Kentucky public and private schools must verify that every enrolling student has a current Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) on file under 702 KAR 1:160. Kentucky has a specific 6th-grade vaccine checkpoint — Tdap and MenACWY are required at 6th grade, not 7th as in many other states. This page covers which records Kentucky law requires, how to retrieve them from KYIR, and what happens if records are incomplete at enrollment.
Last verified: September 8, 2026
Under 702 KAR 1:160 (Kentucky Administrative Regulations), every student must have a current, physician-signed Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) on file at the school before the first day of attendance.
Kentucky's required vaccines on the CIS for K–5th grade:
Additional requirements at specific grade gates are detailed in Section 3 below.
KYIR (Kentucky Immunization Registry) records immunizations administered by participating providers throughout Kentucky. Ask your pediatrician to print a KYIR record, or contact your local Kentucky health department for a printout.
(Source: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, accessed Aug 31, 2026)
Your healthcare provider verifies the immunization record and completes the Certificate of Immunization Status. The CIS requires a licensed healthcare provider's signature — it cannot be completed solely by a parent.
If the record shows missing doses, your pediatrician can advise on a catch-up schedule. Kentucky allows provisional enrollment for students actively completing required vaccinations — contact your school health office for the specific policy and timeline.
Children immunized in another state or country should bring all available records to a Kentucky healthcare provider. The provider reviews the history, verifies dose dates, and completes a CIS for school submission. Out-of-state doses may not appear in KYIR — paper records from prior providers are essential.
Kentucky has a specific two-vaccine requirement for students entering 6th grade — one grade earlier than many other states require these vaccines:
12th-grade MenACWY booster: A second MenACWY dose is required at or before 12th grade entry. If your child received the first MenACWY at age 16 or later, confirm booster eligibility with your pediatrician.
Under 702 KAR 1:160, the CIS must be on file before a student can attend school. Kentucky provides a 16-day provisional enrollment period for students whose immunization records are incomplete but who have begun the catch-up process.
(Source: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services; 702 KAR 1:160, accessed Aug 31, 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 or county health department — they send records to it, and the immunization history builds itself into one timeline.
When Kentucky schools ask for the CIS — or at the 6th-grade or 12th-grade checkpoints — the dose dates are already filed. No last-minute requests to KYIR, no hunting through old paper cards before the enrollment deadline.
Family Stork gives every family member a private @families.familystork.com address. Providers send immunization records to it automatically. Kentucky CIS documentation, KYIR records, and every dose date — organized in one place, ready before enrollment. $99/year — about $10/month.
Start your family's record — freeKentucky recognizes medical and religious exemptions from school immunization requirements under KRS 214.036. Medical exemptions require a certificate from a licensed physician. Religious exemptions require a written statement from a parent or guardian invoking sincerely held religious beliefs. Kentucky does not recognize a philosophical or personal belief exemption.
For current exemption forms and requirements, contact the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
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