Iowa requires a Certificate of Immunization for every child enrolling in public or private school. The state uses a provisional enrollment system — children can start school while completing catch-up doses, but the clock is ticking. Here is exactly what Iowa schools require, how to access your records through IRIS, and what to do if anything is missing.
Last verified: September 1, 2026
Iowa's kindergarten Hepatitis A requirement catches some families off guard — not all states require Hep A for school entry. If you're transferring from a state without this requirement, your child may need catch-up doses.
IRIS (Iowa's Immunization Registry Information System) is the statewide registry maintained by Iowa Health and Human Services. Most Iowa healthcare providers report administered vaccines to IRIS.
Visit iris.iowa.gov. Parents can create an account to view and print their child's official Certificate of Immunization — the document Iowa schools accept.
Your child's pediatrician can print an IRIS summary at any visit. If doses are missing from the registry (common for vaccines given out of state), bring the original records to your provider to update IRIS.
Iowa county public health departments can access IRIS and provide an official immunization record. This is especially useful if you've recently moved and haven't established a new pediatrician.
Iowa allows provisional enrollment for children who are behind on immunizations but have started or plan to start a catch-up schedule. Under Iowa Code §139A.8, the child can attend school provisionally while completing the required doses on a documented timeline.
Common gaps for Iowa families:
Iowa's Certificate of Immunization, IRIS updates, and school enrollment forms across Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, or rural Iowa — it adds up fast. Family Stork keeps your child's entire vaccination history organized in one place, across every provider and every state.
Give any clinic your child's private @families.familystork.com address. They send vaccine records and visit summaries — the health timeline builds itself. When the school asks for documentation, you open one app and hand over a complete record.
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Iowa recognizes medical exemptions and religious exemptions from school immunization requirements under Iowa Code §139A.8(4). A medical exemption requires a physician's written statement. A religious exemption requires a signed statement from the parent or guardian.
Give any Iowa clinic your child's private @familystork address. They send records; the timeline builds itself. No portal logins, no uploads, nothing for the clinic to learn.
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