Your school system
Find your district's special education office, and learn what your state calls things and how long each step should take.
Find your district's special education office
Every public school district must find, evaluate and serve students with disabilities. We list 19,274 districts and charter districts, and found the special education page for 9,735 of them. Where we could not, we link the district home page.
Faster: enter your address and the Hall Pass finds your district for you.
What your state calls it, and how long things take
Federal law sets a 60 day evaluation timeline unless a state sets its own. States also choose when transition planning starts and when rights move to the student. Open your state for details and sources.
| State | Special education is called | Evaluation timeline | Transition planning starts | Rights transfer at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 16 (verified ALSDE) | 19 (Alabama age of majority) |
| Alaska | Special Education | 90 calendar days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Arizona | Special Education (ADE Exceptional Student Services) | 60 calendar days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Arkansas | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| California | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 16 | 18 |
| Colorado | Special Education (CDE Exceptional Student Services Unit) | 60 calendar days | 15 (verified CDE) | 18 |
| Connecticut | Special Education | 45 school days | 14 (PA 19-49, verified CSDE memo) | 18 |
| Delaware | Special Education (DDOE Exceptional Children Resources) | 45 school days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| District of Columbia | Special Education (OSSE Division of Specialized Education) | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Florida | Exceptional Student Education (ESE) | 60 calendar days | 14 or entry to high school, whichever is first (being checked) | 18 |
| Georgia | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Hawaii | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Idaho | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Illinois | Special Education | 60 school days | 14.5 (being checked) | 18 |
| Indiana | Special Education | 50 instructional days | 14 or grade 9, whichever first (being checked) | 18 |
| Iowa | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Kansas | Special Education | 60 school days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Kentucky | Exceptional Children / Special Education | 60 school days | 14 or grade 8, whichever first (course of study statement); goals and services by 16 (verified KDE) | 18 |
| Louisiana | Special Education (LDOE Diverse Learners) | 60 business days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Maine | Special Education | 45 school days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Maryland | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Massachusetts | Special Education | 30 school days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Michigan | Special Education | 30 school days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Minnesota | Special Education | 30 school days | Grade 9 or age equivalent (being checked) | 18 |
| Mississippi | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 21 (Mississippi age of majority; not verified in MDE rule) |
| Missouri | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Montana | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Nebraska | Special Education | 45 school days | 14 (verified, state lowered from 16) | 19 (Nebraska age of majority) |
| Nevada | Special Education (NDE Office of Inclusive Education) | 45 school days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| New Hampshire | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| New Jersey | Special Education | 90 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| New Mexico | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| New York | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 15 (being checked) | 18 |
| North Carolina | Exceptional Children (EC) | 90 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| North Dakota | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Ohio | Special Education (Office for Exceptional Children) | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Oklahoma | Special Education | 45 school days | Grade 9 or age 15, whichever first (verified OSDE) | 18 |
| Oregon | Special Education | 60 school days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Pennsylvania | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Rhode Island | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| South Carolina | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 13 (verified S.C. Code 59-33-360) | 18 |
| South Dakota | Special Education | 25 school days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| Tennessee | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Texas | Special Education | 45 school days | 14 | 18 |
| Utah | Special Education | 45 school days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Vermont | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Virginia | Special Education | 65 business days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Washington | Special Education | 35 school days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
| West Virginia | Special Education | 80 calendar days | 14 (WVDE roadmap, being checked in Policy 2419) | 18 (age of majority notice at 17) |
| Wisconsin | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 14 (being checked) | 18 |
| Wyoming | Special Education | 60 calendar days | 16 (being checked) | 18 |
Charter schools and choice programs
Charter schools are public schools. They must serve students with disabilities and follow IEPs. Many charter schools are their own district for special education, so the charter, not your home district, runs the IEPIndividualized Education Program: a written plan for a child's special education services at school..
Private school scholarships and education savings accounts work differently: in most states, a family that uses one gives up the individual right to a free appropriate public education from the district. Read Paying for it before you sign.
Last reviewed: November 2026. Rules, programs and phone numbers change. Check with the office named on this page. Report outdated or wrong information.