The DC Universal Health Certificate is the single annual health form every student in the District of Columbia, from prekindergarten through grade 12, must submit to their school. You fill out the top section, a physician or advanced practice nurse examines your child and completes the rest, and the signed form goes to the school. DC Code ยง 38-602 requires the exam to happen within 12 months before the first day of school or the student’s enrollment date, whichever comes later.1D.C. Law Library. DC Code 38-602 – Examination Requirements, Certificates of Health, Testing for Lead Poisoning and Dental Health The requirement applies to public schools, public charter schools, private schools, independent schools, licensed child development facilities, and daycares, and a fresh certificate is due every year, not just at initial enrollment.2DC Public Schools. School Health Requirements
The physical exam documented in Part 2 is valid for 365 days from the exam date.3DC HealthCheck. School Health Requirements If your child plays interscholastic sports, watch that date. An exam that expires mid-season means a new physical and an updated certificate before the student can keep competing.
Where to Get the Form
The blank certificate is a free PDF on DC Health’s website, hosted under the school health documents section at dchealth.dc.gov.4DC Health. DC Universal Health Certificate You can also pick up a printed copy from your child’s school office; the form notes that families may contact health suite personnel through the school’s main office.5DC Health. Universal Health Certificate It is the same standardized document across all DC schools.
Part 1: What You Fill Out Before the Appointment
Complete Part 1 at home before you take your child to the doctor. The section asks for your child’s name, date of birth, gender, home address, and the name of the school or child care facility. You also provide your own name and phone number, an emergency contact, and insurance information: Medicaid, private, or none, along with the insurance name and ID number.6DC Health. Universal Health Certificate
Part 1 also contains a consent statement. Your signature authorizes the examining provider to share the health information on the form with the school, the child care facility, or the appropriate DC government agency. One dental question appears here as well: whether the child has seen a dentist within the past year. Finish every field before handing the form over. Blank spots in Part 1 are a common reason school health staff send forms back.
Parts 2 Through 4: What the Provider Completes
The remaining sections belong to the physician or advanced practice nurse. The statute requires the provider to examine the child and cover all items the certificate requires for the child’s age group.1D.C. Law Library. DC Code 38-602 – Examination Requirements, Certificates of Health, Testing for Lead Poisoning and Dental Health
Physical Exam and Screenings
Part 2 records the exam date, blood pressure, weight, height, BMI, and BMI percentile, along with vision and hearing screening results. For children ages 3 through 6, vision is recorded as pass or fail; children 6 and older need acuity levels for each eye in the familiar 20/__ format. Hearing is marked as pass, fail, not tested, uses a device, or referred for follow-up.4DC Health. DC Universal Health Certificate
Two more assessments sit inside Part 2. Lead screening applies to children under 6. DC law requires every child to have two blood lead tests, the first between 6 and 14 months of age and the second between 22 and 26 months. If a child older than 26 months has never been tested, at least two tests are required before the child turns 6. All lead levels are also reported to DC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention program.7DC HealthCheck. Lead Screening Resources The form has dedicated fields for the two test dates and results.5DC Health. Universal Health Certificate
Tuberculosis risk assessment appears on every certificate regardless of age. The provider evaluates risk level. A child rated high risk needs a skin test or an IGRA blood test; a child rated low risk does not need testing. Positive results trigger a referral to the primary care provider.4DC Health. DC Universal Health Certificate
Immunizations
Part 3 is the immunization record. The provider enters the dose dates for the full DC-required vaccination schedule, which includes DTaP/DTP, Tdap booster, Hib, Hepatitis B, polio, MMR, varicella, pneumococcal conjugate, Hepatitis A (for children born on or after January 1, 2005), meningococcal vaccine, and HPV. Influenza and rotavirus are listed as recommended rather than mandatory.6DC Health. Universal Health Certificate Proof of vaccination is mandatory for enrollment in any DC school or childcare facility from kindergarten through 12th grade.8vaccines.dc.gov. Schools and Early Childhood
If your child is behind on shots, the provider can check the catch-up plan box and note the next appointment date. If your child has already had chickenpox, the provider records the month and year and the name of the person verifying the history instead of requiring the varicella vaccine. The form also has a field for laboratory evidence of immunity (titer results) as an alternative to documented vaccination.
Provider Signature and Stamp
Part 4 is the provider’s certification. The examining physician or advanced practice nurse prints their name, provides a phone number, stamps the form with the office stamp, signs, and dates it.5DC Health. Universal Health Certificate Before you leave the office, check that both the signature and the office stamp are there. A form missing either will not be accepted by the school.
Immunization Exemptions
DC recognizes only two exemptions from the vaccination requirements. A parent or guardian may submit a written statement to the public health authorities objecting on religious grounds, or the child’s physician or nurse practitioner may provide written certification that a particular immunization is medically inadvisable.9D.C. Law Library. DC Code 38-506 – Exemption From Immunization On the certificate itself, the provider indicates whether a medical contraindication is permanent or temporary and, for temporary exemptions, the date through which it applies. DC does not offer a general philosophical or personal-belief exemption.
Submitting the Certificate
Once the form is signed and stamped, bring it to your child’s school. Submission usually goes to the school nurse or registrar who manages health and enrollment files. OSSE instructs families to submit health forms along with enrollment documents for the new school year.10OSSE. Student Health Form Requirements for School Attendance For students already enrolled, the updated annual certificate is due at the start of each school year, so schedule the appointment well before classes begin rather than waiting until October.
Most schools accept a physical drop-off at the front office. Some systems also allow parents to upload a scanned copy through a secure student portal, though availability varies by school. Health staff will review the form to confirm every field is complete and that immunizations, lead screening (for children under 6), and TB assessment are documented. If anything is missing, you will hear back.
Keep a copy for your own records. Having one on hand saves time if your child transfers to a different DC school mid-year or if the school’s copy goes missing.
If the Certificate Is Late or Missing
DC law takes a distinctive approach: a student cannot be excluded from school solely for failing to submit a health certificate. If the certificate is not turned in on time, the principal must give the family oral and written notice that the document is required by law, including information on how to contact public health authorities for a free exam. If 30 calendar days pass without the certificate, the school must follow up to find out whether the child has been examined. If no exam has occurred and none is scheduled, the school notifies public health authorities, who then work to arrange an examination at a public health facility or at the school itself.11D.C. Law Library. DC Code Title 38, Chapter 6, Subchapter I – General Provisions
Immunization non-compliance is treated more seriously. Under OSSE policy, students in certain grades (pre-K 3, kindergarten, 7th, and 11th) who remain out of compliance after a warning period face temporary exclusion from school.12OSSE. School Immunization Policy SY2025-26 A missing certificate alone will not get your child locked out, but missing shots in those grades can.
Other Forms You May Need Alongside It
The certificate is not the only annual health form. DC Public Schools also requires a separate Oral Health Assessment Form each year for all grades, covering students ages 3 and older across Pre-K through 12.2DC Public Schools. School Health Requirements Schedule the dental visit around the same time as the physical so both forms are ready to submit together.13DC Health. Oral Health Assessment Form
If your child has asthma, severe allergies, or another chronic condition requiring medication during school hours, the certificate alone is not enough. DC Public Schools use a separate Medication and Medical Procedure Treatment Plan. A child prescribed an inhaler needs an asthma action plan attached; a child carrying an epinephrine auto-injector needs an anaphylaxis plan.14Enroll DCPS. Medication and Medical Procedure Treatment Plan These plans are updated annually and whenever the child’s health or treatment changes. The provider completing a treatment plan is also asked to confirm that the Universal Health Certificate reflects the new health concern, so bring the certificate to that appointment if your child is newly diagnosed.
Free and Low-Cost Exam Options
Families without health insurance or with limited coverage have options. DC Health operates School-Based Health Centers at several high schools where enrolled students can receive physicals at no direct cost. If the student has insurance, the center may bill it; no bills are sent home for uninsured students, and a case manager can help families apply for coverage.15DC Health. School Based Health Centers The certificate itself directs families to dchealthlink.com to explore health insurance programs, and the statute requires the form to include a plain-language explanation of how to access them.1D.C. Law Library. DC Code 38-602 – Examination Requirements, Certificates of Health, Testing for Lead Poisoning and Dental Health If the school sends you a notice about a missing certificate and you cannot afford a private visit, that notice must explain how to reach public health authorities for a free examination.