Homeschool Laws by State: What 14 Official State Pages Say

Homeschool law is set by each state, and the rules are not the same from one border to the next. This article covers 14 states, and every entry below comes from an official state page (a state education agency, legislature or statute site) that was opened on October 8, 2026. It is a plain-language summary, not legal advice, and laws change, so confirm the details with your own state agency before you file anything.

What kinds of homeschool requirements exist?

The state entries below show six recurring kinds of requirement. A given state may use only one or two of them, or none.

• Notice of intent. A letter, declaration or affidavit filed with a school district or state office, sometimes once and sometimes every year.
• Required subjects. A list of subjects the home program must cover, which differs by state.
• Days or hours. A set number of instructional days, such as 180 in Georgia and Indiana.
• Testing or evaluation. A standardized test, an evaluation by a qualified person, or a portfolio review.
• Record keeping. Attendance logs, a portfolio of work, test results or immunization records kept at home.
• Who may teach. A parent diploma or equivalent in some states, and no teaching license in Florida.

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What does each state require?

Each entry summarizes the state's own page, and deadlines are as the source states them on October 8, 2026.

• Texas The Texas Education Agency says home schooling has been a legal alternative to public schooling since 1994 and that the agency does not regulate, index, monitor, approve, register or accredit home school programs. Parents are required to follow a course of study that includes good citizenship. A district that suspects a child is home schooled may request a letter of assurance in writing.
• Florida Florida Statutes section 1002.41 requires a signed written notice of intent to the county school superintendent within 30 days of starting, with each child's legal name, address and birthdate. The parent keeps a portfolio (a log of activities and work samples) for 2 years, files an annual evaluation, and files a termination notice within 30 days of ending. The parent does not need a Florida teaching certificate.
• New York New York requires written notice of intent to the school district superintendent. The district then sends the home instruction regulations and an individualized home instruction plan (IHIP) form to complete. NYSED says parents choose their own curriculum materials for the required subjects, and its Q&A describes quarterly reports and an annual assessment.
• Pennsylvania A notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration goes to the district superintendent before starting and by August 1 every year, with an outline of education objectives by subject plus immunization and medical records. The portfolio must hold statewide or nationally normed test results in grades 3, 5 and 8, and a qualified evaluator reviews it each year. District approval is not required once the paperwork is filed.
• Ohio Ohio Revised Code 3321.042 requires a notice to the district superintendent within five calendar days of starting, moving or withdrawing, and by August 30 each year. The superintendent must acknowledge it within 14 days. The statute lists English language arts, mathematics, science, history, government and social studies, and it does not mention test or assessment reports.
• North Carolina A Notice of Intent to Operate a Home School goes to the state Division of Non-Public Education before opening. The listed teacher needs at least a high school diploma or equivalent. The school must run on a regular schedule for at least nine calendar months, give each student a nationally standardized achievement test every year, and keep attendance, immunization and test records.
• Georgia The Georgia Department of Education says a Declaration of Intent is due within 30 days of starting and by September 1 each year. The state's overview says the law requires 180 instructional days, mathematics, English language arts, science, social studies and reading, and a parent with at least a high school diploma or GED. Students take a nationally standardized test at least every three years, beginning at the end of third grade.
• Virginia Under Code of Virginia 22.1-254.1, parents notify the division superintendent by August 15 each year with a list of subjects and proof they meet one of four qualifications, including holding a high school diploma. By August 1 after the school year they file either a nationally normed test score (fourth stanine or above) or an evaluation or assessment the superintendent finds shows adequate progress.
• Illinois The State Board of Education says Illinois does not require registration before homeschooling, though it offers a voluntary registration form. Homeschooling is treated as a form of private education, and parents must teach language arts, mathematics, sciences, social sciences, fine arts and physical development and health. No standardized tests are required, and results of any tests a parent chooses to give need not be submitted.
• Michigan Michigan Compiled Laws 380.1561 exempts a child educated at home by a parent in an organized educational program covering reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing and English grammar. That section of the statute does not mention a filing requirement, so check with the Michigan Department of Education before assuming none applies to you.
• Arizona Arizona Revised Statutes 15-802 covers children aged six to sixteen and requires instruction in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science. Parents file an affidavit of intent with the county school superintendent within 30 days of starting. It is not required again unless homeschooling ends and resumes, and ending requires notice within 30 days.
• Washington RCW 28A.200.010 requires a signed declaration of intent each year by September 15, or within two weeks of a school term starting, filed with the resident district. Each year the child must take an approved standardized test or have a written progress assessment by a certificated person. Under RCW 28A.225.010, instruction is supervised by a certificated person, or the parent has 45 college-level quarter credits or a home-based instruction course, or the superintendent deems the parent qualified.
• Tennessee The Tennessee Department of Education says an independent home school parent needs a high school diploma or approved equivalency credential and files a notice of intent with the district before each school year. Students in grades 5, 7 and 9 take a standardized test. A church-related umbrella school is another route, and it does not use the separate notice.
• Indiana The Indiana Department of Education says homeschools must provide 180 days of instruction and keep attendance records, with no special form. The state sets no approved curriculum or textbooks. Parents should notify the child's current school principal in writing when withdrawing a student.

Official pages for the two states not in the source list below: Tennessee's home school page and Indiana's homeschool help sheet.

Which states were not covered, and what should you check?

California was on the list, but its official pages could not be read on October 8, 2026, so no California requirement is stated here. The remaining states are not covered here. Search your state education department's website for "home school" or "home education", and call the office listed there if the wording is unclear.

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Three cautions before you rely on any summary

• Some sources are statutes. Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, Arizona and Washington are summarized from the law itself, which may differ from agency advice.
• Some pages are dated. New York's Q&A page says it has not been updated for 2019 amendments to Public Health Law section 2164, and Georgia's overview is dated October 10, 2024.
• Districts add forms. Pennsylvania tells supervisors to check their local district's board policy for the forms it wants filed.