To claim a religious exemption from school vaccinations in Missouri, a parent or guardian fills out the Missouri Religious Immunization Exemption Form (Form IMM.P.11A) and files it with the school administrator. The form is one page, requires only one parent’s signature, and does not need to be notarized. You can download it from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) or pick up a copy at your county health department.1Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Religious Immunization Exemption Form
The underlying statute, RSMo 167.181, exempts a child from immunization requirements when “one parent or guardian objects in writing to his school administrator against the immunization of the child, because of religious beliefs.”2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 167.181 – Immunization of Pupils Against Certain Diseases Compulsory You do not have to name a church, provide a clergy letter, or explain your beliefs. The exemption applies to public, private, parochial, and parish schools.
Where to Get the Form
Form IMM.P.11A is available directly from the DHSS immunization page as a printable PDF, and the same form is stocked at local county health department offices.1Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Religious Immunization Exemption Form Either copy is the official document. Printing it at home and bringing it to the school already completed saves a second trip.
How to Fill It Out
At the top of the form, enter the child’s full legal name and date of birth, then fill in the parent or guardian’s name and contact information.
The main section is a list of vaccines with individual checkboxes. Missouri’s form lists each antigen separately rather than by combination brand name:
- Diphtheria
- Hepatitis B
- MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
- Pertussis
- Polio
- Tetanus
- Varicella
- Other (a blank line for any additional required vaccine)
Check only the vaccines you are declining. The DHSS instructions confirm that a religious exemption “can be filed for selected required vaccines or for all required vaccines.”1Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Religious Immunization Exemption Form If your child has already received some shots and you are only objecting to others going forward, check just the ones you are declining. Any box left unchecked signals that the school should expect proof of that vaccine.
Sign and date the bottom. Only one parent or guardian signature is required, and no witness or notary is needed.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 167.181 – Immunization of Pupils Against Certain Diseases Compulsory
Submitting the Form to Your School
Give the completed form to your school administrator, usually the principal or the health records clerk. DHSS instructs that the exemption must be “signed by the parent or guardian and placed on file with the school immunization health record.”1Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Religious Immunization Exemption Form Keep a photocopy for yourself before handing over the original.
File it before the first day of school. Under RSMo 167.181, it is unlawful for a student to attend school without either proof of immunization or an exemption on record, so a missing form can hold up enrollment.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 167.181 – Immunization of Pupils Against Certain Diseases Compulsory
Does the Exemption Expire
The form has no expiration date, and the statute does not require annual renewal for K–12 students.3Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Religious Immunization Exemption Form Once filed, it stays in your child’s health record for the length of enrollment at that school. If your child transfers to a different school, ask the new school whether the exemption traveled with the student’s records or whether they want a fresh form on file. The statute does not address transfers directly.
Daycare and Preschool Use a Different Form
Children in licensed daycare, preschool, and nursery programs are covered by a separate statute, RSMo 210.003, and by a different exemption form, IMM.P.11 (the Parent/Guardian Immunization Exemption). This childcare form must be renewed and refiled with the facility administrator annually.4Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Parent/Guardian Exemption The daycare statute does not require the objection to be religious in nature; a written parent or guardian objection is enough.5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 210.003 – Immunizations of Children Required When your child moves from daycare to kindergarten, switch to Form IMM.P.11A and file it with the new school.
College Students Living On Campus
Older students have their own rule. Under RSMo 174.335, students living in on-campus housing at public colleges and universities, including dorms and fraternity or sorority houses, must receive the meningococcal vaccine. To claim a religious exemption, the student submits a written objection to the institution’s administration stating that immunization violates his or her religious beliefs.6Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 174.335 – Meningococcal Disease, All On-Campus Students to Be Vaccinated Each school sets its own process and deadline. Missouri State University, for example, requires both an online religious waiver acknowledgment and a signed, notarized meningitis waiver, due August 1 for fall, December 1 for spring, and May 1 for summer.7Missouri State University. Meningococcal Vaccine Contact the student health office well before move-in, since exemptions usually have to be cleared before housing is finalized.
What the Exemption Does Not Do
A religious exemption keeps your child enrolled under normal conditions, but it does not override public health control measures during an outbreak. RSMo 210.003 directs administrators to follow control measures set by the local health authority or DHSS when a vaccine-preventable disease appears.5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 210.003 – Immunizations of Children Required In practice, that lets officials temporarily exclude unvaccinated children from school or childcare until the risk passes. The exclusion is temporary, the length depends on the disease, and the exemption stays on file. Your child returns to class when the outbreak period ends.