Virginia’s Certificate of Religious Exemption, Form CRE-1, lets you enroll your child in school or childcare without the immunizations state law otherwise requires. It’s a one-page notarized affidavit. You complete it, sign it in front of a notary public, and hand the original to your child’s school or childcare admitting official, where it replaces the standard immunization certificate in the health file. The form is available as a PDF from the Virginia Department of Health’s immunization page and through local school division offices.1Virginia Department of Health. School Requirements
Filling Out the Form
CRE-1 is short. The pre-printed statement in the middle of the page reads, “The administration of immunizing agents conflicts with the above-named student’s/my religious tenets or practices.” You do not name specific vaccines, and you do not describe your beliefs in writing. Your signature makes the objection a blanket one covering all required immunizations.
The fields to complete are the student’s full name as it appears in enrollment records, the child’s date of birth, the school-assigned student I.D. number if one has been issued, and the signature and date line. A parent, legal guardian, or the student (if the student is an adult) signs. If your child hasn’t enrolled yet and doesn’t have an I.D. number, ask the school whether to leave it blank.
Print clearly and use ink. A name the school can’t read, or one that doesn’t match enrollment records, will come back for correction. Leave the bottom half of the page alone. That section is for the notary.
Getting the Form Notarized
Virginia requires CRE-1 to be notarized before a school will accept it.2Legal Information Institute. 12 Va. Admin Code 5-110-80 – Exemptions From Immunization Requirements Do not sign the form ahead of time. Bring it unsigned, appear in person before a notary public with valid photo identification, and sign it while the notary watches. The notary then fills in the lower section: the city or county of signing, signature, seal or stamp, commission expiration date, and registration number.
The form includes an affirmation that nothing in it is falsified or willfully misrepresented. Because it’s a sworn statement, a knowingly false claim exposes you to perjury under Virginia Code § 18.2-434, a Class 5 felony carrying one to ten years in prison, or at the court’s discretion up to twelve months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.3Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 18.2-434 – What Deemed Perjury, Punishment and Penalty4Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 18.2-10 – Punishment for Conviction of Felony, Penalty
Notary fees for physical documents are capped at $10 per act in Virginia.5Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 47.1-19 – Fees Many banks notarize free for account holders. UPS stores, public libraries, and some local government offices also offer the service.
Where to Submit It
Give the original, signed, and notarized form to the admitting official at your child’s school or childcare facility. At public and private schools, that’s usually the principal or a designated health records administrator. At a childcare center, nursery school, or family day care home, it goes to the owner or director.
The school must accept a properly completed and notarized CRE-1. Without either an immunization record or an exemption on file, the admitting official is required by law to exclude the child from school.6Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 22.1-271.2 – Immunization Requirements Submit the form on or before the first day of enrollment so there’s no gap in attendance.
The school keeps the original in your child’s health record for the duration of enrollment. If your child transfers to another Virginia school, the form travels with the cumulative student file, so a new CRE-1 isn’t required. Confirm with the receiving school that the form arrived.
What the Exemption Does and Doesn’t Cover
The exemption is available under Code of Virginia § 22.1-271.2 when immunization conflicts with the student’s religious tenets or practices.6Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 22.1-271.2 – Immunization Requirements Virginia does not recognize philosophical, political, or personal objections as a basis for exemption. School officials cannot judge whether your religious belief is reasonable or correct; the inquiry is limited to sincerity.
If your child can’t receive a vaccine for medical reasons, CRE-1 is the wrong form. A medical exemption requires written certification from a licensed physician, a licensed advanced practice registered nurse, or a local health department, identifying the specific condition and its expected duration.6Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 22.1-271.2 – Immunization Requirements Unlike CRE-1, a medical exemption can be limited to individual vaccines instead of covering all of them.
The exemption also has a limit during a public health emergency. If a vaccine-preventable disease breaks out at your child’s school, the State Health Commissioner can order unvaccinated students excluded until the danger passes.7Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 32.1-46 – Immunization of Patients Against Certain Diseases8Virginia Code Commission. 12 VAC 5-110-80 – Exemptions From Immunization Requirements The exclusion is temporary and lasts only until the health department determines the outbreak risk has ended, but the school isn’t required to provide alternative instruction during that period.