State Attendance, Truancy, and Chronic Absenteeism Policy Database

State attendance laws define how attendance is measured, how truancy and chronic absenteeism are identified, and when schools are required to respond. These policies shape thresholds for action, distinctions between excused and unexcused absences, and expectations for local education agencies.

This database provides a state-by-state overview of attendance, truancy, and chronic absenteeism definitions across the United States. It summarizes statutory definitions, attendance thresholds, and key policy features for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. This resource was developed as part of the Attendance Policies Project at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to provide a database of state statutes and definitions related to attendance and truancy related policy definitions and thresholds. The database aimed to support researchers, policymakers, and educators by offering a clear state-by-state summary of state statutes and definitions of attendance and truancy.

The laws found in this database were identified through a policy scan of the LexisNexis database and were in effect as of February 2026.

Legend

Yes	The state law includes a % or number of days threshold for truancy.
No	The state law does not specify a specific % or number of days threshold for truancy. In some states thresholds are determined by local education agencies (LEAs).
Excused	The law references excused absences only.
Unexcused	The law references unexcused absences only.
Unexcused + Excused	The law references both excused and unexcused absences.
N/A	The law does not specify a truancy threshold.

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Select “Open” next to a state to see state-specific information, including links to relevant state laws. You may need to scroll up to view the information after selecting “Open.”