Free California Caregiver Affidavit Form: Where to Get the Official Version

The Official Form Is Free

The Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit is a free official form published by the Judicial Council of California. You can download it from the California Courts Self-Help portal at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov. The current version was revised effective January 1, 2026.

You never need to pay for the blank form itself. No subscription, no filing fee, no notary fee. The form is designed for self-execution: you print it, fill it out, sign it under penalty of perjury, and hand copies to the child's school and medical providers.

Why the Official Version Matters

The problem is not availability — it is accuracy. Searching for "California caregiver affidavit form" online returns a mix of official state results, law firm blogs, PDF aggregator sites, and commercial template sellers. Many of these serve outdated versions.

The January 2026 revision matters because Family Code Section 6550(g) makes the form invalid unless it contains the exact statutory warnings set forth in Section 6552, printed in no less than 10-point boldface type bounded by a box with 3-point rules. A form missing the current mandatory warnings — or using pre-2025 language — may be rejected by a careful school registrar or hospital intake clerk.

Common problems with unofficial versions:

• Missing Attachment A. The Judicial Council form includes mandatory statutory notices. Some PDF aggregators strip the attachment, leaving you with an incomplete document.
• Pre-2025 layout. Forms circulating from 2018 or 2021 lack updates reflecting AB 495's expanded relative definition and other legislative changes.
• Added fields. Some school districts and online sellers add fields the law does not require — notary signature lines, parent consent checkboxes, or annual renewal dates. These additions have no statutory basis and can create confusion.

How to Find the Right Form

Go directly to the California Courts Self-Help portal. Search for "Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit" in the forms section. The form does not carry a standard "GC" or "FL" form number — it is maintained as a standalone document under the Family Code provisions.

Download the PDF, print it, and complete it by hand or fill it digitally before printing. Keep the statutory warnings page attached — it is part of the official form, not a cover letter to discard.

What the Free Form Does Not Include

The Judicial Council provides the blank form and basic self-help information about what the affidavit does. What it does not provide:

• Line-by-line completion guidance. The official instructions are minimal. Understanding when to check Item 6a vs. 6b, what "fifth degree of consanguinity" means, or how to handle a parent who cannot be reached requires more than the form itself offers.
• Escalation letters. When a school or clinic rejects the form — demanding notarization or court guardianship papers — the self-help portal has no template for pushing back.
• Scope explanation. The difference between what relative and non-relative caregivers can authorize is not clearly explained on the form itself.

These are the gaps that lead caregivers into unnecessary $150–$500 legal document assistant appointments or $39-per-month template subscription services, even though the underlying form is free.

Our California school and medical consent guide starts from the free official form and adds everything around it — the line-by-line instructions, the statutory escalation letters, the relative vs. non-relative authority breakdown, and the AB 665 teen mental health rules that no free resource covers in one place.

See more California guides →