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A Field Manual · No. I · Volume 2

California

Complete free state pageThe full California page from Volume 2 appears here. Law checked July 14, 2026.What the labels mean

This complete state page is free to every family. It is the free sample from The 50-State Companion, Volume 2 of The IEP Field Manual.

1. Initial evaluation timeline

60 calendar days from receipt of the parent’s written consent to the assessment plan - and unlike the federal default, California’s 60 days must produce not just a completed evaluation but a completed IEP meeting. The clock excludes days between regular school sessions/terms and school vacations in excess of 5 schooldays; if the referral comes ≤30 days before the end of the school year, the IEP must be developed within 30 days after the next school year begins. (Cal. Ed. Code § 56344; see also § 56043(f)(1).) Sources: SERR Manual § 4.2 (Disability Rights California); Disability Rights California, Special Education Timelines; Lozano Smith client brief on 60-day tolling

2. Eligibility-to-IEP timeline

California sets no separate eligibility→IEP clock because it is subsumed in the 60-day rule above: the IEP resulting from an assessment must be developed within the same 60 days from consent (Ed. Code § 56344(a)), which is tighter than the federal 30-days-after-eligibility default (34 C.F.R. § 300.323(c)(1)). Source: SERR Manual § 4.2

3. State complaint

4. Due process

5. Recording IEP meetings

California is a two-party (all-party) consent state (Penal Code § 632), but Ed. Code § 56341.1(g) creates an education-specific carve-out: a parent/guardian or the LEA has the statutory right to audio record an IEP meeting after giving all team members notice of intent at least 24 hours before the meeting. If the LEA initiates the recording notice and the parent objects or refuses to attend because of it, the meeting may not be recorded. Sources: Cal. Ed. Code § 56341.1 (leginfo); SERR Manual § 4.55; FindLaw, EDC § 56341.1

6. Age of majority / transfer of rights

Age 18. All IDEA rights transfer to the student at 18 unless the student has been determined incompetent under state law; the LEA must give required notices to both the student and the parents and notify both of the transfer. The IEP must state, at least one year before the student turns 18, that the student was informed of the rights that will transfer (Ed. Code § 56041.5; see § 56043(g)(3)). Sources: Cal. Ed. Code § 56041.5 (California Legislature); SERR Manual Appendix N (assignment of decision-making authority)

7. State education agency special-education office

California Department of Education, Special Education Division - 1430 N Street, Suite 2401, Sacramento, CA 95814-5901; phone 916-445-4613; email specedinfoshare@cde.ca.gov. Sources: CDE Special Education Division - Organization; CDE Special Education

8. Federally funded parent centers, PTIs and CPRCs

California has multiple regional Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs). Use the current federal directory to match the family’s county:

California’s federally listed Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) are:

Sources: Center for Parent Information and Resources - California; CDE California Parent Organizations

9. Peculiarity worth knowing

The 15-day assessment-plan rule. Before the 60-day clock ever starts, California adds its own front-end deadline: the district must hand the parent a written proposed assessment plan within 15 days of the referral (with the same vacation-day tolling), and the parent then has at least 15 days to consent - assessment may begin immediately on receipt of consent (Ed. Code § 56321). Practical effect: referral → assessment plan (15 days) → parent consent (15+ days) → assessment + IEP meeting (60 days), so the full referral-to-IEP arc can lawfully run roughly 90 days - and the 60-day clock does not start at referral, a point districts and parents frequently confuse. Sources: Cal. Ed. Code § 56321 (leginfo); Disability Rights California, Special Education Timelines

Sources

Use this companion with the verified review edition of The IEP Field Manual. Begin with the federal tool, then check the state entry before relying on a timeline, filing route, age, credential rule, records period, restraint or seclusion duty, or other state-specific procedure.

Each state entry cites official sources. Links and state rules change. Confirm the cited official page again before a high-stakes act or deadline.

This companion is educational information, not legal advice. It does not replace advice from a licensed attorney in the state where the student attends school.

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