By state

Homeschool laws & record-keeping by state

Last verified June 2026 against primary sources

Homeschooling is legal everywhere in the United States. What differs, and differs enormously, is how much paperwork stands between you and doing it. One family files a single form once and is finished. Another, a state line away, files a notice, a plan, four progress reports, and a year-end assessment. This page maps all 51 jurisdictions so you can see where yours sits.

The four levels of regulation

States sort roughly into four tiers by how much they ask of you. The tier is a useful shorthand, but the detail is what matters: two states in the same tier can ask for completely different things.

No notice (11): No notice, testing, or records required by the state. You simply begin. Several of these states still expect particular subjects to be taught.
Low (18): Usually just a notice of intent, plus light record-keeping. Usually one form, once a year or once ever.
Moderate (19): Notice plus records, and often periodic testing or evaluation.
High (3): Notice, detailed records, portfolios, testing, and evaluation with firm deadlines. These are the states where missing a date has consequences.

What states actually ask for

Behind the tiers, almost every requirement in the country is some combination of four things. Knowing which of the four your state uses tells you most of what you need to know.

Notice. A letter, form, or affidavit telling someone you are homeschooling. 39 of 51 jurisdictions require one; 12 do not. Deadlines cluster in the weeks before the school year, which is why late summer is the busiest filing season.
Time. A minimum amount of instruction. 15 of 51 jurisdictions set one: 6 in days, 5 in hours, and 4 in both at once. The remaining 36 set no figure. Hours-based states tend to suit irregular schedules, since a heavy week offsets a light one.
Assessment. Standardized testing or an evaluation. 8 jurisdictions tie testing to specific grades. Some want the results submitted; others only want them kept.
Documents. Portfolios, instruction plans, progress reports, evaluator letters. 5 jurisdictions expect at least one named document beyond the initial notice.

Compare every state

Notice requirements, instructional days and hours, testing grades, and the filings each state expects. Select a state for the full walkthrough, deadlines, and primary sources.

State	Regulation	Days / hours	Testing	Notice or filing
Alabama	Low	—	—	Enroll through a cover school, or file as a private tutor.
Alaska	No notice	—	—	None required
Arizona	Low	—	—	One-time affidavit of intent, filed with the county.
Arkansas	Low	—	—	Annual notice of intent, by August 15.
California	Low	—	—	Annual private school affidavit (Oct 1-15), or use an umbrella/PSP.
Colorado	Moderate	172 days	Gr. 3, 5, 7, 9, 11	Notice of intent 14 days before starting, then annually. Test results go to the district.
Connecticut	No notice	—	—	None required
Delaware	Low	—	—	Register and report attendance via the DOE. Enrollment statement due Sept 30.
District of Columbia	Moderate	—	—	Notify OSSE 15 business days before starting, then annually by Aug 15.
Florida	Moderate	—	—	Notice of intent within 30 days of starting.
Georgia	Moderate	180 days	Gr. 3, 6, 9	Declaration of intent to the Georgia DOE by Sept 1, then annually.
Hawaii	Moderate	—	Gr. 3, 5, 8, 10	One-time notice of intent to the principal, then an annual progress report.
Idaho	No notice	—	—	None required
Illinois	No notice	—	—	None required
Indiana	No notice	180 days	—	None required
Iowa	Low	—	—	None required
Kansas	Low	—	—	Register a school name with the state board.
Kentucky	Low	—	—	Annual notice to the local board, within the first two weeks.
Louisiana	Moderate	—	—	Application within 15 days, renewed annually by Oct 1.
Maine	Moderate	175 days	—	Annual notice to the local school and commissioner; yearly assessment.
Maryland	Moderate	—	—	Notice 15 days before starting, then annually.
Massachusetts	High	—	—	District-approved plan required before starting.
Michigan	No notice	—	—	None required
Minnesota	Moderate	—	—	Annual report by Oct 1; fuller report the first year.
Mississippi	Low	—	—	Annual certificate of enrollment by Sept 15.
Missouri	No notice	Hours-based	—	None required
Montana	Low	Hours-based	—	Annual notice to the county superintendent.
Nebraska	Low	Hours-based	—	Annual exemption filing by July 15.
Nevada	Low	—	—	One-time notice of intent with an educational plan.
New Hampshire	Low	—	—	One-time notice within 5 days of starting.
New Jersey	No notice	—	—	None required
New Mexico	Low	—	—	Register with the PED within 30 days, then renew annually by Aug 1.
New York	High	Hours-based	—	Letter of intent by July 1; IHIP and four quarterly reports each year.
North Carolina	Moderate	—	—	One-time notice of intent with the state.
North Dakota	Moderate	175 days	Gr. 4, 6, 8, 10	Annual statement of intent, at least 5 days before starting.
Ohio	Low	—	—	Annual notification to the superintendent by Aug 30.
Oklahoma	No notice	180 days	—	None required
Oregon	Moderate	—	Gr. 3, 5, 8, 10	One-time registration with the ESD.
Pennsylvania	High	180 days	Gr. 3, 5, 8	Affidavit by Aug 1; evaluator review by June 30.
Rhode Island	Moderate	—	—	Local school committee approval required.
South Carolina	Moderate	180 days	—	Enroll via a district or an accountability association.
South Dakota	Low	—	—	One-time notification with the state or district.
Tennessee	Moderate	180 days	Gr. 5, 7, 9	Notice to the district, or enroll in an umbrella school.
Texas	No notice	—	—	None required
Utah	Low	—	—	One-time notice of intent to the district.
Vermont	Moderate	175 days	—	One-time enrollment, then an annual continuation notice.
Virginia	Moderate	—	—	Notice of intent by Aug 15; evidence of progress by Aug 1.
Washington	Moderate	—	—	Annual declaration of intent by Sept 15.
West Virginia	Moderate	—	Gr. 3, 5, 8, 11	One-time notice of intent to the county superintendent.
Wisconsin	Low	Hours-based	—	Annual statement of enrollment (PI-1206) by Oct 15.
Wyoming	No notice	—	—	None required

Browse by regulation level

High Notice, detailed records, portfolios, testing, and evaluation with firm deadlines.

Massachusetts→New York→Pennsylvania→

Common questions

Is homeschooling legal in every state?

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. What changes from state to state is not whether you may homeschool but how much you have to tell the government about it, and what you have to keep on file. Of the 51 jurisdictions on this page, 39 ask for some form of notice or filing and 12 ask for none at all.

Which state has the strictest homeschool laws?

The most demanding states combine several requirements at once: a notice, a detailed plan or portfolio, periodic standardized testing, and firm dates. 3 jurisdictions fall into that high-regulation tier here. New York is the usual answer to this question, because it stacks a July 1 letter of intent, an annual instruction plan, four progress reports, and a year-end assessment into a single year.

Which states require no notice at all?

12 of the 51 jurisdictions do not require you to notify anyone before you begin. That does not always mean no rules: several no-notice states still expect you to teach particular subjects, or to keep attendance in case anyone asks. Open your state's page to see what applies.

Do I have to give my child standardized tests?

Only in some states. 8 of the 51 jurisdictions tie standardized testing to particular grades, and even among those the handling differs: some require you to submit the results, others only require you to keep them on file. The rest set no grade-specific testing requirement.

How many days a year do I have to homeschool?

It depends entirely on the state. 15 of the 51 jurisdictions set a minimum: 6 express it as a number of days, 5 as a number of hours, and 4 set both. The other 36 set no specific figure at all. Where a day count exists it is usually between 170 and 180, and the hours-based states commonly land near 900 for elementary grades.

What happens if I move to a different state?

You take on the new state's rules, not the ones you left, and usually from the point you establish residency or begin instruction there. A notice filed in your old state does not transfer. Your records do travel with you though, and days, hours, and coursework completed elsewhere still count toward a transcript.

Keep reading

Homeschoolio helps you keep records. It isn't legal advice. Homeschool requirements vary by district and change over time, so always verify your state and district's current rules.