ARTICLE 3. High School Equivalency Certificates [51420. - 51427.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 3.

in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51420. Section 51420.

The Superintendent shall issue a California high school equivalency certificate and an official score report, or an official score report only, to any person who has not completed high school and who meets all of the following requirements: (a) Is a resident of this state or is a member of the armed services assigned to duty in this state. (b) Has taken all or a portion of a high school equivalency test that has been approved by the state board and that is administered by a testing center approved by the department, with a score determined by the state board to be equal to the standard of performance expected from high school graduates. (c) Meets one of the following: (1) Is at least 18 years of age. (2) Would have graduated from high school had he or she remained in school and followed the usual course of study toward graduation. (3) Is at least 17 years of age, has accumulated fewer than 100 units of high school credit, and is confined to a state or county hospital or to an institution maintained by a state or county correctional agency. (4) (A) Is at least 17 years of age, has accumulated fewer than 100 units of high school credit prior to enrollment in the academic program described in this paragraph, and has successfully completed the academic program offered by a dropout recovery high school that provides the pupil with all of the following: (i) Instruction aligned to state academic content standards. (ii) The opportunity to complete the requirements for a high school diploma. (iii) At least one year of instruction or instruction followed by services related to the academic program. (B) For purposes of this paragraph, “dropout recovery high school” has the same meaning as set forth in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 52052.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51421. Section 51421.

(a) The Superintendent may charge a one-time only fee, established by the state board, to be submitted by an examinee when registering for the test sufficient in an amount not greater than the amount required to pay the cost of administering this article, including costs related to subdivision (b), and for the cost of providing services related to the completion of a high school equivalency test that has been approved by the state board. The amount of each fee may not exceed twenty dollars ($20) per person. (b) The examinee shall be responsible for submitting to the Superintendent both of the following requests: (1) A request for a duplicate copy of the high school equivalency certificate. (2) A request to forward a report of the results of a high school equivalency test approved by the state board to a postsecondary educational institution.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51421.5. Section 51421.5.

(a) If, for purposes of this article, a contractor or testing center charges an examinee its own separate fee, the contractor or testing center shall not charge that fee to an examinee who meets all of the following criteria: (1) The examinee qualifies as a homeless child or youth, as defined in paragraph (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), or as a foster youth, as defined in subdivision (f). (2) The examinee has not attained 25 years of age as of the date of the scheduled examination. (3) For an examinee who qualifies as a homeless child or youth pursuant to paragraph (1), the examinee can verify his or her status as a homeless child or youth. A homeless services provider that has knowledge of the examinee’s housing status may verify the examinee’s status for purposes of this paragraph. (b) For purposes of this section, a “homeless services provider” includes either of the following: (1) A homeless services provider listed in paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 103577 of the Health and Safety Code. (2) Any other person or entity that is qualified to verify an individual’s housing status, as determined by the department. (c) Additional state funds shall not be appropriated for purposes of implementing this section. (d) The Superintendent shall adopt emergency regulations, as necessary, to implement this section. The adoption of these regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, or general welfare. (e) The department shall include a provision in all memorandums of understanding with contractors for purposes of providing a high school equivalency test, that if the surplus funds in the Special Deposit Fund Account are depleted, the ongoing costs of a fee waiver for an examinee deemed eligible for a waiver pursuant to this section shall be absorbed by the contractor. (f) For purposes of this section, a “foster youth” means any individual who meets or has ever met one of the following criteria: (1) A child who was the subject of a petition filed pursuant to Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and removed from his or her home by the juvenile court pursuant to Section 319 or 361 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (2) A child who was the subject of a petition filed pursuant to Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and removed from his or her home by the juvenile court pursuant to Section 727 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (g) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2019.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51422. Section 51422.

Each scoring contractor shall provide the Superintendent with a set of results for each examinee who has taken all or a portion of a high school equivalency test that has been approved by the state board. Each scoring contractor shall forward to the Superintendent the fee established pursuant to Section 51421 for each examinee who has taken the general educational development test.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51423. Section 51423.

(a) (1) The Superintendent may provide for the administration of a high school equivalency test that has been approved by the state board to persons confined to state or county hospitals or to institutions maintained by state or county correctional agencies. (2) Those agencies, upon request, shall reimburse the Superintendent in an amount sufficient to pay the cost of administering the test. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, the Superintendent may grant a waiver to a county office of education to provide a preparation program, for a high school equivalency test that has been approved by the state board, as part of any other instructional program during the regular schoolday to a person who is at least 17 years of age, has accumulated insufficient units of high school credit to graduate from high school by 18 years of age, and is confined to a state or county hospital or to an institution maintained by a state or county correctional agency.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51424. Section 51424.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall keep a permanent record of California high school equivalency certificates issued pursuant to this article.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51425. Section 51425.

A California high school equivalency certificate shall be deemed to be a high school diploma for the purpose of meeting the requirements of employment by all state and local public agencies in this state.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51426. Section 51426.

The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement this article.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 51427. Section 51427.

Pursuant to Section 16370 of the Government Code, there is hereby authorized in the State Treasury a Special Deposit Fund Account, which shall consist of fees that may be prescribed by Sections 51421 and 51423. All of the fees collected are hereby appropriated without regard to fiscal year for the support of the Department of Education to be used pursuant to this article.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026