How to Complete the New Mexico Certificate of Exemption from Immunization Form

To skip New Mexico’s school and daycare vaccination requirements, a parent files the New Mexico Certificate of Exemption from Immunization with the state Department of Health on either medical or religious grounds. You can download the form from the Department of Health website or pick up a paper copy at the Immunization Program office in Santa Fe.¹ The completed form has to be notarized, mailed or hand-delivered to the Department, and approved before your child’s school will accept it. Review can take up to 60 days, so start early.²

Who Qualifies for an Exemption

New Mexico recognizes two categories: medical and religious. It does not allow exemptions based on personal philosophy or general discomfort with vaccines.²

Medical Exemption

A medical exemption applies when a licensed physician, physician assistant, or certified nurse practitioner determines that one or more required vaccinations would seriously endanger the child’s life or health.³ The provider writes a certificate or letter identifying the vaccines that are contraindicated and explaining the specific condition that makes them dangerous for the child. You attach that letter to the exemption form.¹

Religious Exemption

There are two paths within the religious category. If your family belongs to a recognized religious denomination whose teachings require reliance on prayer or spiritual means alone for healing, an officer of that denomination provides an affidavit confirming your membership and the denomination’s beliefs.³

If your objection rests on individual religious beliefs, whether shared with an organized group or held personally, you write your own affirmation in the space provided on the form or attach a separate affidavit.⁴ The belief has to be genuinely religious in nature. A general objection to vaccines that isn’t rooted in religion does not qualify.

Filling Out the Form

The form itself is short, but missing information is the fastest way to get a denial letter in the mail. You will need to provide:

The child’s full name, date of birth, and the name of the school or daycare facility the child attends or plans to attend.
Your name, phone number, and mailing address as parent or guardian. The Department sends all correspondence to the address you list here.
A checked box for either medical or religious exemption.
The specific vaccines the exemption covers. The form lists required immunizations, including polio, measles, and tetanus, and you can select individual vaccines or the entire list.

Fill every applicable blank. The Department reviews forms for completeness, and an incomplete submission is grounds for denial.¹

Notarization

Every exemption form, medical and religious alike, has to be signed and dated by the parent or guardian in front of a notary public, and the notary must sign and date it on the same day.¹ Banks, UPS stores, and law offices often provide notary services for a small fee. Do not sign ahead of time. The notary has to watch you sign.

Where to Submit

Once the form is complete, notarized, and paired with the correct attachment, send the original to the Department of Health Immunization Program. You have two options:

By mail: New Mexico Department of Health, 1190 St. Francis Drive, Suite S-1250 / P.O. Box 26110, Santa Fe, NM 87502-6110.⁴
In person at the drop box at the Harold Runnels Building, 1190 S. Saint Francis Drive in Santa Fe.¹

Keep a photocopy of the whole packet. If the original is lost in transit, your copy will save you from starting over. Only the original notarized form is accepted, so do not send scans or photocopies as your submission.

When to File

You can submit the form for an upcoming school year as long as that school year starts within the current calendar year. Forms for the 2026–27 school year, for example, will be accepted starting in January 2026.¹ Because the Department has up to 60 days to respond, filing well before the first day of school keeps enrollment from stalling while you wait for the approval letter.

After You Submit

Immunization Program staff check that the form is complete, properly notarized, and accompanied by the correct supporting documentation.⁴ The Department has up to 60 days from the date it receives your completed form to notify you whether the request is approved or denied.²

If Your Request Is Approved

You will receive a signed, approved copy of the exemption in the mail. Deliver that certificate to your child’s school or daycare administrator so it can go in the child’s health file in place of the standard immunization record.

Approved exemptions are valid for a one-year period.⁴ The underlying statute caps any single exemption at nine months.³ Religious exemptions do not extend beyond the end of the school year in which the child is currently enrolled. In practice, expect to file a new form each school year, and resubmit before the prior certificate expires.

If Your Request Is Denied

A denial letter will explain the specific reasons the request was not approved and describe the review process.⁴ Common reasons include an incomplete form, missing notarization, or a medical letter that doesn’t clearly explain the health risk. You can appeal a denial to the Department of Health Cabinet Secretary, and the denial letter will include instructions for doing so.²

Exemptions and Disease Outbreaks

An approved exemption does not guarantee uninterrupted attendance. During an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, schools and health authorities can temporarily exclude unvaccinated students, including those with valid exemptions, until the outbreak is controlled. If measles or a similar illness turns up at your child’s school, expect days or weeks of missed classes.

1
New Mexico Department of Health. Certificate of Exemption from Immunization
2
New Mexico Department of Health. Immunization Requirements for Schools – Section: Exemptions from School and Daycare Immunization Requirements
3
Justia. New Mexico Code 24-5-3 – Exemption from Immunization
4
New Mexico State Records Center and Archives. New Mexico Code 7.5.3 – Exemption from School, Childcare, and Pre-school Immunization