The Maryland SR-6 form is the Student Record Card 6, the state’s official school health assessment that every child needs when entering a Maryland public school for the first time. A licensed physician or certified nurse practitioner completes the clinical portion, and you complete the parent portion. The exam must be done no earlier than nine months before your child’s first day of school and no later than six months after.1Cornell Law Institute. Maryland Code Regulations 13A.05.05.07 – School Health Services Standards – For All Students The form is jointly maintained by the Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Department of Health.
Who Has to Turn One In
Maryland requires the physical examination for each child entering the public school system for the first time, from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Education 7-402 – Physical Examinations That covers three groups: children starting Pre-K or Kindergarten, students moving into Maryland from another state, and students transferring in from private or home school. A child already continuously enrolled in Maryland public schools does not need a new SR-6 when moving up to a new grade or a new building within the state.
One protection worth knowing: if a student cannot obtain a physical examination, the student cannot be excluded from school. Maryland regulation says so directly.1Cornell Law Institute. Maryland Code Regulations 13A.05.05.07 – School Health Services Standards – For All Students Schools will help you track the exam down, but a missing SR-6 by itself will not keep your child out of class. Immunizations are a separate matter and do carry stricter enrollment consequences.
Where to Get the Form
Copies are usually available at your child’s school health suite or the registrar’s office during enrollment, and many pediatricians in Maryland keep them on hand. You can also download the form from the Maryland State Department of Education’s website or from your county school system’s site.3Maryland State Department of Education. School Health Services in Maryland Montgomery County Public Schools, for example, hosts a printable PDF on its forms library page.4Montgomery County Public Schools. Student Record Card 6 – Health Assessment
Filling Out Part I: The Parent Section
The SR-6 is a four-page document with two main parts. Part I is yours. Bring the blank form to your child’s appointment, or confirm ahead of time that the provider has copies.5Montgomery County Public Schools. Maryland Schools Record of Physical Examination
In Part I you fill in your child’s demographic information, your contact details, and the names and phone numbers of your child’s medical and dental providers. There is a health checklist where you note anything the school should know about: allergies, asthma, diabetes, seizure disorders, or medications your child takes during school hours. If your child carries an emergency medication like an EpiPen or an inhaler, flag it here. The school nurse builds your child’s health profile from this section, so be thorough.5Montgomery County Public Schools. Maryland Schools Record of Physical Examination
Filling Out Part II: The Healthcare Provider Section
Only a licensed physician or certified nurse practitioner completes Part II.6Queen Anne’s County Public Schools. Maryland Schools Record of Physical Examination The provider documents diagnosed medical conditions, notes any abnormal findings, and records screening results including blood pressure, heart rate, height, weight, BMI percentile, and blood lead test results. They also list your child’s immunization record, any current medications, physical activity restrictions, and whether your child needs medically provided treatments during the school day.5Montgomery County Public Schools. Maryland Schools Record of Physical Examination
Part II ends with a summary statement in which the provider confirms whether the student is cleared to participate fully in the school program. The provider must sign the form and stamp it with office contact information. An unsigned form, or one missing the clinical summary, will be sent back for correction. Check both before you leave the appointment.
Turning the Form In
Once Part I and Part II are complete and signed, deliver the form to your child’s school. Most families hand it directly to the school health suite, where the school nurse manages student files. You can also turn it in at the registrar’s office during enrollment. Some districts accept secure electronic submissions through portals such as PowerSchool; if yours does, upload a clear, high-resolution scan and confirm you received a submission receipt.
Watch the timing window. An exam done 10 months before enrollment is too early and will need to be redone, because the rule sets nine months before through six months after your child’s first day.3Maryland State Department of Education. School Health Services in Maryland After you submit, the school nurse reviews the form for completeness and verifies it meets Maryland health standards. If anything is missing, the school will contact you to fix it.
What the SR-6 Does Not Cover
The SR-6 is only one piece of your child’s enrollment health packet. A few related requirements live on separate forms, and it helps to know what the SR-6 is not doing for you.
Immunizations are documented on MDH Form 896 or a computer-generated equivalent from your provider, not on the SR-6. Unlike the physical exam, immunization records carry a harder enrollment consequence: a school principal generally cannot admit or retain a student who lacks evidence of age-appropriate immunity. If your child’s shots need updating, you can temporarily enroll by showing written proof of a medical appointment within 20 days, or 30 days for children of military families transferred due to a parent’s deployment.7Maryland State Department of Education. School Enrollment
Blood lead testing has its own certificate too. Although the SR-6 has a field for blood lead screening results, the formal school entry requirement is satisfied by MDH Form 4620, the Blood Lead Testing Certificate, which the provider signs.8Maryland Department of Health. Maryland Blood Lead Testing Certificate It applies to children entering Pre-K, Kindergarten, or first grade who currently live or have previously lived in a designated at-risk ZIP code, and to children on Maryland Medicaid regardless of ZIP code.9Code of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 10.11.04.05 – Documentation Requirements on Entry into a Prekindergarten Program, Kindergarten Program, or First Grade If your child has never lived in a targeted ZIP code, you certify that on the same form and no testing is needed.
Exemptions run on the immunization certificate rather than the SR-6. Maryland recognizes a medical exemption, certified by a physician, nurse practitioner, or health department official, and a religious exemption, signed by a parent or guardian based on bona fide religious beliefs. Both go on MDH Form 896. The religious exemption does not apply during a declared emergency or disease epidemic.10Maryland Department of Health. Maryland Immunization Certificate Form MDH 896 A religious objection can also extend to the physical examination itself and to blood lead testing, though for blood lead a healthcare practitioner must still document that a questionnaire was completed.11Maryland State Department of Education. Health Inventory
If Your Child Plans to Play Sports
The SR-6 alone may not be enough for interscholastic athletics. The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association publishes a separate recommended pre-participation physical evaluation form through its Medical Advisory Committee.12Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association. Health and Safety Recommended Forms and Resources Student-athletes usually need additional signed acknowledgments depending on the sport and season. Ask your school’s athletic director for the specific packet before your child’s first practice.
If You Cannot Produce the Form at Enrollment
Federal law protects students who arrive without records. Under the McKinney-Vento Act, schools must enroll students experiencing homelessness immediately, meaning the same day or the next, even without medical records, immunization documentation, or proof of residency.13National Center for Homeless Education. From the School Office to the Classroom – Strategies for Enrolling and Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness Enrollment here means full participation in classes, meals, extracurricular activities, and every other school service while the school works to obtain records.
Children in foster care have similar protections under the Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires enrollment even without records normally required for admission. In either situation, ask to speak with the school district’s homeless education liaison or foster care point of contact. They can help move enrollment forward while the paperwork catches up.