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Homeschool laws in Washington

Checked Oct 12, 2026 against 7 sources · General information, not legal advice.

Your Washington to-do

For “Home-based instruction”. 1 other legal way below.

  1. File the declaration of intent Every year
    By September 15 of each school year, with the superintendent of your resident district (or of a nonresident district that accepts the transfer).
  2. File the declaration when starting mid-year First year
    Within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester or semester.
  3. Do the yearly test or progress assessment Every year
    Once each year (no date set in the law); keep the results in the child's permanent records.

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

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What Washington asks

Washington parents who teach at home file a declaration of intent with their school district by September 15 each year, teach the subjects the law lists for as many hours as an approved private school (an average of 1,000 hours a year in grades 1-12), and must meet one of three parent qualification options. Each year the child takes an approved standardized test or gets a written progress assessment from a certificated teacher, and the results are kept in the child's records, not sent to the district.

School age: Ages 8–17. Children 8 and older and under 18 must attend school or receive home-based instruction. From age 16 a child may be excused if regularly and lawfully employed (with the parent's agreement, or if emancipated), if they have met graduation requirements, or if they hold a certificate of educational competence.

Washington has 2 legal ways to homeschool. Pick the one that fits your family; Homepen asks you when you set up.

Home-based instruction

RCW 28A.200.010; RCW 28A.225.010(4); RCW 28A.195.010(1) · Level 4: More involved

All the details, deadlines and notes
Notice
Every year: Every year by September 15, or within two weeks of the start of any public school quarter, trimester or semester: a signed declaration of intent (child's name and age, and whether a certificated person will supervise) in the OSPI format, filed with the superintendent of your resident district or of a nonresident district that accepts the transfer.
The state's form
Time
450 hours (grades K–K) or 1,000 hours (grades 1–12)
Home-based instruction is provided for the same number of hours as approved private schools: at least 450 hours in kindergarten and an annual average of 1,000 hours in grades 1-12. The law says its rules on the nature and quantity of home instruction are to be liberally construed.
Subjects
  • occupational education
  • science
  • mathematics
  • language
  • social studies
  • history
  • health
  • reading
  • writing
  • spelling
  • appreciation of art and music
Assessment
An assessment you choose from the allowed options: Every year, all grades: a standardized achievement test approved by the State Board of Education, given by a qualified individual, or a written annual assessment of academic progress by a certificated person currently working in education. If it shows the child is not making reasonable progress, the parent must make a good faith effort to remedy it.
Once a year; the law sets no date. The results become part of the child's permanent records and are not sent to the district.
Portfolio
Not required
Reports
No reports to send
Records to keep
  • the yearly standardized test or written annual progress assessment (part of the child's permanent records)
  • immunization records
Teacher
One of three: (a) the instruction is supervised by a Washington-certificated person (planning objectives together, an average of one contact hour a week each month, and evaluation of progress; at most 30 children per supervisor); (b) the parent has 45 college-level quarter credit hours (or the semester equivalent) or completed a course in home-based instruction at a postsecondary or vocational-technical institution; or (c) the local superintendent deems the parent sufficiently qualified.

Deadlines

  • File the declaration of intent: By September 15 of each school year, with the superintendent of your resident district (or of a nonresident district that accepts the transfer).
  • File the declaration when starting mid-year: Within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester or semester.
  • Do the yearly test or progress assessment: Once each year (no date set in the law); keep the results in the child's permanent records.
All decisions on philosophy, books, materials, curriculum, and the methods, timing and place of instruction and evaluation are the parent's, except where the law says otherwise.

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, Year-end summary, Report card, High-school transcript.

Another option: Approved private school extension program

RCW 28A.195.010(4); RCW 28A.225.010(1)(a) · Level 4: More involved

All the details
Notice
No notice to file
Time
180 days a year or 450 hours (grades K–K) or 1,000 hours (grades 1–12)
The extension plan's objectives must be consistent with the private school minimum year: at least 180 school days, or the equivalent in hours (a school-wide annual average of 1,000 hours in grades 1-12 and at least 450 hours in kindergarten).
Subjects
  • occupational education
  • science
  • mathematics
  • language
  • social studies
  • history
  • health
  • reading
  • writing
  • spelling
  • appreciation of art and music
Assessment
Evaluation by a qualified evaluator: All students: the supervising certificated employee of the private school evaluates each student's progress.
Portfolio
Set by your school or school district
Reports
Set by your school or school district
Records to keep
Set by your school or school district
Teacher
The parent teaches under the supervision of a certificated employee of the approved private school, who spends an average of at least one contact hour per week each month with the student and supervises no more than 30 extension students.

How Homepen helps

Homepen counts your days and hours as you tick lessons toward this goal, and makes: Attendance & hours report, Daily log, 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 Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Keep your Washington records without the paperwork

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

Get early accessComing soon to iPhone, iPad and Android