California Caregiver Authorization Affidavit: How to Fill It Out (2026)

What the Affidavit Does

The Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit is California's legal tool for letting a non-parent — grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, family friend — enroll a child in school and consent to medical care without going to court. It's codified under Family Code Sections 6550–6552 and published by the Judicial Council. The current version took effect January 1, 2026.

You sign it yourself, under penalty of perjury. No parent signature. No notary. No court filing. No lawyer needed.

Who Can Use It

Any adult (18 or older) who has a child physically living in their home. The child doesn't need to be related to you for items 1–4. But the scope of authority you get depends on your relationship to the child.

Items 1 Through 4: Every Caregiver

These four items are available to everyone — relatives and non-relatives alike. You provide:

1. The child's name
2. The child's date of birth
3. Your name
4. Your home address (where the child lives with you)

Sign and date the declaration at the end of the form under penalty of perjury.

Completing items 1–4 gives you authority to enroll the child in school and consent to school-related medical care only: immunizations required for enrollment, sports physicals, TB screening, and emergency care on school grounds or at school-sponsored events.

It does not give a non-relative authority over doctor visits, dental care, prescriptions or any medical care outside the school context.

Items 5 Through 8: Qualified Relatives

If you're related to the child by blood, marriage or adoption within the fifth degree of consanguinity or affinity — grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle, adult sibling, adult niece, adult nephew, stepparent, or the spouse of any of these (even if the marriage ended by death or divorce) — you complete items 5 through 8 as well.

Item 5: Check the box confirming you are a qualified relative.

Item 6: Parental notification. You must check at least one:

• 6a: You've told the parent(s) or guardian(s) you intend to authorize medical care, and they haven't objected.
• 6b: You can't reach the parent(s) after making reasonable efforts.

If one parent consents and the other can't be found, check both. If a parent is incarcerated and you have advised them and received no objection, 6a applies. If facility rules prevent contact after reasonable efforts, check 6b.

Item 7: Your date of birth.

Item 8: Your California driver's license or ID number, or government-issued consular card number. If you do not have one of these, the form allows another form of identification.

Sign and date the declaration at the end of the form under penalty of perjury.

Completing items 5–8 gives you the same medical and dental consent authority as a probate guardian under Probate Code Section 2353 — routine checkups, dental care, prescriptions, and specialist referrals. Medical care may include mental health treatment subject to Probate Code Section 2356.

What Changed in January 2026

The Judicial Council revised the form to reflect recent legislation, including AB 495 (expanding the relative definition to the fifth degree). The most important practical detail: Notice 3 on the form now explicitly states that no notarization, court seal, clerk signature or judge's order is required. This was always the law, but having it printed on the form itself makes it harder for a school or clinic to insist otherwise.

The statutory formatting requirements are strict. Under Family Code Section 6550(g), the form is invalid unless the statutory warnings are printed in at least 10-point boldface type inside a box with 3-point rules. Use the official Judicial Council form — don't use a template you found on Etsy or a document-seller site, because they often omit the required formatting.

Common Mistakes

Using an outdated form. PDF aggregator sites still host 2018 and 2021 versions. The January 2026 revision is the current one — download it from the California Courts Self-Help Portal.

Leaving item 6 blank when you're a relative. If you can reach the parent and they consent, check 6a. If you can't reach them, check 6b. Leaving both blank means you haven't completed the relative-specific section and you're limited to school-only authority.

Assuming a parent must co-sign. They don't. The affidavit is a unilateral declaration by the caregiver. A parent who objects can override your decisions, but they don't need to sign the form.

Getting it notarized "just in case." It's not harmful, but it's unnecessary and can reinforce the false belief at schools that notarization is required. If a school demands a notarized copy, cite Family Code Section 6552 and Notice 3 on the form.

What Happens If a Parent Objects

If a parent explicitly objects, you cannot truthfully check item 6a or 6b. The affidavit route stops here. You'd need to explore probate guardianship (filing Form GC-210 with Superior Court) or reach a private agreement with the parent for a specific medical delegation under Family Code Section 6910.

The affidavit doesn't transfer custody. A parent retains all legal rights and can override your decisions at any time — unless their decision would put the child's health or safety at risk.

Next Steps

The California School and Medical Consent Guide walks through the affidavit line by line, including what to write in each field for common situations (parent incarcerated, parent in rehab, parent deceased, parent simply absent). It also includes the escalation letters for schools and clinics that reject the form.

See more California guides →