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Homeschool laws in Maryland

Checked Oct 12, 2026 against 5 sources · General information, not legal advice.

Your Maryland to-do

For “Home instruction with portfolio review by the local school system”. 2 other legal ways below.

  1. Send the home instruction form to your superintendent First year
    At least 15 days before home instruction begins.
  2. Confirm that home schooling continues Every year after
    Every year after the first, before the beginning of the school year, with the local superintendent.
  3. Portfolio review with the school system Every year
    At the end of each semester of the local school system, at a mutually agreed time and place (no more than 3 reviews a school year).
  4. Tell the superintendent about a change in home school status Every year
    If the child's home school status changes during the school year.

Homepen turns this into reminders and ready-to-send letters, and counts your days and hours.

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What Maryland asks

Maryland parents who teach at home send a notification form to their local superintendent at least 15 days before starting, confirm each year that they are continuing, teach the listed subjects regularly, and keep a portfolio that the school system reviews at the end of each semester (no more than 3 reviews a year). Instead, a family can home school under the supervision of a church school or a state-approved nonpublic school, which then sets the rules and reports to the superintendent.

School age: Ages 5–17. From age 5 until the 18th birthday (ages 5 through 17). A parent may ask the local school system to delay a 5-year-old's attendance for 1 year because of the child's maturity.

Maryland has 3 legal ways to homeschool. Pick the one that fits your family; Homepen asks you when you set up.

Home instruction with portfolio review by the local school system

Md. Code, Educ. § 7-301(a)(3); COMAR 13A.10.01.01-.04 · Level 4: More involved

All the details, deadlines and notes
Notice
Every year: First year: sign the state form and send it to the local superintendent at least 15 days before home instruction begins. Every later year: before the school year begins, verify with the local superintendent that home schooling continues. Also tell the superintendent if the child's home school status changes during the year.
Time
No set number of days or hours
No set number of days or hours: instruction must be regular and thorough, take place on a regular basis during the school year and last long enough to carry out the program.
Subjects
  • English
  • mathematics
  • science
  • social studies
  • art
  • music
  • health
  • physical education
Assessment
Portfolio review: All grades: the local superintendent or a designee reviews the portfolio and discusses the instruction program. No state test is required; a child may join the public school's standardized tests if the parent asks.
At the end of each semester of the local school system, at a time and place both sides agree on; no more than 3 reviews in a school year.
Portfolio
Yes, keep a portfolio
Reports
No reports to send
Records to keep
  • portfolio of materials showing regular, thorough instruction in the required subjects
  • instructional and reading materials
  • examples of the child's writings, worksheets, workbooks, creative materials and tests
  • for college courses taken: the college report card or transcript each semester (instead of portfolio materials for those courses)
Teacher
No qualification required

Deadlines

  • Send the home instruction form to your superintendent: At least 15 days before home instruction begins.
  • Confirm that home schooling continues: Every year after the first, before the beginning of the school year, with the local superintendent.
  • Portfolio review with the school system: At the end of each semester of the local school system, at a mutually agreed time and place (no more than 3 reviews a school year).
  • Tell the superintendent about a change in home school status: If the child's home school status changes during the school year.
If a review finds the program deficient, the superintendent tells the parent in writing; within 30 days the parent must show the problem has been or is being corrected, or the child must be enrolled in a public or nonpublic school.
The local school system may not add requirements beyond the state regulations.

How Homepen helps

Homepen counts your days and hours as you tick lessons, and makes: Notice-of-intent letter, filled in, Portfolio and evaluator packet, Reading list, Daily log, Year-end summary, Report card, High-school transcript, Course descriptions.

Another option: Home instruction supervised by a church school or institution (umbrella)

COMAR 13A.10.01.05A(1); COMAR 13A.10.01.01B · Level 2: Light

All the details, deadlines and notes
Notice
Every year: First year: send the state form to the local superintendent at least 15 days before home instruction begins. Every later year: before the school year begins, verify with your supervising church school (it reports continuing, new and leaving students to the superintendent each year).
Time
Set by your school or school district
Subjects
  • the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the same age
Assessment
Set by your school or school district
Portfolio
Set by your school or school district
Reports
No reports to send
Records to keep
Set by your school or school district
Teacher
Set by your school or school district

Deadlines

  • Send the home instruction form to your superintendent: At least 15 days before home instruction begins.
  • Confirm with your supervising school that home schooling continues: Every year after the first, before the beginning of the school year.
The church school's supervision must include at least pre-enrollment conferences, materials the child can use at home, and parent conferences at regular intervals.

How Homepen helps

Homepen counts your days and hours as you tick lessons, and makes: Notice-of-intent letter, filled in, Attendance & hours report, Portfolio and evaluator packet, Report card, High-school transcript.

Another option: Home instruction supervised by a state-approved nonpublic school

COMAR 13A.10.01.05A(2); COMAR 13A.10.01.01B · Level 2: Light

All the details, deadlines and notes
Notice
Every year: First year: send the state form to the local superintendent at least 15 days before home instruction begins. Every later year: before the school year begins, verify with your supervising school (it reports continuing, new and leaving students to the superintendent each year).
Time
Set by your school or school district
Subjects
  • the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the same age
Assessment
Set by your school or school district
Portfolio
Set by your school or school district
Reports
No reports to send
Records to keep
Set by your school or school district
Teacher
Set by your school or school district

Deadlines

  • Send the home instruction form to your superintendent: At least 15 days before home instruction begins.
  • Confirm with your supervising school that home schooling continues: Every year after the first, before the beginning of the school year.
The supervising school must provide materials for use at home and assign a school-based teacher who helps the parent and issues progress reports, marks papers and grades tests.

How Homepen helps

Homepen counts your days and hours as you tick lessons, and makes: Notice-of-intent letter, filled in, Attendance & hours report, Report card, High-school transcript.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Laws change: we check every source at least every 6 months and before each school year. If something looks wrong, tell us. The state agency for homeschooling questions is the Maryland State Department of Education.

Keep your Maryland records without the paperwork

Plan the week, tick lessons, and Homepen keeps the days, hours and portfolio Maryland asks for.

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