Excused Student Absences in California
California law requires schools to excuse student absences for specified reasons. A school administrator may also determine that other circumstances constitute a valid excuse based on an individual student’s situation.
The primary law
Most required categories appear in California Education Code section 48205. Families should notify the school promptly and follow local attendance-reporting and verification procedures.
An excused absence is still an absence
A properly verified excused absence is not treated as truancy, but it still represents lost instructional time. It can count toward chronic absenteeism and, except where another law provides otherwise, does not generate average-daily-attendance funding.
Health and family circumstances
Student illness
Illness, including an absence for the benefit of the student’s mental or behavioral health.
Quarantine
Quarantine directed by a county or city health officer.
Health services
Medical, dental, optometrical, or chiropractic services.
Custodial student-parent
Illness or a school-hours medical appointment of the student-parent’s child, including care for a sick child. The school may not require a doctor’s note under this provision.
Bereavement, grief, and safety
Funeral services or grieving
Up to five days per incident to attend funeral services or grieve the death of an immediate family member—or someone the parent or guardian determines was so closely associated with the student as to be considered immediate family.
Services and safety planning
Up to three days per incident following such a death to access victim services, obtain grief support, or participate in safety planning—including temporary or permanent relocation. An administrator or designee may approve more days.
Civic, cultural, religious, and public obligations
| Reason | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Jury duty | Performing jury duty in the manner provided by law. |
| Election precinct-board service | Serving as a precinct-board member under Elections Code section 12302. |
| Naturalization ceremony | Attending the student’s ceremony to become a United States citizen. |
| Cultural ceremony or event | Participating in an event related to the practices, habits, beliefs, and traditions of a group of people. |
| Civic or political event | A middle or high school student who gives advance notice must be excused for one schoolday-long absence per year. An administrator may approve more. Examples include voting, poll working, strikes, public comment, candidate speeches, forums, and town halls. |
| Approved personal reason | A written parent or guardian request approved under governing-board standards. Examples include court, a funeral, a religious holiday or ceremony, a religious retreat, an employment conference, or a qualifying nonprofit educational conference. |
Attendance at a religious retreat under the approved-personal-reason provision may not exceed one schoolday per semester.
Military-related reasons
Family deployment
Time with an immediate family member who is an active-duty uniformed-services member and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has just returned from deployment. The superintendent determines the allowed period.
Military entrance processing
An absence caused by the student’s participation in military entrance processing.
Other circumstances approved by an administrator
Education Code sections 48205 and 48260 allow a school administrator to treat other circumstances as valid excuses based on the facts. Approval is not automatic and should follow district policy and consistent standards.
When a circumstance does not clearly fit a listed category, families should contact the school early and provide the information reasonably needed to evaluate the request, subject to privacy protections.
Entertainment and performing arts
Education Code section 48225.5 separately addresses specified activities:
- Entertainment employment: A student holding a work permit may be excused to work for no more than five consecutive days in entertainment or an allied industry, for a maximum of five absences per school year. The student must receive instruction from an appropriately credentialed studio teacher.
- Nonprofit performing arts: A student may be excused for up to five days per school year to perform with a nonprofit performing-arts organization for a public-school student audience when the parent or guardian provides a written explanation.
Right to make up schoolwork
A student absent under Education Code section 48205 must be allowed to complete missed assignments and tests that can reasonably be provided. Satisfactory work completed within a reasonable period must receive full credit.
The classroom teacher determines which tests and assignments are reasonably equivalent to—though not necessarily identical to—the missed work.
Who counts as immediate family?
Funeral, grieving, victim-services, and safety-planning provisions also cover a person the parent or guardian determines was so closely associated with the student as to be considered immediate family.
Verification and local procedures
State law identifies required excuses; districts establish reporting and verification procedures. These may address:
- Who must be contacted
- How quickly an absence must be explained
- Acceptable verification methods
- Advance written requests
- Administrative approval or review
- Support for extended health-related absences
Schools should apply procedures consistently and avoid unnecessary barriers. They must observe the express prohibition against requiring a doctor’s note from a custodial student-parent caring for a sick child.
Excused absence, truancy, and chronic absence
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Excused absence | An absence recognized by state law or validly approved by an administrator under applicable authority and procedure. |
| Truancy | A compulsory-education student generally may be classified as truant after three unexcused full-day absences, three unexcused tardies or absences longer than 30 minutes, or a qualifying combination during one school year. |
| Chronic absence | California defines a chronic absentee as a student absent for 10 percent or more of the schooldays in the year. Excused and unexcused absences can both count. |
Attendance, funding, and attendance recovery
Unless another law provides otherwise, an absence excused under section 48205 remains an absence for average daily attendance and does not generate state apportionment. Making up academic work protects credit but does not itself convert an absence into attendance.
Eligible LEAs may operate attendance-recovery programs under separate requirements. Availability, participation rules, and attendance-accounting consequences depend on the local program and should be confirmed with the school or district.
Official resources
- Education Code section 48205: Excused Absences
- Education Code section 48260: Truancy and Valid Excuses
- Education Code section 48225.5: Entertainment and Performing Arts
- CDE: Attendance Terminology and Laws
- California Attendance Guide
- CDE: Attendance Recovery
This page summarizes current California law and is not legal advice. Consult the current statute, district policy, and school attendance office for a specific situation. Reviewed August 2, 2026.