Louisiana public and private schools must verify that every enrolling student has a current Louisiana Immunization Certificate (LIC) on file under La. R.S. 17:170. This page covers which records Louisiana law requires, how to retrieve them from LINKS (the state immunization registry), and what happens if records are incomplete at enrollment. Louisiana is also one of the few states requiring Hepatitis A vaccination for school entry — a requirement that surprises families transferring from most other states.
Last verified: September 8, 2026
Under La. R.S. 17:170, no child may attend school without a current Louisiana Immunization Certificate (LIC) or an approved exemption. The LIC is completed and signed by a licensed healthcare provider or Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) immunization clinic.
Louisiana's required vaccines on the LIC for K–12 entry:
A Tdap booster is required at 8th grade entry (age 11–12). Meningococcal (MenACWY) is required for 8th grade entry. See the LDH immunization requirements page for the current grade-by-grade schedule.
LINKS (Louisiana Immunization Network for Kids Statewide) records doses administered by participating providers across Louisiana. Your pediatrician or your parish health unit can print your child's LINKS record. A LINKS printout shows every dose on file.
Your pediatrician completes and signs the Louisiana Immunization Certificate. Bring the LINKS printout to the visit. If any doses are missing, your provider can administer them and complete the LIC in one appointment. Always ask your pediatrician about your child's health needs.
Turn in the completed LIC to the school office. Louisiana schools require it before or at enrollment — not within the first week. Keep a copy for your records. The 15-day provisional enrollment period applies to transfers, not new kindergarten entrants in most districts.
LINKS is Louisiana's statewide immunization information system. Most Louisiana providers participate. If your child received vaccines in Louisiana at any point, those records are likely in LINKS. Your pediatrician or your parish health unit can access LINKS and print a record at no charge.
For doses given outside Louisiana: Out-of-state records do not automatically transfer to LINKS. Bring a signed immunization record from your former provider. Your new Louisiana pediatrician can enter those doses into LINKS at the first visit, then complete the LIC.
(Source: Louisiana Department of Health — Immunizations / LINKS, accessed Aug 31, 2026)
Louisiana requires a Tdap booster and the first dose of MenACWY (meningococcal conjugate vaccine) for 8th grade entry. Many families get caught by this checkpoint if the records haven't been updated since elementary school. Check your child's current LIC before 8th grade enrollment — ask your pediatrician if these are current.
(Source: Louisiana Department of Health — School Immunization Requirements, accessed Aug 31, 2026)
Every person in your family gets a private @families.familystork.com email address. Give it to your pediatrician — they send records to it, and the health story builds itself. The immunization record, LIC copy, every vaccine date — all filed automatically into one timeline.
When the school asks for an updated LIC? When you move to a new district? The records are already there — organized, timestamped, searchable.
$99/year — or about $10 a month.
Louisiana recognizes medical and religious exemptions from school immunization requirements under La. R.S. 17:170. For current forms and the official exemption process, contact the Louisiana Department of Health or your parish health unit.
Tired of managing health records for yourself and everyone you love? Family Stork organizes them for you automatically. Start your child's record today — immunization records, school forms, all in one timeline.
Start your family's record — freeMore resources:
Juggling logins across multiple hospital portals? See how Family Stork compares to MyChart — one email address vs. a different portal for every clinic.
Keep your family's entire health story in one place: family health timeline software — from first heartbeat and beyond.