Illinois combines the immunization record with the physical exam on a single form — the Certificate of Child Health Examination. This page covers the exact immunization records Illinois law requires, how to retrieve them from I-CARE, and the October 15 deadline that catches families off-guard.
Last verified: September 8, 2026
Under the Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/27-8.1) and the Child Health Examination Code (77 Ill. Admin. Code 665), every student must have documented proof of immunization. Illinois records immunizations on the Certificate of Child Health Examination form — a single document that covers both the physical exam and the immunization history.
The required vaccine records for K–12 entry:
6th grade checkpoint:
12th grade checkpoint:
I-CARE (Illinois Comprehensive Automated Immunization Registry Exchange) is the state's immunization registry. Most Illinois healthcare providers report vaccinations to I-CARE automatically. Contact your local health department or pediatrician to request a printout — this shows every documented dose and identifies what's missing.
(Source: Illinois Department of Public Health — I-CARE, accessed Aug 28, 2026)
Since Illinois combines immunizations and the physical on the same Certificate of Child Health Examination form, schedule one appointment to handle both. Get the blank form from your school district or download it from IDPH before the visit. Your provider fills out both the immunization history and the physical exam results in one visit.
If your child received vaccinations in another state, bring those records to an Illinois provider. The provider reviews the dose dates, enters them into I-CARE, and documents them on the Certificate of Child Health Examination. Doses administered out of state count — the provider just needs to verify and record them.
Illinois requires the completed Certificate by October 15 of the school year for students entering kindergarten, 6th grade, and 9th grade (or when first enrolling in an Illinois school). Students who haven't submitted it by the deadline may be excluded from school.
(Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, accessed Aug 28, 2026)
Illinois provides a hard October 15 deadline for health examination documentation. For students who are in the process of completing a multi-dose vaccine series, schools may grant a provisional enrollment period — but only if the student has begun the series and has documentation showing upcoming appointment dates.
(Source: 105 ILCS 5/27-8.1, accessed Aug 28, 2026)
Every person gets one health story, and one private Family Stork email address every clinic already knows how to use. Give that address to your pediatrician, your local health department, or your school nurse — they send records to it, and the immunization history builds itself into one timeline.
When Illinois schools ask for the Certificate of Child Health Examination — at kindergarten, at 6th grade, or when you transfer into a new district — the dose dates are already organized. No calling I-CARE, no hunting through folders, no scrambling before October 15.
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Family Stork gives every family member a private @families.familystork.com address. Providers send immunization records to it automatically. I-CARE data, dose dates, and every Certificate — organized in one place, ready for every enrollment. $99/year — about $10/month.
Start your family's record — freeIllinois recognizes medical and religious exemptions from school immunization requirements. Medical exemptions require a physician's statement; religious exemptions require a signed statement from the parent or guardian. Illinois does not recognize philosophical exemptions. Governed by 105 ILCS 5/27-8.1.
Illinois Department of Public Health — Immunization Program →