Georgia Form 3231 is the state’s Certificate of Immunization, and your child needs a current one on file before a Georgia school or childcare facility will admit or keep them enrolled. You don’t fill it out yourself. A Georgia-licensed physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, or a qualified employee of a county health department or the State Immunization Office completes and signs it after checking your child’s shot history in the Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services (GRITS).1Georgia Department of Public Health. Standards for Issuing and Filing Certificates of Immunization Your job is getting your child to that provider and then handing the finished certificate to the school.
Who Has to Have One
Every child attending any school or childcare facility in Georgia needs Form 3231 on file. That covers public and private schools, pre-kindergarten, Head Start, nursery programs, and licensed daycare centers.2Georgia.gov. Get Required Health Records to Attend School The statute is written broadly: no child may be admitted to or continue attending without submitting a certificate to the facility’s responsible official.3Justia. Georgia Code 20-2-771 – Immunization of Students
Ignoring the requirement is not a paperwork issue. A parent or guardian who intentionally skips it, or a school official who lets a child stay enrolled without the certificate, can be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100 or up to 12 months in jail.4FindLaw. Georgia Code 20-2-771 – Health Requirements for School Entry
How to Get the Form
You have two practical routes.
Your child’s regular pediatrician or family doctor can pull the vaccination history from GRITS and print a completed Form 3231 at an office visit, assuming shots are up to date. Some practices charge a visit or paperwork fee.
A county health department can both administer any missing vaccines and issue the certificate the same day. If your child receives the shots at a public health center, the form is typically provided free of charge.5GNR Public Health. School-required Screenings and Immunizations
If you aren’t sure what’s already on record, request your child’s history before the appointment through the Department of Public Health’s online portal at vaccinerecordsrequest.dph.ga.gov.6Georgia Department of Public Health. Georgia Immunization Registry (GRITS) Knowing the gaps ahead of time keeps a single visit from turning into two.
Paying for the Vaccines
Non-grandfathered private health plans must cover recommended childhood vaccinations under the Affordable Care Act with no copay or deductible. For families without that coverage, the federal Vaccines for Children program provides vaccines at no cost to children through age 18 who are enrolled in Medicaid, uninsured, underinsured, or American Indian or Alaska Native.7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program Georgia county health departments participate in the program, so an eligible child can leave with the shots and a signed Form 3231 at no charge.
“Complete for School” vs. “Expiration Date”
Every Form 3231 carries one of two status designations, and this is where most families get caught off guard.
“Complete for School” means your child has finished every required series for their current age and grade. The certificate has no built-in expiration and stays valid until a future grade-level requirement kicks in.
“Expiration Date” means your child is mid-series or has a future dose due. The provider writes in a date based on when the next shot is required.1Georgia Department of Public Health. Standards for Issuing and Filing Certificates of Immunization After that date, the certificate is no longer valid and the school cannot keep your child enrolled until an updated one arrives. Check the date on the form you turn in, and put a reminder somewhere you’ll see it before summer ends.
Grade Levels That Trigger a New Form
Even a child with a “Complete for School” certificate will need a fresh Form 3231 at specific points, because Georgia layers new requirements as students age up.
At kindergarten entry, the full childhood schedule has to be documented, including the series for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella, hepatitis B, varicella, and (for children born on or after January 1, 2006) hepatitis A.8Georgia Secretary of State. Georgia Administrative Code 511-2-2 – Immunization of School Children
Entering seventh grade, and any new entrant in grades eight through twelve, must show one dose of Tdap and one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine. A new Form 3231 reflecting those shots has to be on file before the first day.9Georgia Department of Public Health. School Vaccines and Updates
Entering eleventh grade, students who are sixteen or older need a meningococcal booster, unless their first dose was given on or after their sixteenth birthday.8Georgia Secretary of State. Georgia Administrative Code 511-2-2 – Immunization of School Children Again, that means a new certificate with the updated date.
Children under five attending childcare also need Hib and pneumococcal vaccines on their certificate.8Georgia Secretary of State. Georgia Administrative Code 511-2-2 – Immunization of School Children
If You Don’t Have It on Day One
New entrants can get a short grace period. A school’s responsible official may grant a 30-calendar-day waiver when there’s a justified reason for the delay. “New entrant” covers any child enrolling for the first time, plus any child returning after an absence of more than 12 months.10Georgia Department of Public Health. Immunization Guidelines for Schools and Childcare Facilities
Out-of-state transfer students, and children entering kindergarten or first grade from out of state, can get up to 90 calendar days, but only if a health department or physician has documented that a vaccine sequence has started and can be finished inside that window. The school also has to receive confirmation during the waiver period that shots are being given on schedule.3Justia. Georgia Code 20-2-771 – Immunization of Students When any waiver runs out without a valid certificate, the child cannot keep attending.
Medical Exemptions on the Form
When a Georgia-licensed physician determines that a specific vaccine would be medically harmful to a child, the exemption is recorded directly on Form 3231. The physician checks the medical exemption box and names the vaccines the child cannot receive.11GNR Public Health. Georgia Immunization Requirements for School and Childcare Attendance
Medical exemptions are not permanent. The expiration date is set no more than 12 months from issue, and a physician has to review the exemption each year. A new Form 3231 is issued after each review, either continuing or ending the exemption.1Georgia Department of Public Health. Standards for Issuing and Filing Certificates of Immunization Miss the annual renewal and the certificate expires along with the exemption.
Religious Objections Use a Different Form
Form 3231 is not the route for a religious exemption. A parent or legal guardian claiming a sincere religious objection completes DPH Form 2208, the Affidavit of Religious Objection to Immunization, has it notarized, and submits it to the school or childcare facility.12Cornell Law Institute. Georgia Comp. R. and Regs. R. 511-2-2-.07 – Religious Objections to Required Immunizations Once the notarized affidavit is on file, the child is exempt from all required immunizations rather than from a specific vaccine the way a medical exemption works.2Georgia.gov. Get Required Health Records to Attend School
Turning It In
Deliver the completed certificate to the registrar, front office, or enrollment coordinator at your child’s school or childcare center. All required health forms must be submitted at admission or enrollment.2Georgia.gov. Get Required Health Records to Attend School Many facilities now accept forms through secure digital portals or encrypted email; ask what the school prefers.
The school is responsible for keeping a current, valid certificate on file for every enrolled child.13Georgia Immunization Registry. Georgia Department of Public Health Form 3231 Certificate of Immunization When a student transfers between Georgia schools, the certificate usually moves with the academic records, so a district change alone shouldn’t send you back to the doctor.