2026 · School entry
Washington school & kindergarten vaccine requirements
To enter kindergarten in Washington, 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 Washington source. Hepatitis A is not required for kindergarten entry here.
Key takeaways
- To enter kindergarten in Washington, children generally need 5 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB.
- No. Washington 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.
- Washington exemptions: medical available; religious available; personal belief limited. Confirm on the official source.
- Standard core. Conditional status allowed for provisional enrollment.
Which vaccines does Washington require for kindergarten?
Each card links to a full guide for that vaccine — brands, ingredients, and how a delayed schedule changes the dose count.
Washington specifics
Standard core. Conditional status allowed for provisional enrollment.
What does Washington say about exemptions?
- Medical Available
- Religious Available
- Personal belief Limited
“Limited” means the option exists only in certain cases; the process below explains how.
How does the process work?
The family completes a Certificate of Exemption (COE) and gives it to the school or child care, with the Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) if only some vaccines are exempted. Except for religious-membership exemptions, the COE requires signature by a health care practitioner (MD, DO, ND, ARNP or PA) after education. Personal/philosophical exemptions cannot be used for MMR.
WA DOH - School and Child Care Immunization: Information for Families ↗ (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 Washington's official requirements?
The authoritative reference for Washington 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.
Washington State DOH — School Immunization →
More questions about Washington school vaccines
Which vaccines does Washington require for kindergarten?
For kindergarten entry, Washington 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 Washington source.
Does Washington require the hepatitis A vaccine for school?
No. Washington 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 Washington on a delayed vaccine schedule?
Often it can. A slower, spaced-out schedule can still satisfy Washington'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 Washington allow vaccine exemptions?
Washington: Medical exemptions are available, religious exemptions are available, and personal-belief exemptions are available only in limited cases. The family completes a Certificate of Exemption (COE) and gives it to the school or child care, with the Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) if only some vaccines are exempted. Except for religious-membership exemptions, the COE requires signature by a health care practitioner (MD, DO, ND, ARNP or PA) after education. Personal/philosophical exemptions cannot be used for MMR. Rules and forms change, so confirm with WA DOH - School and Child Care Immunization: Information for Families or your school.
Plan Washington-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.