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SDLA Compliance Resource

Transfer the Mandatory Permanent Pupil Record After a Receiving-School Request

A 10-schoolday cumulative-record workflow that gives the receiving school the academic, health, discipline, disability, and placement information needed for safe and accurate enrollment.

  • Attendance
  • Pupil Records
Date(s)No later than 10 schooldays after receiving the school-to-school request, unless a faster population-specific rule applies
Applies toCalifornia public and private schools transferring a pupil within the state

In Plain Language: When a pupil transfers between California public or private schools, the former school must send the permanent record or a copy within 10 schooldays after receiving the new school’s request. The receiving public school must notify the parent of the right to a copy and the right to a hearing to challenge the record’s content.

Why this matters

The cumulative folder supports placement, credit, graduation, immunization, safety, discipline, and disability services. A transcript alone may not be the mandatory permanent record, and local debts do not justify withholding records when another law prohibits it or a protected pupil has faster rights.

Joint ownership

Requester: receiving-school registrar. Sender: prior-school records custodian. Content partners: counseling, health, discipline, special education/504, attendance, assessment, and program offices.

Operational workflow

  1. 1. Receiving school sends a secure, dated request identifying the pupil and records needed and notifies the parent of copy and challenge-hearing rights.
  2. 2. Prior school records the receipt date and calculates 10 schooldays, including nonholiday weekdays during summer break.
  3. 3. Assemble the permanent/cumulative record, including transcript, immunization, applicable suspension/expulsion records, IEP and other required components.
  4. 4. Transfer securely by the deadline with a manifest; retain the original or copy required by records-retention rules.
  5. 5. Receiving school reconciles the folder to placement, credits, health, services, SIS/CALPADS history, and missing components.

Evidence to retain

  • Dated request and calculated deadline
  • Parent notice of copy and hearing rights
  • Cumulative-record content manifest
  • Secure transmission and receipt confirmation
  • Missing-record follow-up and receiving-school reconciliation

Official guidance and help

Source review completed August 30, 2026. Verify current law, official guidance, local policy, language access, individual circumstances, and the exact persisted attendance or pupil-record state before acting.