At what age can my child walk to and from school alone? What California law says
It’s back-to-school season across California.
As students head back to class, parents and guardians are busy gathering school supplies, coordinating carpools and planning how their children will get to and from school.
While older kids and teenagers often travel solo, younger children usually need to wait a bit longer before commuting without an adult.
What’s the legal age for kids to walk to and from school alone in California?
Here’s what you need to know:
What does California law say about children walking to school alone?
There is no state or federal law that dictates how old kids have to be to walk to and from school alone.
Under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which passed in 2016, parents have the right to let their children travel to and from school by themselves.
This includes parents in California.
When should parents let kids travel to school by themselves?
Most kids are ready to walk to school on their own at around age 10, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“Younger children are more impulsive and less cautious around traffic,” the medical association said in an article published in 2023.
Before deciding if a child can make the journey to and from school alone, the American Academy of Pediatrics said, parents and guardians should think about their child’s age, maturity, the distance to school and how busy the streets are before letting them go.
Each child is different, the medical association said, and parents should determine their child’s developmental progress to decide if they are ready to travel alone.
How can I prepare my child for walking on their own?
Care.com says parents can take steps to help their kids get ready to walk to school on their own.
According to the online marketplace for families to find child care, parents should start by teaching kids to look left, right and then left again before crossing the street at an early age.
To keep children safe when walking to school, medical professionals told Care.com, it’s important to teach them the following:
- Never get in the car with strangers.
- Use sidewalks and crosswalks.
- Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the road.
- Be visible and attentive while walking.
“I would recommend parents drive part of the way and have the child walk a short distance in the beginning, or accompany the child but from a distance to ensure safety,” Dr. Sara Siddiqui, a pediatrician at NYU Langone’s Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital in New York, told Care.com.
Can my child stay home alone in California?
In California, there’s no set law for how old a child must be to stay home alone, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.
It depends on the child’s maturity and emotional readiness.
A 2015 survey by the American Academy of Pediatrics asked social workers what they thought was an appropriate age, and most said kids should be at least 12 before being left home alone.
This story was originally published August 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "At what age can my child walk to and from school alone? What California law says."
