# California — Special education initial evaluation deadlines by state — days, day type, and what starts the clock

For California, evaluation deadline is within a total time not to exceed 60 days; day type is calendar days; clock starts on is the date of receipt of the parent’s written consent for assessment; school break treatment is not counting days between the pupil’s regular school sessions, terms, or days of school vacation in excess of five schooldays; differs from federal 60 days is same, recorded from its source on 2026-08-31.

- **State:** California _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Evaluation deadline:** within a total time not to exceed 60 days _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Day type:** calendar days _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Clock starts on:** the date of receipt of the parent’s written consent for assessment _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **School break treatment:** not counting days between the pupil’s regular school sessions, terms, or days of school vacation in excess of five schooldays _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Differs from federal 60 days:** same _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Statute or rule:** 56344 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Eligibility or IEP deadline:** A meeting to develop an initial individualized education program for the pupil shall be conducted within 30 days of a determination that the pupil needs special education and related services _(also on this page, in the second passage quoted below)_

## What the source says

> (a) An individualized education program required as a result of an assessment of a pupil shall be developed within a total time not to exceed 60 days, not counting days between the pupil’s regular school sessions, terms, or days of school vacation in excess of five schooldays, from the date of receipt of the parent’s written consent for assessment, unless the parent agrees, in writing, to an extension.

## The same source also states

> A meeting to develop an initial individualized education program for the pupil shall be conducted within 30 days of a determination that the pupil needs special education and related services pursuant to Section 300.323(c)(1) of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=EDC&division=4.&title=2.&part=30.&chapter=4.&article=3.

## Source

- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=EDC&division=4.&title=2.&part=30.&chapter=4.&article=3.

Last verified: 2026-08-31. Review by: 2027-04-28.
Part of [Special education initial evaluation deadlines by state — days, day type, and what starts the clock](https://referencesource.org/special-education-evaluation-timelines-by-state/).