How long does an IEP evaluation take?

The count starts when the school receives your signed consent. Federal law allows 60 days, but a state can set its own timeline, and some count school days instead of calendar days. If your child is found eligible, the first IEP meeting follows within 30 days. Your state’s page shows the timeline that applies to you.

What to do

Note the date the school received your signed consent. That is day one — not the day you first asked.
34 CFR § 300.301(c)(1)
Look up your state’s timeline. If it counts school days, breaks and holidays do not use up the clock.
Find your state’s timeline →
Put the expected finish date on your calendar and ask the school to confirm it in writing.
After testing, a group that includes you decides whether your child is eligible, and you receive a copy of the evaluation report.
34 CFR § 300.306(a)
If your child is eligible, the first IEP meeting should happen within 30 days of that decision.
34 CFR § 300.323(c)(1)

What the law says

The initial evaluation must be completed within 60 days of the school receiving parental consent, or within the timeframe the state sets if it has one.
34 CFR § 300.301(c)(1)
In these regulations, “day” means calendar day unless a rule specifically says business day or school day.
34 CFR § 300.11(a)
The timeline does not apply if a parent repeatedly does not bring the child for testing. If the child moves to a new district mid-evaluation, the deadline is only extended when the new district is making sufficient progress toward finishing promptly and you and the district agree on a specific completion date.
34 CFR § 300.301(d)–(e)
The evaluation must use a variety of assessment tools and strategies, including information you provide.
34 CFR § 300.304(b)(1)
A meeting to develop the IEP must be held within 30 days of a determination that the child needs special education and related services.
34 CFR § 300.323(c)(1)

Want the exact timeline where you live?

Find Your State’s Timeline

Common questions

Does summer break count toward the 60 days?

Under the federal rule, days are calendar days unless a rule says otherwise, and the 60-day rule does not set breaks aside. States that set their own timeline decide how to count it, and some use school days. Your state’s page shows which one applies.

What if the evaluation is taking longer than the timeline?

Write to the school, name the date you gave consent, and ask when the evaluation will be finished. Many delays are scheduling problems that a written question clears up. If it keeps slipping, your state’s parent training center can explain the options where you live.

Can I share outside reports to help the evaluation?

Yes. Reports from your child’s doctor, therapist, or a private evaluator give the team more to work with, and the evaluation is supposed to draw on information from you as well as the school’s own testing.