I want to obtain a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption (NME) | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Must review general exemption requirements prior to continuing.

A nonmedical exemption (NME) is an exemption to one or more school-required vaccines based upon a religious belief whose teachings are opposed to immunizations or a personal belief that is opposed to immunizations. This process may be completed by parents/guardians, emancipated students, or students 18 years or older.

There are two ways to obtain a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption.

Obtain a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption by fully reviewing and completing the Online Immunization Education Module.

(This does not require the signature of my/my child’s health care provider.)

The child’s health care provider

1) Meets the criteria to sign the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption, and

2) Is willing to provide immunization consultation and sign the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption.

Online Immunization Education Module

You are responsible for providing the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption that will be made available upon completion of the Online Immunization Education Module (Module) to each school or child care you/your child attends.

Completing a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption this way does not require the signature of a health care provider.

Must read the following:

In order to successfully move through the module and obtain the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption, first review the Technical Guidance and Troubleshooting Document.
We do not recommend using a mobile device to complete the module and electronic form.
The module is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
After completing the module, you will be able to fill out an electronic form to obtain a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption.
You may complete this form for multiple children by selecting the “back” button and resubmitting the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption each time it appears. The Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption can be completed a total of six times before the module will reset back to the beginning.

Access the Online Immunization Education Module

Find information on requirements for the timing and frequency of submission of a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption.

For help with the Module or questions, email the CIIS School Coordinator at cdphe_ciis_schools@state.co.us.

Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption signed by a health care provider

You are responsible for providing a copy of the signed Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption to each school or child care you/your child attends.

Completing the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption this way requires the signature of one of the following health care providers who are authorized to administer immunizations and licensed in the state of Colorado:

Advanced practice nurse (APN)
Pharmacist (Pharm)
Physician (Medical Doctor [MD] or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine [DO])
Physician assistant (PA)
Registered nurse (RN)

Per SB 20-163, there is no requirement for providers to sign a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption.

Parents/guardians, emancipated students, or students 18 years or older have the option of obtaining a nonmedical exemption without a provider's signature by completing the Online Immunization Education Module.

Required timing and frequency for the submission of a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption:

The individual is attending:	Frequency of submission:
A licensed preschool or child care	A Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption is to be submitted by the student’s parent/guardian upon entry and at each interval immunizations are due following the ACIP immunization schedule. 2 months (will expire at 4 months) 4 months (will expire at 6 months) 6 months (will expire at 12 months) 12 months (will expire at 18 months) 18 months (will expire prior to kindergarten entry)
Kindergarten through 12th grade or school-age child care	A Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption is to be submitted by the student’s parent/guardian upon entry and will expire annually on June 30 unless it is submitted as a part of a school’s designated early registration period for the upcoming school year. Emancipated students with documentation or a student 18 years or older may complete and submit an exemption on their own.
A licensed day camp or a resident camp	A Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption is to be submitted by the student’s parent/guardian upon entry. A Certificate of NME is an annual requirement in this age group and is valid if it is dated within the past 12 months. A Certificate of NME that was valid for the prior school year continues to be valid through the summer camp season. A Certificate of NME that is intended for the upcoming school year and completed during an early registration process may also be valid for the current camp season (reference K-12 requirements above).
College or university	A Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption must be submitted upon enrollment. Note: Certificates of Nonmedical Exemption expire if the student changes their college or university. A new Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption will be required if they enroll in another Colorado college or university. Emancipated students with documentation or a student 18 years or older may complete and submit an exemption on their own.