Personal Beliefs & Medical Exemptions for Kindergarten–12th Grade
Arizona law requires documentary proof of certain immunizations for school attendance. Wellness context for the region sits on Prescott wellness. At the same time, the law expressly allows exemptions. Families comparing cognitive supports may also browse Brain Builders ways to improve cognitive health. For families in Prescott, the Quad Cities, and Northern Arizona, understanding the correct forms and process is essential.
Official Forms (Download Directly from ADHS)
These are the only forms Arizona schools may accept. Parents may not create their own version or alter the ADHS form.
For children in Kindergarten–12th grade (the form most parents seek):
- Personal Beliefs Exemption Form (official ADHS form) https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/immunization/school-childcare/personal-belief-exemption.pdf
Medical exemption (all ages / school & child care):
- Medical Exemption Form (must be completed and signed by a physician or registered nurse practitioner) https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/immunization/school-childcare/medical-exemption-form.pdf
How Arizona Law Works (A.R.S. § 15-873)
Arizona law requires documentary proof of required immunizations for school attendance (A.R.S. § 15-872). Exemptions are expressly allowed under A.R.S. § 15-873:
- Personal Beliefs Exemption (K–12 only) A parent or guardian submits a signed statement on the official ADHS Personal Beliefs Exemption Form stating that they have received information about immunizations from the Arizona Department of Health Services, understand the risks and benefits of immunizations and the potential risks of non-immunization, and, due to personal beliefs, do not consent to the immunization of the pupil.
- Medical Exemption Written certification signed by the parent/guardian and a physician or registered nurse practitioner stating that one or more required immunizations may be detrimental to the child’s health, including the specific nature and probable duration of the condition. Temporary medical exemptions expire on the stated date; permanent ones remain in effect while the condition exists.
Key Operational Points
- The exemption form must be on file before the child may attend (or within the short grace period allowed by the school for incomplete records).
- Schools must use the current ADHS form only. Altered or homemade forms are not valid.
- During a state- or county-declared outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, children who lack proof of immunity for that disease (including those with exemptions) may be excluded from school until the risk period ends (often three weeks or longer). This is authorized by A.R.S. § 15-873(C).
- The form itself contains disease-specific risk information that the parent must initial for each vaccine being exempted. This satisfies the statutory requirement that the parent has received information provided by ADHS.
- Some schools participate in an optional ADHS Immunization Education Course process; most do not require it. The form itself meets the legal standard.
Required immunizations for K–12 (current school year) are listed in the official Arizona Guide to Immunizations Required for Entry – Grades K-12. COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are not required for school attendance under Arizona law.
Supporting Official Resources
- Arizona Immunization Handbook for Schools and Child Care Programs (July 2026) https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/immunization/school-childcare/nofollow/school-childcare-immunization-guide.pdf
- School Immunization Requirements Guide (K-12, 2026-2027) https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/immunization/school-childcare/school-immunization-requirements.pdf
- Full statute: A.R.S. § 15-873
Downloadable Guide for Local Families
A clean, printable one-page PDF guide has been prepared for Bridge AZ / Prescott Wellness readers. It contains direct links to the official forms, a clear summary of A.R.S. § 15-873, step-by-step process notes, the outbreak exclusion rule, and source citations.
