Tennessee requires a signed Certificate of Immunization — and adds a Hepatitis A requirement that catches most families moving from other states off guard. Here is exactly what the state requires, how to get your child's records into the TennIIS registry, and how to make enrollment as smooth as possible while you're still unpacking.
Last verified: September 8, 2026
Under TCA §49-6-5001, every child enrolling in a Tennessee public or private school must present a completed Tennessee Certificate of Immunization — signed by a licensed physician or authorized health department provider — before attending classes. This is a state requirement that applies to any new student, including those transferring from out of state.
The Certificate of Immunization must be signed by a licensed physician or Tennessee Department of Health–authorized provider. It documents the required vaccination series. Unlike some states that accept a parent-completed form or a handwritten vaccine card, Tennessee requires a provider signature — meaning you'll need an office visit or health department visit to get it completed if your current out-of-state records haven't already been certified in the Tennessee format.
Source: Tennessee Department of Health — School Required Immunizations, accessed Aug 30, 2026; TCA §49-6-5001, accessed Aug 30, 2026
Tennessee's statewide immunization registry is TennIIS — the Tennessee Immunization Information System. Healthcare providers across Tennessee report vaccinations to TennIIS, so once your child establishes care with a new Tennessee pediatrician, future doses will be entered automatically. The challenge is bringing in records from your prior state.
Unlike in-state transfers, doses your child received before the move are generally not in TennIIS. State immunization registries don't automatically share records across state lines. You'll need to bring paper records — or a signed printout from your former state's registry — to your child's first Tennessee provider visit. That provider will review the prior doses, enter them into TennIIS, and complete the Tennessee Certificate of Immunization.
Source: Tennessee Department of Health — TennIIS, accessed Aug 30, 2026
Tennessee requires two doses of Hepatitis A vaccination for school entry. This is not a universal requirement — many states, including large neighboring states, do not require Hep A for school enrollment. Families moving from those states often discover the gap when the school nurse reviews the Certificate of Immunization and finds no Hep A series on record.
If your child is missing Hep A doses, ask your pediatrician about your child's specific situation. The Hep A series requires two doses given at least six months apart — confirm your child's status and what documentation TennIIS shows before enrollment day.
When you establish care with a new Tennessee pediatrician, bring:
Tennessee does not require a comprehensive physical examination for school entry at the statewide level. The primary health requirement is the Certificate of Immunization. However, individual districts can add their own requests — Memphis-Shelby County Schools and Metro Nashville Public Schools have historically collected health screening information at kindergarten enrollment, so check with your specific district.
Tennessee does require state-mandated health screenings performed at school at specific grade levels under TCA §49-6-5101 (vision) and TCA §49-6-5102 (hearing). These screenings are done by school staff and don't require a form from you — if a screening result needs follow-up, the school will contact you.
Request complete records from every current provider — pediatrician, specialists, and dentist. Ask specifically for a signed immunization history on office letterhead, with all dates, that a Tennessee school nurse can accept as evidence of prior doses. Ask your former state's health department whether you can get an official registry printout to bring along.
Ask your current pediatrician to confirm whether your child's Hep A series is complete and documented. If doses are missing or in progress, get that documented too — Tennessee school health offices will accept records showing a catch-up schedule in progress while you complete the series.
Enroll in the new school and present whatever records you have. If the Tennessee Certificate of Immunization isn't completed yet, ask about Tennessee's grace period — the law allows a limited window for families to obtain documentation while the student attends, as long as the process is underway.
Your new Tennessee pediatrician will review your out-of-state records, enter them into TennIIS, and complete the Certificate of Immunization. Schedule the first appointment early — new-patient slots often book several weeks out in August and September, and the Certificate is typically what the school is still waiting for.
Every person gets one health story, and one private Family Stork email address every clinic already knows how to use. When you're moving to Tennessee, that means your previous pediatrician sends the visit summary and immunization record, your new Tennessee pediatrician starts sending records from visit one — all to the same address, filing automatically on the same timeline.
Instead of hunting down fax confirmations, tracking TennIIS printout requests across two states, and hoping the paper record survives the move, Family Stork keeps everything organized in one place. Your records travel with your family, not with your zip code.
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