Texas requires proof of immunization for every student entering school. The state also mandates vision, hearing, and spinal screenings at specific grades. Here's every requirement, the forms you need, and where to find them — all cited to official Texas DSHS sources.
Last verified: August 25, 2026
Texas requires students to show proof of vaccination before attending any public or private school. The requirements are set by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) under Texas Administrative Code Title 25, §97.61–97.72 and are updated annually.
Required vaccines for K–12 entry:
Texas Health & Safety Code §36.004 requires vision and hearing screening for students at specific grades. Schools conduct these screenings on-site, but students who are absent or new to the district may need to provide results from an outside provider.
Screening schedule:
(Source: Texas DSHS — Vision, Hearing, and Spinal Screening, accessed Aug 25, 2026)
Texas requires spinal screening for scoliosis for students in grades 6 and 9 (Texas Health & Safety Code §37.002). Girls are screened twice (grades 6 and 9); boys once (grade 9 only in some districts, though state law covers both). The screening is typically done at school, but students may submit results from a private provider using the approved screening form.
(Source: Texas DSHS — Spinal Screening, accessed Aug 25, 2026)
Unlike many states, Texas does not require a physical exam for school entry at the state level. However, individual school districts may require a health exam for enrollment, and sports participation requires a physical cleared by a physician (UIL requirement). Check with your district to confirm whether a physical exam form is part of enrollment.
Call your local health department or DSHS at 1-800-252-9152 to request an official immunization record from ImmTrac2. If you opted in at birth, all documented doses should be there.
Some Texas districts require additional forms beyond the state minimum — a physical exam, allergy action plans, or district-specific health history forms. Check your school's website or call the registrar.
Bring your ImmTrac2 printout and any district forms. Your pediatrician can administer catch-up vaccines, sign the immunization record, and complete any required physical or sports physical.
Turn in signed immunization records to the school. Keep your own copies — you'll need them again for the next school, the next sport, or the next move.
Every person in your family gets a private @familystork.com email address. Give it to your pediatrician, your school nurse, your local health department — they send records to it, and the health story builds itself. Immunization dates, screening results, sports physicals — all filed automatically into one timeline.
Next August, when the district asks for updated immunization records? Already in one place. No calling ImmTrac2, no hunting for the paper card.
Texas allows two types of exemptions from school immunization requirements:
Governing law: Texas Education Code §38.001; Texas Administrative Code Title 25, §97.62.
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