To opt your child out of required school or child care vaccinations in Arizona, you file an Arizona immunization exemption form from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) with your child’s school or facility. There are three versions of the form, and the one you need depends on why you’re requesting the exemption and whether your child is in child care, preschool, or K–12. Using the wrong form, or a homemade substitute, will get the request rejected and can delay enrollment.
The Three Exemption Types and Who Can Use Each
Arizona recognizes three categories of exemption, each with its own ADHS form. Picking the right one matters because schools and child care facilities will reject a form that doesn’t match the child’s setting.
Personal Belief Exemption (K–12 Only)
For children in kindergarten through twelfth grade, you can file a personal belief exemption. Under A.R.S. § 15-873, you submit a signed statement confirming that you’ve received information from ADHS about immunizations, that you understand the benefits of vaccination and the risks of not vaccinating, and that you do not consent based on personal beliefs.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 15 Section 15-873 – Exemptions; Nonattendance During Outbreak No doctor’s signature is required. Your signature alone satisfies the law.
The personal belief exemption does not work for younger children. Child care centers, preschools, and Head Start programs cannot accept it.2Arizona Department of Health Services. Arizona Immunization Handbook for Schools and Child Care Programs
Religious Belief Exemption (Child Care and Preschool Only)
For children in child care, preschool, or Head Start, the non-medical option is a religious belief exemption under A.R.S. § 36-883. You state that immunization conflicts with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination of which you or your child is a member.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 36-883 – Standards of Care; Rules; Classifications Like the personal belief form, only your signature is required. This form is limited to child care and preschool settings and cannot be used for K–12 enrollment.4Arizona Department of Health Services. Religious Beliefs Exemption Form for Child Care, Preschool, and Head Start Programs
Medical Exemption (All Settings)
A medical exemption applies in any setting, from child care through twelfth grade. A licensed physician (MD or DO) or registered nurse practitioner must certify that one or more required vaccines may be harmful to your child’s health, identify the specific medical condition that prevents vaccination, and indicate whether the exemption is permanent or temporary.5Justia Regulations. Arizona Administrative Code R9-6-706 – Exemptions From Immunizations A temporary exemption must list the date it ends; after that date, the child needs the postponed vaccines or faces exclusion.2Arizona Department of Health Services. Arizona Immunization Handbook for Schools and Child Care Programs A permanent medical exemption has no expiration and does not need to be resubmitted as long as the child stays at the same school or facility.
If your child has already had a disease and developed natural immunity, that’s also handled through the medical form. A provider can sign a statement of immunity for most diseases, but for measles and rubella specifically, the provider must have serologic (blood test) evidence before signing.6Legal Information Institute. Arizona Administrative Code R9-6-704 – Standards for Documentary Proof of Immunization or Immunity Attach lab results in that case.
How to Get and Complete the Form
Download the forms from the ADHS Bureau of Immunization Services website, or pick up a copy from your child’s school or child care facility. ADHS forms are the only versions schools and child care facilities are allowed to accept, and they cannot be altered.2Arizona Department of Health Services. Arizona Immunization Handbook for Schools and Child Care Programs A homemade letter or a modified version will be rejected.
Both non-medical forms (personal belief and religious belief) ask for the same basic information:
- Your name as parent or guardian
- Your child’s name and date of birth
- The specific vaccines you are declining
- A statement that the exemption is based on personal beliefs (K–12) or religious beliefs (child care/preschool)
- Your signature and the date
The personal belief form also presents ADHS information on the risks and benefits of each vaccine; your signature confirms you’ve reviewed it.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 15 Section 15-873 – Exemptions; Nonattendance During Outbreak Fill every section. A missing signature or blank field is grounds for rejection.
The medical form requires input from you and from a licensed medical professional. You complete the child’s identifying information and sign the parent section. The physician or nurse practitioner then fills in which vaccines are being exempted, the medical condition that makes vaccination harmful, whether the exemption is permanent or temporary, the expiration date if temporary, and their signature and date.5Justia Regulations. Arizona Administrative Code R9-6-706 – Exemptions From Immunizations
Each form lets you mark exemption from all required vaccines or only specific ones, so you can decline selectively.
Where and When to Submit
Turn in the completed, signed form directly to your child’s school or child care facility. Hand it to the school administrator, registrar, or school nurse. Do not send it to ADHS. The school or facility reviews the form for completeness and keeps it in your child’s permanent health record.
Timing is the part that trips families up. A child without proof of immunization or a valid exemption cannot attend school in Arizona. Under A.R.S. § 15-872, the school administrator must suspend a student who lacks both.7Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 15-872 – Proof of Immunization; Noncompliance; Notice to Parents For child care and preschool, a child missing required vaccines must receive a dose within 15 days of enrollment or lose their spot.8Arizona Department of Health Services. Arizona Guide to Immunizations Required for Entry – Child Care, Preschool, or Head Start Filing the exemption form on or before the first day of attendance keeps your child from being sent home.
What Happens During a Disease Outbreak
An approved exemption does not guarantee uninterrupted attendance. During an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, your child can be excluded from school even with a valid exemption on file. A.R.S. § 15-873(C) states that students without proof of immunization may not attend school during outbreak periods, as determined by ADHS or the local county health department.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 15 Section 15-873 – Exemptions; Nonattendance During Outbreak The health department notifies the school administrator, who excludes affected students.
The statute sets no fixed duration. The exclusion lasts as long as the health department considers the outbreak active, which for diseases with long incubation periods like measles can stretch several weeks. The only way to return earlier is to get the relevant vaccine. This applies to every exemption category, medical exemptions included.
Transferring Schools and Starting Kindergarten
An exemption filed at one school does not automatically follow your child to a new one. When your child transfers, submit a new form to the new school. The ADHS handbook is explicit: a new form must be completed when a student enrolls at a new school, whether or not an exemption was on file elsewhere.2Arizona Department of Health Services. Arizona Immunization Handbook for Schools and Child Care Programs
The same rule catches families moving a child from preschool into kindergarten. The religious belief form that worked in preschool does not transfer, because K–12 doesn’t accept it. You’ll need to file the personal belief form instead, or the medical form if that applies. Build the new paperwork into your enrollment checklist so the first day of school isn’t the day you find out something is missing.