When can my kid go back to school after lice?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Right after the first proper treatment - often the same evening or next morning. CDC guidance centers on prompt treatment rather than exclusion: lice crawl head-to-head and cannot hop or fly, and they die within two days off a head, so a treated child poses little onward risk. Some schools keep no-nit policies - check yours - but nits far from the scalp are usually hatched or dead. What matters most: follow the product instructions exactly, including the second application.
What to do
- Treat the day you find them. Over-the-counter or prescription product, instructions followed exactly.
- Do the second application. It catches the eggs that hatch after round one.
- Comb with the nit comb. Every few days for two weeks confirms you won.
- Check the household. Everyone's heads get looked at; wash bedding and recent clothing hot.
Related questions
- When can my kid go back to school after strep?
- When can my kid go back to school after hand, foot and mouth?
- Is scabies contagious?
- Is ringworm contagious?