Homeschool laws by state
What each state asks of homeschooling families, in plain words, with the official sources and the date we checked them.
51 states verified so far; the rest are being checked one by one. General information, not legal advice.
Levels: 1 Very light (no notice, no time rules) · 2 Light (a notice) · 3 Moderate (set time or records) · 4 More involved (an assessment) · 5 Most involved (reports, an evaluator and portfolio, or approval before you start).
| State | Level | Notice | Days / hours | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3 | Enrollment form to your superintendent when you enroll | Set by your church school | Set by your church school |
| Alaska | 1 | None required | No set days or hours | None required |
| Arizona | 2 | Affidavit to your county school superintendent within 30 days | No set days or hours | None required |
| Arkansas | 2 | Notice of intent to your district by Aug 15 each year | No set days or hours | None required |
| California | 3 | Private School Affidavit each year, Oct 1-15 | No set days or hours | None required |
| Colorado | 4 | To a CO school district 14 days before starting, then yearly | 172 days, averaging 4 hours a day | Test or qualified evaluator in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 |
| Connecticut | 1 | None required by law (the state asks you to tell your district) | No set days or hours | None required |
| Delaware | 4 | Enrollment statement to the state by Sept 30 each year | No set days or hours | None required |
| District of Columbia | 3 | To OSSE 15 business days before you start, then by Aug 15 yearly | No set days or hours; thorough, regular instruction | None required; OSSE may ask to review the portfolio |
| Florida | 4 | Notice of intent within 30 days of starting (once) | No set days or hours | A yearly evaluation (5 ways to choose from) |
| Georgia | 4 | Declaration within 30 days of starting, then by Sept 1 yearly | 180 days, 4.5 hours a day | A standardized test at least every 3 years from grade 3 |
| Hawaii | 4 | Notice of intent to your local principal before you start | No set days or hours; record hours per week | Yearly progress report; tests in grades 3, 5, 8, 10 |
| Idaho | 1 | None required | No set days or hours | None required |
| Illinois | 1 | None required | No set days or hours | None required |
| Indiana | 3 | None required (optional one-time IDOE registration) | 180 days a year; you choose the days and hours | None required |
| Iowa | 1 | None required | Not verified yet (state guidance says 148 days) | None required |
| Kansas | 3 | Register the school once with the State Board of Education | Like local public schools (186 days of 6 h, or 1,116 h) | None required |
| Kentucky | 3 | Children's names, ages, addresses to your district each year | No set days or hours for non-certified schools (sources disagree) | None required |
| Louisiana | 4 | Apply to LDOE within 15 days of starting; renew every year | Not verified yet (sources disagree on 180 days) | Yearly renewal with a packet, a test or a teacher statement |
| Maine | 4 | Within 10 days of starting; then a letter by Sept 1 each year | At least 175 days a year (no hour rule) | Yearly test or review, sent by Sept 1 (not 1st year) |
| Maryland | 4 | Form 15 days before you start; confirm yearly before school | Regular lessons all school year; no set days or hours | Portfolio review each semester (at most 3 a year) |
| Massachusetts | 5 | District approval of your plan before you start | Set by your school district's policy | Set by your school district's policy |
| Michigan | 1 | None required (telling the school is suggested) | No set days or hours | None required |
| Minnesota | 4 | Report to your superintendent, then a letter by Oct 1 yearly | No set days or hours | A nationally normed achievement test every year |
| Mississippi | 2 | Certificate of enrollment by Aug 15 every year | No set days or hours | None required |
| Missouri | 3 | None required | 1,000 hours a year, 600 of them in core subjects | None required |
| Montana | 3 | Tell your county superintendent once each school year (Jul-Jun) | 720 hours (grades 1-3) / 1,080 hours (grades 4-12) a year | None required; the parent evaluates |
| Nebraska | 3 | Election forms to the Dept. of Education by July 15 each year | 1,032 hours (K-8) or 1,080 hours (9-12) a year | None required |
| Nevada | 2 | One-time notice of intent to your district before you start | No set days or hours | None required |
| New Hampshire | 1 | None, except a declaration when you leave public school | No set days or hours | None required |
| New Jersey | 1 | None required (a transfer form if you withdraw a high schooler) | No set days or hours | None required |
| New Mexico | 3 | To NMPED within 30 days of starting, then by Aug 1 yearly | 1,140 hours a year (NMPED; the sources disagree) | None required |
| New York | 5 | Notice of intent to your district by July 1 each year | 900 hours (grades 1-6) or 990 hours (7-12) a year | A yearly test or narrative, by grade |
| North Carolina | 4 | One-time notice of intent to DNPE before you start | At least 9 months a year on a regular schedule | A standardized test every year |
| North Dakota | 4 | Statement of intent 5 days before you start, then every year | 175 days, at least 4 hours a day | Tests in grades 4, 6, 8 and 10 (some parents exempt) |
| Ohio | 2 | Notice to your superintendent within 5 days, then Aug 30 yearly | No set days or hours | None required |
| Oklahoma | 1 | None required | No set days or hours; teach for the full district school term | None required |
| Oregon | 4 | Tell your ESD in writing within 10 days of starting | No set days or hours | Approved test after grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | Affidavit to your superintendent by Aug 1 each year | 180 days, or 900 hours (K-6) / 990 hours (7-12) | Yearly evaluator review; tests in grades 3, 5 and 8 |
| Rhode Island | 5 | Plan approved by your town's school committee before you start | About equal to public school (1,080 hours a year) | Method agreed with your school committee |
| South Carolina | 3 | None to the district (join an association) | 180 days a year | None in the law; set by your association |
| South Dakota | 2 | One-time notification within 30 days of starting | No set days or hours | None required (removed in 2021) |
| Tennessee | 4 | Notice of intent to your district before each school year | 180 days, 4 hours a day | A standardized test in grades 5, 7 and 9 |
| Texas | 1 | None required | No set days or hours | None required |
| Utah | 2 | One-time notice to your local school board | No set days or hours | None required |
| Vermont | 4 | Enrollment notice to the Agency of Education, renewed yearly | The equivalent of at least 175 days of instruction a year | An end-of-year assessment every year (5 ways allowed) |
| Virginia | 4 | To your division superintendent by Aug 15 each year | Not verified yet | Test score or evaluation by Aug 1 after each year |
| Washington | 4 | Declaration of intent to your district by Sept 15 each year | 450 hours (K) or an average of 1,000 hours a year (1-12) | A yearly approved test or a certificated teacher's review |
| West Virginia | 4 | One-time notice of intent to your county superintendent | No set days or hours | Yearly; results sent in grades 3, 5, 8 and 11 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | PI-1206 enrollment report to DPI by Oct 15 each year | At least 875 hours a year | None required |
| Wyoming | 1 | None required (since July 2025 no curriculum to the district) | Not verified yet (attendance follows the public school term) | None required |
Each state page lists every source with its checked date. Laws change: tell us if something looks out of date at support.