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Homeschool laws in Mississippi

Checked Oct 12, 2026 against 6 sources · General information, not legal advice.

Your Mississippi to-do

  1. Send the certificate of enrollment Every year
    By August 15 of each school year, to the school attendance officer where the child lives (only after the previous school year has ended).
  2. Send the certificate when moving from public school If leaving a school
    If the child was enrolled in public school that school year, you may start home instruction later in the year and send the certificate of enrollment then.

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

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What Mississippi asks

Mississippi parents who home school send a certificate of enrollment to their local school attendance officer by August 15 every year (later in the year if the child leaves public school). The state sets no required days, hours, subjects, tests or teacher qualifications, and the department recommends, but does not require, a portfolio and a log of books used.

School age: Ages 6–16. A child who is 6 on or before September 1 and not yet 17 on September 1 is of compulsory school age for that school year (so a child who turns 17 after September 1 is covered for the rest of that year). A 5-year-old enrolled in full-day public kindergarten is also covered.

Legitimate home instruction program

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-91(2)(f), (3)(c) (as amended by S.B. 2103, 2026); MDE Rule 30.7 · Level 2: Light

All the details, deadlines and notes
Notice
Every year: Every year by August 15: the parent completes the Certificate of Enrollment (MDE Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement form) and returns it to the school attendance officer where the child lives (it may also be emailed to homeschool@mdek12.org). You cannot enroll for the next school year until the current one has ended. A child who was enrolled in public school that year can be moved to home instruction later in the year by sending the certificate then.
The state's form
Time
No set number of days or hours
Subjects
No subjects listed in the law
Assessment
No assessment required
Portfolio
Not required
Reports
No reports to send
Records to keep
No records required by the law
Teacher
No qualification required

Deadlines

  • Send the certificate of enrollment: By August 15 of each school year, to the school attendance officer where the child lives (only after the previous school year has ended).
  • Send the certificate when moving from public school: If the child was enrolled in public school that school year, you may start home instruction later in the year and send the certificate of enrollment then.
MDE recommends (not required) keeping a copy of the enrollment form, a portfolio of samples, assignments, projects and assessments, and a log of books and materials used.
If the school attendance officer gives written notice that you are not in compliance, you have 10 days to comply.
A certificate of enrollment is not accepted for a child past compulsory school age who is starting home instruction for the first time.

How Homepen helps

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

Sources disagree

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 Mississippi Department of Education.

Keep your Mississippi records without the paperwork

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

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