Homeschool law varies by state. Some states have statutes that mandate things like annual notification, required subjects, and academic assessments. Other states have few to no requirements. In fact, some states do not have homeschool statutes; in these states, parents typically homeschool under statutes designed to govern private schools. Click on your state to learn more about its requirements, or go inside homeschool policy to learn more.
Homeschool statute: Parents must apply for approval from the local school committee. Parents must provide "thorough and efficient" instruction in reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, history, and government, to operate for a term "substantially equal" to that of public schools, and to keep attendance records. There are no parent qualifications. The form of assessment required, along with the...
Private school: Parents may operate homeschools as private schools. Parents must file annual notice and provide a required number of hours of instruction in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health. There are no parent qualification, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Private Schools In the absence of a homeschool statute, homeschools operate as private, denominational, or...
Homeschool statute: Parents must file one-time notice with the local superintendent and must provide instruction in English, reading, composition, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, history, geography, economics, and government. There are no parent qualifications, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Homeschool Statute A homeschooled child is "a child who receives instruction at home and who is exempt...
Homeschool statute: Parents must file one-time notice with a participatory agency (either the commissioner of education, the local district superintendent, or the principal of a private school), provide instruction in required subjects, maintain a portfolio of their children’s work, and have their children assessed annually (by standardized test or portfolio review). There are no parent qualifications or...
Alternative education provision: New Jersey law exempts students who "receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school" from compulsory school attendance. Parents must provide "equivalent instruction," but there are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Education Elsewhere State statute requires that students "attend the public schools of the district or a day school...
Homeschool statute: Parents must provide annual notice to the Superintendent of Education, have a high school diploma or its equivalent, and offer 180 days of instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Parents must maintain immunization records, but there are no other bookkeeping requirements and there is no assessment requirement. Homeschool Statute "'Home...
Homeschool statute: Parents must file annual notice with the local superintendent, compose and file annual individualized instruction plans, and turn in quarterly progress reports. Parents must provide the "substantial equivalent" of 180 days of instruction in a detailed list of required subjects that varies by grade. While individuals providing instruction must be "competent," there are no...
Homeschool statute: Parents must file a one-time form with the Department of Non-Public Instruction, have their children tested annually, and keep attendance records, immunization records, and test scores on file. Parents providing instruction must have a high school diploma or its equivalent and operate their homeschools "on a regular schedule" for nine months each year. There...
Homeschool statute: Parents must file annual notice with the local superintendent, create annual reports, and provide instruction in the same subjects required in public schools. Parents must have a high school diploma or GED or be monitored by a certified teacher. Students must be tested during grades 4, 6, 8, and 10 unless their parents claim a...
Homeschool statute: Parents must submit annual notification to the local superintendent, including an outline of the planned curricula, have a high school diploma or GED (or homeschool under someone with a bachelor's degree), provide 900 hours of instruction in a variety of subjects, and have their children assessed annually (by standardized test or portfolio review). There is...
Alternative instruction provision: Oklahoma law exempts students for whom "other means of education are provided" from compulsory school attendance. Parents must provide 180 days of instruction, but there are no notification, parent qualification, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Education Elsewhere "It shall be unlawful for a parent . . . to neglect or refuse to cause...
Homeschool statute: Parents must provide one-time notice to their local Education Service District and have their children tested at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. There are no parent qualification, hours of instruction, bookkeeping, or subject requirements. There is an intervention process for students who score below a certain threshold, but parents must...
Homeschool statute: Parents must submit annual notice to the local superintendent, have a high school diploma or its equivalent, provide 180 days of instruction in a wide range of subjects that vary by grade, maintain a portfolio of academic records and test results, have their children tested in grades 3, 5, and 8, and have...
Homeschool statute: Parents must file annual notice with the local superintendent, provide required hours of instruction in "the subjects required of public schools as a basic instructional program," and maintain attendance and immunization records. There are no parent qualification or assessment requirements. Homeschool Statute “A home school is the instruction by a parent of his child, stepchild...
South Carolina's homeschool statute offers three options: School district: Parents must apply to the district board of trustees for approval to homeschool, have a high school diploma or GED, provide 180 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects, maintain basic academic records for inspection, and have their children take the same annual Basic Skills Assessment Program...
Alternative instruction provision: South Dakota law exempts students receiving "alternative instruction" from compulsory school attendance. Parents must file an annual exemption certificate with the local school district, provide instruction "for an equivalent period of time" as public schools, cover "the basic skills of language arts and mathematics," and have their children tested after grades 2, 4,...
Homeschool statute: There are four legal options, two of which are nearly identical. First, parents may homeschool under Tennessee's homeschool statute. Parents must provide annual notice to the director of schools, have a high school diploma or GED, provide 180 days of instruction, maintain attendance and vaccination records, and have their children tested after grades 5,...
Private school: Parents may operate a homeschool as a private school. Parents must provide instruction in good citizenship, math, reading, spelling, and grammar. There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Private Schools The state's compulsory attendance law exempts any child who "attends a private or parochial school that includes in its course a...
Homeschool statute: Parents must file a one-time notice with their local school district. There are no parent qualification, bookkeeping, instruction subject, or assessment requirements. Homeschool Statute "A local school board shall excuse a school-age minor from attendance, if the school-age minor's parent files a signed and notarized affidavit with the school-age minor's school district of residence." See Utah Code...
Homeschool statute: Parents must submit annual notice to the Vermont Department of Education, provide instruction in a comprehensive list of required subjects, and have their children assessed annually (via standardized test, portfolio review, or written report). There are no parent qualification, instruction time, or bookkeeping requirements. The assessment must be submitted with the following year's notice,...
Homeschool statute: Parents must provide annual notice to the division superintendent, have a high school diploma or GED (or provide evidence of the parent's ability to provide an adequate education), offer 180 days of instruction, maintain attendance records, and have their children assessed annually (by standardized test or portfolio review). While there are no subject requirements,...
West Virginia's homeschool statute offers two options: Approval: Parents must apply for the approval of the local school board, filing information and records as required. Parents must provide 180 days of instruction. The school board sets any teacher qualification, subject, and assessment requirements. Notice: Parents must provide one-time notice to the local superintendent. The parent providing instruction must...
Homeschool statute: Parents must provide annual notice to the local superintendent, meet one of four parent qualifications, provide 180 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects, and have their children assessed annually (by testing or portfolio review). Parents are not required to submit the assessments to the local superintendent, but must maintain these...
Homeschool statute: Parents must file annually with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and provide 875 hours of instruction in "a sequentially progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction in reading, language arts, math, social studies, science and health." There are no parent qualification, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Homeschool Statute A “home-based private educational program” is limited to one family...
Homeschool statute: Parents must submit a curricular plan to the local board of trustees each year (no approval is necessary) and provide a “sequentially progressive curriculum” in required subjects. There are no parent qualification, days of instruction, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Homeschool Statute "A home-based educational program means a program of educational instruction provided to a...
Summary: The District Code of Municipal Regulations governs homeschooling. Parents must provide annual notice to the Office of the State Superintendent (OSSE). Parents providing instruction must have a high school diploma or its equivalent (or obtain a waiver based on evidence of competency), provide "thorough, regular instruction of sufficient duration," maintain a portfolio of their children's...
Private school: Parents may operate a homeschool as a private school. Parents must register once with the state Board of Education, and must provide instruction for a period of time "substantially equivalent" to that of public schools. Parents must be "competent," but state officials have no authority to determine a parent's competency. There are no subject, bookkeeping...
Alaska law offers four homeschool options: Homeschool statute: Alaska has an extremely lax homeschool statute. There are no requirements---no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Correspondence program: These programs, run by public or charter schools, require annual education plans, monthly teacher contact, quarterly progress reviews, and testing after grades 3 through 10. They...
Arizona has one homeschool option: Homeschool statute: Parents must submit one-time notification to the local school district and must provide instruction in reading, grammar, math, social studies, and science. There are no parent qualification, hours of instruction, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Homeschool Statute "'Homeschool' means a nonpublic school conducted primarily by the parent, guardian or other person...
Arkansas has one homeschool option. Homeschool statute: Parents must offer annual notice to the local school district. Homeschooling is prohibited if a sex offender lives in the household. There are no other parent qualifications and no hours of instruction, subjects of instruction, record keeping, or assessment requirements. Homeschool Statute A “home school” is defined as “a school provided by a...
California has four homeschool options. Private school: Parents may operate a homeschool as an individual private school. Parents must file annual notice with the state's Superintendent of Public Instruction, be "capable of teaching" (officials have no authority to determine whether or not a parent meets this requirement), provide instruction in "the several branches of study required...
Colorado law offers three homeschool options: Homeschool statute: Parents must provide annual notice, offer 172 days of instruction in reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and the U.S. Constitution, and have their children assessed at the end of grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 (by testing or portfolio evaluation). The results of these assessments...
Connecticut has one homeschool option. Alternative instruction provision: Connecticut law exempts children receiving instruction "elsewhere" from compulsory school attendance. Parents must offer "equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools." There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Early on, the Connecticut Board of Education created guidelines for determining whether...
Delaware’s homeschool statute states that “a ‘homeschool’ shall be considered a non-public school” and offers three options for homeschooling: Single-family homeschool: Parents must submit annual enrollment and attendance reports to the Delaware Department of Education. There are no parent qualification, instruction time, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Multi-family homeschool: Parents must submit annual enrollment and attendance reports...
Florida law offers three homeschool options: Homeschool statute: Parents must provide one-time notice to the local superintendent, maintain a portfolio of their children's work, and have their children assessed annually (by standardized test or portfolio evaluation). There are no parent qualification, hours of instruction, or subject requirements. The assessments must be turned in to the...
Homeschool statute: Parents must have a high school diploma or GED, provide annual notice to the Georgia Department of Education, provide a 180 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects, write annual progress reports for each child, and have each child tested every three years beginning in third grade. Neither the progress reports nor...
Homeschool statute: Parents must submit a one-time notice with the local public school principal, provide sequential instruction in a variety of subjects, maintain a curriculum record for each child, have their children tested at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, and submit an annual assessment for each child (by standardized test, portfolio review,...
Private school: Parents may operate homeschools as private schools. Parents must provide instruction in "the branches of education taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public schools.” There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Private School Homeschools operate as private schools. See 105 ILCS § 5/26-1 and 105 ILCS §...
Alternative instruction provision: Idaho law exempts students being "privately instructed" from compulsory school attendance. Parents must provide instruction in "subjects commonly and usually taught in the public schools of Idaho." There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Homeschool Statute "The parent or guardian of any child . . . shall cause...
Alabama law allows parents to educate their children at home through enrollment in a church school or private school, or under the state's private tutor law. Most parents choose the church school option. Many church schools exist solely for the purpose of enrolling homeschooled students. Church school: Parents may homeschool under the state's church school law...
Private school: Parents may operate homeschools as private schools. Parents must provide 180 days of "instruction equivalent" to that provided in public schools and must keep attendance records. There are no notification, parent qualification, or assessment requirements. Private School Homeschools operate as “non-accredited, nonpublic schools” (private schools). See Ind. Code § 20.33.2. Notification: If a child has...
Private school: Parents may operate homeschools as private schools. Parents must provide an annual notice of enrollment to the local board of education, keep attendance, and provide 185 days of instruction in the same branches of study as are required in public schools. There are no parent qualification or assessment requirements. Private School Homeschools operate under...
Iowa's homeschool statute offers three homeschool options. Independent Private Instruction: Parents must provide instruction in math, science, reading and language arts, and social studies, but there are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Competent Private Instruction (option 1): Parents must provide annual notice and homeschool under the supervision of a certified teacher who...
Homeschool statute: Parents must submit annual notice to the Louisiana Department of Education, and must include either a packet of materials or an assessment (by standardized test or portfolio evaluation) with each subsequent year's notice. Approval may be denied if a child is not making appropriate progress. Parents must offer 180 days of instruction and provide...
Homeschool statute: Parents must provide one-time notice to both the local school district and the Maine Department of Education, offer 175 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects, and have their children assessed annually (by standardized test or by portfolio review performed either by a certified teacher or by a homeschool association). Parents must submit...
Maryland's homeschool statute offers two options: School district: Parents must provide annual notice of intent to homeschool to the local superintendent, provide "regular, thorough instruction in the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the same age," and maintain a portfolio of each student's work and allow the local superintendent to review it up...
Alternative instruction provision: Massachusetts law exempts children who are "otherwise instructed in a manner approved in advance by the superintendent or the school committee" from compulsory school attendance. Oversight of homeschooling thus falls to the local school districts, who are given some latitude in setting their own requirements. Parents must seek approval from their local school districts to...
Homeschool statute: Parents must provide "an organized educational program in the subject areas of reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar." There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Private school: Parents may operate homeschools as private schools, thus gaining access to a wider array of services. Parents must provide...
Homeschool statute: Parents must provide annual notice of homeschooling to the local superintendent, offer instruction in reading, writing, literature, fine arts, math, science, history, geography, government, health, and physical education, maintain academic records, and have their children tested annually. Parents are not required to submit the test results, and there is no minimum score. Teacher qualifications...
Homeschool statute: Parents must file annual notice of intent to homeschool with the local school district and provide 180 days of instruction. There are no teacher qualification, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. Homeschool Statute Mississippi law states that a child may be educated in a "legitimate home instruction program." A child may be homeschooled by a parent,...
Homeschool statute: Parents must provide required hours of instruction in reading, math, social studies, language arts, and science, must maintain basic academic records. There are no notification, parent qualification, or assessment requirements, and students' academic records may only be inspected in case of legal investigation. Homeschool Statute "A parent, guardian or other person in this state having charge,...
International
Learn more about homeschooling requirements in Canadian provinces here.
Find Your State’s Homeschool Law
Find Your State’s Homeschool Law
Homeschool law varies by state. Some states have statutes that mandate things like annual notification, required subjects, and academic assessments. Other states have few to no requirements. In fact, some states do not have homeschool statutes; in these states, parents typically homeschool under statutes designed to govern private schools. Click on your state to learn more about its requirements, or go inside homeschool policy to learn more.
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International
Learn more about homeschooling requirements in Canadian provinces here.