Homeschool laws in New Jersey
Checked Oct 12, 2026 against 3 sources · General information, not legal advice.
Your New Jersey to-do
- Fill in the district's transfer form If leaving a school Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
When you withdraw a student enrolled in high school to teach them at home (no deadline is given).
Homepen turns this into reminders and ready-to-send letters, and counts your days and hours.
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What New Jersey asks
New Jersey lets parents give their child equivalent instruction at home, and the law asks for no notice, set days or hours, tests, records or teacher certification. The teaching must be academically equivalent to the local public school, and withdrawing a high school student means filling in the district's transfer form.
School age: Ages 6–15. The law covers children "between six and 16" (read here as until the 16th birthday).
Equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school (home education)
N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25 · Level 1: Very light
- Notice: none required (a transfer form if you withdraw a high schooler)
- Time: no set days or hours
- Subjects: no list; must be equivalent to public school
- Assessment: none required
- Records: none required by the law
All the details, deadlines and notes
- Notice
- No notice to file
- Time
- No set number of days or hours
- Subjects
- instruction academically equivalent to the local public school (the law sets no subject list)
- 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
- Fill in the district's transfer form: When you withdraw a student enrolled in high school to teach them at home (no deadline is given).
Your local board may ask for a letter of intent only if it has credible evidence that your child is not being educated; withdrawing a child to homeschool is not, by itself, such evidence.
If a district refuses to enroll your child and you do not appeal, you are asked for a written statement that the child will attend another school or receive instruction elsewhere than at school.
How Homepen helps
Homepen counts your days and hours as you tick lessons, and makes: Attendance & hours report, Reading list, Report card, High-school transcript.
Sources
- NJDOE Frequently Asked Questions: Homeschooling · State education agency · checked Oct 12, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 6A:22 Student Residency (incl. 6A:22-4.2(d)), NJDOE copy of the current code · Regulation · checked Oct 12, 2026
- N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25 (New Jersey Statutes, NJ Legislature); host refused connections on 2026-10-12, wording read via the NJDOE FAQ · Statute · checked Oct 12, 2026
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 New Jersey Department of Education.
Keep your New Jersey records without the paperwork
Plan the week, tick lessons, and Homepen keeps the days, hours and portfolio New Jersey asks for.
Get early accessComing soon to iPhone, iPad and Android