Illinois Kindergarten Health Requirements: Exams and Forms

To start kindergarten in Illinois, your child needs a physical exam with required vaccines, usually due by the first day of school and no later than October 15, an eye exam by October 15, and a dental exam by May 15 of the kindergarten year. Each one goes on a specific Illinois form. These rules apply to public, private and parochial schools.

Here is what each requirement means and how to plan. Updated November 2026 and checked against the IDPH 2026-27 table.

Quick checklist

• Physical exam: within one year before starting kindergarten, on the Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination form. Due by October 15 at the latest. Many schools ask for it before the first day.
• Immunizations: recorded on the same health form or attached, due with the physical.
• Eye exam: by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist), within one year before entering school. Due by October 15.
• Dental exam: by a dentist, within 18 months before May 15. Due by May 15 of the kindergarten year.

The physical exam

The physical must be done by a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant and recorded on the state form. It usually includes:

• A health history signed by a parent
• Height, weight and BMI
• Blood pressure
• Vision and hearing screening
• A lead risk assessment, and a blood lead test if needed
• A diabetes risk screening
• A review of vaccines and any health conditions, such as asthma or allergies

If your child takes medication at school or has a serious allergy, ask the doctor to fill out the school's medication or allergy action plan at the same visit.

Required vaccines for kindergarten

Under Illinois Department of Public Health rules for 2026-27, children entering kindergarten need:

• DTaP: 4 or more doses, with the last dose, a booster, on or after the 4th birthday
• Polio: 4 doses, with the last dose on or after the 4th birthday. A 4th dose is not needed if the 3rd was given at age 4 or older and at least 6 months after the dose before it.
• MMR: 2 doses, the first on or after the 1st birthday
• Varicella (chickenpox): 2 doses, the first on or after the 1st birthday

Hib and pneumococcal vaccines are not required after the 5th birthday. Hepatitis B is not required for kindergarten through 5th grade, though the state recommends catching up if your child missed doses. It becomes required in 6th grade, along with Tdap and meningococcal vaccine. The 4 to 6-year checkup is when most children get their kindergarten boosters. See the official chart from the Illinois Department of Public Health, and our guide to daycare immunization requirements for the years before kindergarten.

The eye exam

Illinois requires a full eye exam, not only the vision screening done at a checkup. It must be done by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist within one year before your child enters school, and the form is due by October 15.

Eye exams catch problems like lazy eye (amblyopia) and focusing problems that are easier to treat when children are young. If you cannot get an exam because of cost or access, ask the school about the eye exam waiver form.

The dental exam

Children in kindergarten, 2nd, 6th and 9th grade need a dental exam on the Illinois Proof of School Dental Examination form. The exam must happen within 18 months before May 15, and the form is due by May 15 of the school year. A dental waiver form is available if your family faces a hardship.

What happens if forms are late?

• Physical and vaccines: children who are not in compliance by October 15 can be excluded from school until the forms are turned in, unless an exemption applies.
• Eye and dental exams: schools may hold a child's report card until you show proof of the exam, or proof that one is scheduled within 60 days.

A simple timeline

1. Winter or spring before kindergarten: register with your school and ask for its health forms.
2. Spring or summer: schedule the 4 or 5-year checkup, making sure it falls within a year of the school start date.
3. Summer: book the eye exam and the dental exam.
4. Before the first day: turn in the physical, vaccine record and eye exam form.
5. Before May 15: turn in the dental form if you have not already.

Not sure your child is old enough to start? See our article on the Illinois kindergarten age cutoff.

Frequently asked questions

Is a preschool physical good for kindergarten?

Only if it was done within one year before your child starts kindergarten. Many families need a new exam.

Is a vision screening the same as an eye exam?

No. Illinois requires an exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist for kindergarten.

Is hepatitis B required for kindergarten in Illinois?

No. It is required starting in 6th grade. Most children already had the series as babies.

When is the kindergarten dental exam due in Illinois?

By May 15 of the kindergarten year, using an exam done within the previous 18 months.

Do private kindergartens follow these rules?

Yes. The health exam and immunization rules apply to public, private and parochial schools.

Kindergarten at Children's Land

Children's Land offers a private kindergarten program for 5 and 6-year-olds with a 1:10 teacher ratio, MAP testing twice a year, and two Broadway-style shows each year. Our directors can help you sort out the forms you need. Find a location or contact us.

Related reading: Kindergarten Redshirting: Pros, Cons and Summer Birthdays.