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Door 3 · Truancy

California truancy letters, decoded

The California attendance ladder in plain words — the triggers, who acts next, and what a parent should put in writing at each step.

California's ladder

Compulsory attendance: ages 6 to 18 (Educ. Code §§48260, 48262, 48263.6).

The triggers: Truant at 3 full unexcused days (or 3 tardy/absence events over 30 minutes) in one school year; habitual at 3 reports; chronic at 10% of schooldays unexcused.

Step by step

  1. First classification: the district must notify you (§48260.5). Since July 1, 2025 the first notice may not threaten prosecution — a scary first letter may be an old form.
  2. Second report: a school meeting is scheduled with you and your child.
  3. Third report (habitual truant): you can be directed to a School Attendance Review Board (SARB) hearing or truancy mediation — but only after the district made a real effort to hold a conference with you (§48262).
  4. SARB non-compliance: referral to the district attorney or probation (§§48263, 48291). Fourth report: juvenile court jurisdiction (Welf. & Inst. Code §601(b)).

Mental-health absences: An absence for your child's mental or behavioral health is excused as illness under §48205(a)(1) — there is no separate day cap in the statute.

Parent exposure, honestly: Parent: infraction fines up to $100 / $250 / $500 for repeat convictions (§48293). For a K–8 chronic truant, a separate misdemeanor (Penal Code §270.1) requires that you failed to reasonably supervise AND were offered support services first.

Run the truancy decoder

Rules checked October 2026 — every rule on this page is cited to its source. Verify day counts against your district's official calendar.

The Truancy Letter Kit — $39, one time

Every letter, checklist, and worksheet for this fight, filled with your state's rules — yours to keep, no subscription.

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See what's in the Truancy Letter Kit