How to Fill Out and Submit the Florida School Physical Form (DH 3040)

Every child entering a Florida public or private school for the first time has to present a completed school-entry physical exam, and the Florida school physical form DH 3040 is the standardized document the Department of Health provides for it. A licensed healthcare provider must perform the exam within one year before your child’s enrollment date, complete and sign Part II of the form, and return it to you to hand in at the school. You fill out Part I (the parent section) before the appointment. Most districts allow up to 30 school days after classes start to submit the paperwork, but the safer move is to have it done before the first day.

Who Needs to Turn In a DH 3040

Florida Statutes § 1003.22 requires certification of a health exam for any child entering kindergarten or making any other initial entrance into a Florida public or private school.¹ That includes:

Kindergarteners
Students transferring in from out of state
Students moving between private and public schools
Children entering a Florida school at any grade for the first time

The statute starts at kindergarten. It does not require the exam for voluntary Pre-K, though individual Pre-K programs or districts may ask for one under their own policies. If your child is entering kindergarten or higher for the first time in Florida, the physical is mandatory.

Where to Get the Form and Who Can Do the Exam

You can download DH 3040 in English or Spanish from the Florida Department of Health’s school enrollment page, and most pediatricians’ offices keep copies on hand.² Any comparable form is accepted as long as it’s signed by a licensed provider and covers the same components.

The exam can be performed by a medical doctor, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, a physician assistant, or an advanced practice registered nurse. If the out-of-pocket cost is a concern, call your county health department. Many offer school physicals on a sliding-fee scale, and some run free back-to-school exam events during the summer.

Filling Out Part I Before the Appointment

Part I is the parent section. You complete it at home before you go in. It asks for your child’s basic identifying information (name, date of birth, sex, address, school, grade) and your contact details, followed by yes-or-no medical history questions covering:

General health concerns, including eating, sleeping, and weight
Specific illnesses or social, emotional, or behavioral issues
Allergies to food, insects, or medications
Prescription medications taken daily or occasionally
Vision, hearing, or speech issues, including glasses, contacts, ear tubes, or hearing aids
Past hospitalizations, surgeries, or major illnesses
Significant accidents or injuries
Anything you’d like the school nurse to know about

Answer honestly and completely. The provider reads this before the physical, so flagging an allergy or a past hospitalization here means they know what to look for. Sign and date the bottom of Part I before the appointment.

What the Provider Does in Part II

Part II is filled in entirely by the healthcare provider during the exam. You don’t write anything in this section. The provider records:

Height, weight, BMI percentile, and blood pressure
Lab screenings as indicated: hematocrit or hemoglobin, lead, and urinalysis
Visual acuity for each eye, with and without corrective lenses if applicable
Hearing screening for each ear, marked passed, failed, or referred
A physical assessment covering teeth and gums, head and scalp, skin, eyes, ears, nose, throat, chest, lungs, heart, abdomen, and postural alignment
A tuberculosis risk assessment

After the physical, the provider notes any health conditions that could affect your child’s schooling and specifies any that require emergency response at school, such as a severe allergy or seizure disorder. The provider then checks one of two boxes: full participation in school activities including physical education, or participation with specific restrictions.

The provider signs, dates, and stamps the form. Without that signature, the form is not valid. Confirm the paperwork is fully completed before you leave the office.

Extra Screenings Recommended for Pre-K and Kindergarten

For children entering Pre-K or kindergarten, DH 3040 lists three additional screenings as recommendations, not requirements: a comprehensive vision exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist (for ages three to five), a comprehensive dental exam, and a separate hearing screening. A child who can’t see the board or has untreated tooth pain will struggle in ways that can look like a learning problem but aren’t, so these are worth doing.

Submitting the Form to Your Child’s School

Bring the completed, signed form to the school’s front office or registrar. Check the date on the exam before you turn it in: it must have been performed within one year before your child’s enrollment.¹ An exam performed 13 months ago will not be accepted.

The statute lets each district school board set a policy allowing families up to 30 school days after enrollment to submit the certification.¹ This is a district-level decision, so some districts offer the full 30 days while others set a shorter deadline. Call the school before enrollment to find out how much time you have. If you miss the district’s deadline, the school can exclude your child from attending until the form arrives.

Many districts accept documents through secure online enrollment portals, but in-person submission is always available. Ask the registrar for a stamped copy or written confirmation of receipt, and keep it with your child’s other school records. It saves time if you later transfer to another Florida school.

If Your Child Had a Physical in Another State

Florida accepts an out-of-state physical performed within the past year, provided it was done by a provider licensed to perform physical exams and covers components comparable to DH 3040.² You do not necessarily have to repeat the exam on a Florida form. Bring the prior state’s documentation to the registrar, who decides whether it meets Florida’s standards.

If the out-of-state form is missing components such as a vision or hearing screening, the school may ask for a supplemental exam to fill the gaps. Having your previous provider send records directly to the new school can help if you don’t have the paper copy.

The Immunization Form Is Separate

DH 3040 is only half of the health paperwork. Florida also requires a Florida Certification of Immunization on Form DH 680.³ You can’t get DH 680 on your own. Your child’s provider generates it from the immunization record, or you can download it through the Florida SHOTS system using a personal identification number the provider gives you.⁴ Ask for it at the same appointment where the physical is done so you leave with both documents in hand. Students entering or transferring to 7th grade also need a Tdap booster on top of the standard K–12 vaccines.

Florida allows a religious exemption from the immunization requirement using Form DH 681, obtained from a county health department.⁵ There is no equivalent exemption from the physical exam. A DH 681 on file does not excuse a child from turning in DH 3040.

Homeless Students and Children in State Care

Children experiencing homelessness and children known to the Florida Department of Children and Families get a mandatory 30 school days to present health exam certification.¹ Unlike the general 30-day window, this one is guaranteed by statute rather than left to the district. The school must enroll the student immediately, even without health records or immunization documentation, and then work with the family and the district’s homeless liaison to obtain the paperwork during the exemption period.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Code 1003.22 – School-Entry Health Examinations; Immunization Against Communicable Diseases; Exemptions; Duties of Department of Health
2
Florida Department of Health. School Enrollment
3
Florida Department of Health. Child Immunizations
4
Florida SHOTS. Patients and Parents FAQs
5
Florida Department of Health. Immunization Exemptions