effective 2016). Since Jan 1, 2021, new medical exemptions are issued by a licensed physician through the state CAIR-ME website, which produces a document given to the parent. Medical exemptions expire at the next grade span or at a temporary exemption's stated end date.
CDPH - Exemption FAQs ↗ (opens in a new tab)
This summarizes what the state's own pages say, reviewed September 30, 2026. It is not advice for or against any option. Laws and forms change; confirm with your school or health department. Compare all states in the exemptions overview, or see glossary definitions.
What is provisional enrollment?
Many states permit provisional or conditional enrollment, which lets a child start school while still catching up on a series that has already been started. Rules and time limits vary, so ask your school. The catch-up guide explains how remaining doses are counted.
Where are California's official requirements?
The authoritative reference for California is the state's own published requirements. Always verify dose counts, grade ranges, and exemptions there — those details change and are not all captured here.
California CDPH — IMM-222 School Requirements →
More questions about California school vaccines
Which vaccines does California require for kindergarten?
For kindergarten entry, California requires 5 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB. These protect against diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis); polio; measles, mumps, rubella. Dose counts and grade ranges can vary — always confirm on the official California source.
Does California require the hepatitis A vaccine for school?
No. California does not require hepatitis A (HepA) for kindergarten entry, although the CDC still recommends it for children. Your required list is DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB.
Can my child start school in California on a delayed vaccine schedule?
Often it can. A slower, spaced-out schedule can still satisfy California's rules as long as the required series (DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB) are finished — or, in many districts, in progress under provisional/conditional enrollment — by the first day of school. The free planner builds a plan that finishes every required vaccine in time. Confirm the specifics with your school district and your child's healthcare practitioner.
Does California allow vaccine exemptions?
California: Medical exemptions are available, religious exemptions are not available, and personal-belief exemptions are not available. California no longer allows personal-belief or religious exemptions for school entry (SB 277, effective 2016). Since Jan 1, 2021, new medical exemptions are issued by a licensed physician through the state CAIR-ME website, which produces a document given to the parent. Medical exemptions expire at the next grade span or at a temporary exemption's stated end date. Rules and forms change, so confirm with CDPH - Exemption FAQs or your school.
Plan California-ready vaccinations on a slower schedule
Want to space shots out but still finish every required vaccine before the first day of school? Build a spaced-out, minimum-dose plan you can review with your child's healthcare practitioner.
Build my plan →Sources
The state's own page is the authority; the others are cross-checks.