Required Registration Documentation

To read in another language, click the 'Translate' link located on the top right corner of this webpage.

For most students, the final step in the new student registration process is to present required documentation to the school that your student will attend. We recommend that this be done after you have submitted the online registration form. Only the legal parent/guardian may register your child. It is not necessary for your child to be with you when you present the required registration documentation.

In order to finalize enrollment for a student, in addition to completing the online registration form, an Original Birth Certificate and Proof of Residency are required to be provided to the enrolling school. Additionally, prior to the first day of school attendance you must provide a Certificate of Immunizations signed by a doctor. A signed doctor's Physical Examination Report is also required for children entering Preschool and Elementary school (grades PK - 6). The Physical Examination must have been performed no more than one year prior to the student's first day of school attendance. If you have scheduled the student's Doctor Appointment, bring the Appointment Reminder Card dated on or before Aug. 8, 2025. While not required, the physical form is recommended for students enrolling in one of our secondary schools (grades 7-12).

Schools will request educational records from previously attended schools. You may be asked to provide additional information (Individualized Education Plans, Medication Information, etc.) that would assist the school in providing the best educational environment for your child. In addition, parents/guardians of secondary school students may need to schedule an appointment to meet with a guidance counselor to plan course enrollment.

State Enrollment Requirements
In order to enroll a child in a public school system in Virginia, state law requires that only the legal Parent/Guardian may register the child and must provide the school with all of the following:

  • Original State/Military Birth Certificate

    • No Hospital Birth Certificates will be accepted

    • No copies of Birth Certificates will be accepted

  • Valid Picture ID for Parent/Guardian

  • Immunization Records (see Part II - Certificate of Immunization below)

  • Street Address (see Acceptable Proofs of Residency below)

  • School Entrance Health Form (4 pages) (Directions for Completing)

    • Part I - Health Information Form (Page 1)
      If you complete the online registration form, you do not need to complete Part I of the Virginia School Entrance Health Form as these questions are part of our online registration process.

    • Part II - Certificate of Immunization (Pages 2 and 3)
      A physician signed certificate of immunization is required before a student can attend school. If you have this documentation you can bring it with you when you present the birth certificate, otherwise it needs to be presented prior to the first day of school for your child.

    • Part III - Physical Exam Record (Page 4)
      A physician signed physical examination is required for all students in grades PK-5. If you have this documentation you can bring it with you when you present the birth certificate, otherwise it needs to be presented prior to the first day of school for your child. The physical examination must be performed no more than one year prior to the first day of school for your child.

  • Expulsion Statement (completed as part of the Online Registration Form)

  • Court Ordered Custody Documentation (if applicable)

Kinship Care Form
In the case of a relative providing fulltime care for a student in place of their natural parents, please fill out and submit a Kinship Care form if you meet the following criteria:

  • You will be caring for the student on a fulltime basis

  • The student is living with you not solely for the purpose of attending school

  • You agree to renew this kinship care at the start of each school year and notify PPS within 30 days of the kinship care ending

Please note that PPS has permission to share this information with the Department of Social Services. For more information, reach out the PPS Office of Student Support Services at (757) 393-8354.

Acceptable Proofs of Residency
At the time of registration, the parent or legal guardian (proof of guardianship required) must submit two Proofs of Residency in Portsmouth. Post Office boxes and Driver’s Licenses are not considered Proofs of Residency. Use the information below to determine what types of documents to bring with you to prove residency in Portsmouth.

If you own/lease your home:

  • Electric bill (within the past 30 days) and one of the following:

    • Deed

    • Monthly Mortgage Statement (within the past 30 days)

    • Residential Rental/Lease Agreement dated within the last year, showing the Name, Address, and Telephone

If you do not own/lease and your name does not appear on the mortgage/lease:

  • Notarized Letter from the Homeowner stating that You and Your Child live in their home

  • Homeowner's Electric bill (within the past 30 days) and one of the following:

    • Deed

    • Monthly Mortgage Statement (within the past 30 days)

    • Residential Rental/Lease Agreement dated within the last year, showing the Name, Address, and Telephone

If a student/family is found to be in a homeless situation, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act allows enrollment without a permanent address. Not all Shared Housing situations are considered homeless. If you feel your situation would qualify under this provision, please complete the McKinney-Vento Shared Housing form and submit to the school registrar. Call Ms. Leandra Halsey at (757) 393-8354 ext. 46307 for additional information.

Notarized Documents
Notarized documents must be completed by a Notary Public at the Portsmouth Circuit Court 1345 Court Street, First Floor; or, the PPS Office of Student Services Attendance Office located at Emily N. Spong, 2200 Piedmont Ave.

Missing Required Registration Documents
If you are unable to produce any of the required documents listed above, please contact the school where your child will be registering for information about alternative documents that can be provided in lieu of the documents listed above.

Additional Registration Documents and Information
For more information about the registration process, please visit the Student Registration page.

Note: For assistance registering a child who was not born in the United States or speaks a language other than English, or if the documents needed for school registration were issued in a foreign country, contact the Gifted Education, Foreign Languages and English as a Second Language (ESL) Office at 757-393-8885.