Homeschool laws in South Carolina
Checked Oct 12, 2026 against 5 sources · General information, not legal advice.
Your South Carolina to-do
For “Option 3: home school association (50+ members)”. 2 other legal ways below.
Nothing to file with South Carolina. Teach, and keep your own simple records.
Homepen turns this into reminders and ready-to-send letters, and counts your days and hours.
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What South Carolina asks
South Carolina gives three home school options: join a home school association with at least 50 members (Option 3), join the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (Option 2), or get approval from your school district board (Option 1). All three need a parent with a high school diploma or GED, 180 days of instruction and the basic subjects, and Option 1 adds 4.5-hour days, district testing and twice-yearly progress reports.
School age: Ages 5–16. From the school year in which the child is 5 before September 1 until the 17th birthday or high school graduation. If the child is not 6 by September 1, the parent may opt out of kindergarten by signing a written election with the school district.
South Carolina has 3 legal ways to homeschool. Pick the one that fits your family; Homepen asks you when you set up.
Option 3: home school association (50+ members)
S.C. Code Ann. § 59-65-47 · Level 3: Moderate
- Notice: none to the district (join an association)
- Time: 180 days a year
- Subjects: reading, writing, math, science, social studies (+ lit 7-12)
- Assessment: none in the law; set by your association
- Records: plan book, portfolio, twice-yearly progress report
All the details and notes
- Notice
- No notice to file
- Time
- 180 days a year
- Subjects
- reading
- writing
- mathematics
- science
- social studies
- composition and literature (grades 7-12)
- Assessment
- Set by your school or school district
- Portfolio
- Yes, keep a portfolio
- Reports
- No reports to send
- Records to keep
- plan book, diary or other record of subjects taught and activities
- portfolio of samples of the student's academic work
- semiannual progress report with attendance records and documentation of progress in each basic subject
- Teacher
- High school diploma or GED.
SCDE lists the associations that sent its yearly Standards Assurance form; associations may add their own rules and fees.
How Homepen helps
Homepen counts your days and hours as you tick lessons toward this goal, and makes: Attendance & hours report, Daily log, Portfolio and evaluator packet, Report card, Year-end summary, High-school transcript.
Another option: Option 2: South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS)
S.C. Code Ann. § 59-65-45 · Level 3: Moderate
- Notice: none to the district (join SCAIHS)
- Time: 180 days a year
- Subjects: reading, writing, math, science, social studies (+ lit 7-12)
- Assessment: set by SCAIHS
- Records: set by SCAIHS
All the details
- Notice
- No notice to file
- Time
- 180 days a year
- Subjects
- reading
- writing
- mathematics
- science
- social studies
- composition and literature (grades 7-12)
- 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
- High school diploma or GED.
How Homepen helps
Homepen counts your days and hours as you tick lessons toward this goal, and makes: Attendance & hours report, Daily log, Portfolio and evaluator packet, Report card, High-school transcript.
Another option: Option 1: home school approved by the school district
S.C. Code Ann. § 59-65-40 · Level 5: Most involved
- Notice: apply to your district board of trustees for approval
- Time: 180 days, at least 4.5 hours a day
- Subjects: reading, writing, math, science, social studies (+ lit 7-12)
- Assessment: yearly statewide tests given by the district
- Records: plan book, portfolio, evaluations; progress report twice a year
All the details, deadlines and notes
- Notice
- Approval needed before you start. Not verified yet: check with your state: Before you start: apply to the district board of trustees (program description, texts and materials, evaluation methods, place of instruction) and sign a hold-harmless agreement; you may home school once the board approves.
- Time
- 180 days a year, 4.5 hours a day
At least 4.5 hours a day, not counting lunch and recess, on at least 180 days a year. - Subjects
- reading
- writing
- mathematics
- science
- social studies
- composition and literature (grades 7-12)
- Assessment
- Standardized test: Every year: the statewide testing program for the grade level, given by a certified district employee. A first-grade readiness test for children eligible for first grade.
Statewide tests with the public school testing; the readiness test within the first 15 instructional days of the public school year. - Portfolio
- Yes, keep a portfolio
- Reports
- A yearly report: A progress report twice a year (semiannual), with attendance records and assessments of progress in each basic subject, sent to the school district; the law sets no dates.
- Records to keep
- plan book, diary or other written record of subjects taught and activities
- portfolio of samples of the student's academic work
- record of evaluations of the student's academic progress
- all open to inspection by the district on reasonable notice
- Teacher
- High school diploma or GED plus a passing score on the basic skills examination, or a bachelor's degree.
Deadlines
- Apply to the district board for approval: Before you start home schooling; the board considers it at a meeting you are told about in advance.
- Send the semiannual progress report: Twice a year, to the school district (no dates in the law).
- Take the statewide tests: Every year, given by a certified district employee with public school students or at home by arrangement.
- Take the first-grade readiness test: Within the first 15 instructional days of the public school year, for a child eligible for first grade.
If the board denies approval, you may appeal to the State Board of Education within 10 days.
How Homepen helps
Homepen counts your days and hours as you tick lessons toward this goal, and makes: Notice-of-intent letter, filled in, Attendance & hours report, Daily log, Portfolio and evaluator packet, Report card, Year-end summary, High-school transcript.
Sources
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 59 Chapter 65 (§ 59-65-10 compulsory attendance; §§ 59-65-40, -45, -47 home schooling), SC General Assembly · Statute · checked Oct 12, 2026
- SC Department of Education: Home Schooling · State education agency · checked Oct 12, 2026
- SC Department of Education: Frequently Asked Home School Questions (PDF) · State education agency · checked Oct 12, 2026
- Wayback Machine copy of SCDE: Home Schooling (Aug 13, 2026) · Secondary source · checked Oct 12, 2026
- Wayback Machine copy of SCDE: Frequently Asked Home School Questions (Aug 13, 2026) · Secondary source · 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 South Carolina Department of Education.
Keep your South Carolina records without the paperwork
Plan the week, tick lessons, and Homepen keeps the days, hours and portfolio South Carolina asks for.
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