Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, but there is no national homeschool law. Each state writes its own rules, and they range from "no paperwork at all" to annual plans, quarterly reports and standardized tests.
This guide gives you the lay of the land. It is not legal advice, and laws change: before you file anything, confirm the current rules with your state's statute, your state department of education, or the state summaries kept by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). Every state in the table below links to its HSLDA page so you can check in one click.
Last reviewed: November 5, 2026.
The four questions that decide what you have to do
Almost every state law answers the same four questions. Find your state's answers and you know your to-do list.
- Do I have to tell anyone? Some states require a notice of intent every year, some only once, some never.
- What do I have to teach? Many states list required subjects. A few require a written plan.
- How much? Some states set a minimum number of days or hours. Many set none.
- How is progress checked? Some states require a standardized test, an evaluation by a certified teacher, or a portfolio review. Others require nothing.
What changed in 2026
New Hampshire made its law lighter. House Bill 1268 was signed on July 10, 2026 (Chapter 290). It removes the notice of commencement and termination, the annual evaluation requirement, and the record-keeping requirements for home education programs. Most sections took effect July 1, 2026; sections 11 to 20 take effect January 1, 2027. (bill text on LegiScan)
Connecticut added its first oversight. House Bill 5468 became Public Act 26-37, signed on May 26, 2026. It writes "parent-managed learning" into state law and blocks a parent with an active child-protection case from homeschooling. The annual notice of intent does not start right away: it applies from the 2028–29 school year. (HSLDA summary, CT Mirror)
Two older changes are still widely misreported online:
- Ohio dropped its annual assessment and curriculum submission with House Bill 33 in 2023. Families still notify the local superintendent. (HSLDA)
- South Dakota removed its standardized testing requirement in 2021 (SB 177).
If a website still says Ohio or South Dakota require annual testing, it is out of date.
Seven states up close
Texas: no notice, no testing
Texas treats homeschools as private schools, following the Leeper decision. There is no notice to file and no test to take. The instruction must be bona fide, use a written curriculum (books, workbooks or other written material, including on a screen), and cover reading, spelling, grammar, math and good citizenship. (HSLDA Texas)
California: four legal routes
Most independent families file a private school affidavit (the R-4) each October, keep attendance records and a course of study, and face no state testing. The alternatives are a private school satellite program (PSP), a charter school's independent study program, or instruction by a credentialed tutor. (HSLDA California)
Florida: notice, portfolio, annual evaluation
File a notice of intent with the district within 30 days of starting. Keep a portfolio (a log of activities made at the time, plus work samples) for two years, and file one annual evaluation, chosen from five options that include a test or a review by a certified teacher. Families can also enroll in a private "umbrella" school instead. (Florida Statute 1002.41, HSLDA Florida)
Virginia: notice by August 15, progress by August 1
Under the home instruction statute, parents file a notice of intent with the division superintendent by August 15 each year and show they meet one of the parent qualification options. By August 1 of the following year they submit evidence of progress: a standardized test at or above the fourth stanine, or an evaluation. Virginia sets no minimum number of days. A separate religious exemption works differently. (Code of Virginia 22.1-254.1, HSLDA Virginia)
New Hampshire: see the 2026 change above
After HB 1268, New Hampshire is one of the least regulated states. Families who homeschooled under the old rules should read the enacted text, because the effective dates are split.
New York: the most paperwork
New York's regulation (8 NYCRR 100.10) requires a notice of intent, an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP), four quarterly reports and an annual assessment. The rule sets instruction at 900 hours a year for grades 1 to 6 and 990 hours for grades 7 to 12. Check the testing schedule in the regulation itself, because it depends on grade level. (8 NYCRR 100.10)
Pennsylvania: affidavit, portfolio, evaluator
Parents file an affidavit with the superintendent, keep a portfolio, and have it reviewed each year by a qualified evaluator, who certifies an appropriate education. Standardized tests are required in grades 3, 5 and 8. The minimum is 180 days or 900 hours (elementary) and 990 hours (secondary). (HSLDA Pennsylvania)
All 50 states at a glance
Use this table to see roughly how much your state asks of you. Click a state for its full requirements and a step-by-step checklist, or see all states on one page. "Notice" means a filing with the state or district. "Assessment" means a test, evaluation or portfolio review the law requires.
| State | Notice | Assessment | Verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Depends on option | No | HSLDA |
| Alaska | No | No | HSLDA |
| Arizona | Once | No | HSLDA |
| Arkansas | Yes | No | HSLDA |
| California | Yes (affidavit) | No | HSLDA |
| Colorado | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| Connecticut | From 2028–29 | No | HSLDA |
| Delaware | Yes | No | HSLDA |
| Florida | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| Georgia | Yes | Yes (kept at home) | HSLDA |
| Hawaii | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| Idaho | No | No | HSLDA |
| Illinois | No | No | HSLDA |
| Indiana | No | No | HSLDA |
| Iowa | Depends on option | Depends on option | HSLDA |
| Kansas | Once | No | HSLDA |
| Kentucky | Yes | No | HSLDA |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| Maine | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| Maryland | Yes | Portfolio review | HSLDA |
| Massachusetts | Approval | Yes | HSLDA |
| Michigan | No | No | HSLDA |
| Minnesota | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| Mississippi | Yes | No | HSLDA |
| Missouri | No | Records kept at home | HSLDA |
| Montana | Yes | No | HSLDA |
| Nebraska | Yes | No | HSLDA |
| Nevada | Once | No | HSLDA |
| New Hampshire | No (since 2026) | No (since 2026) | HSLDA |
| New Jersey | No | No | HSLDA |
| New Mexico | Yes | No | HSLDA |
| New York | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| North Carolina | Once | Yes (kept at home) | HSLDA |
| North Dakota | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| Ohio | Yes | No (since 2023) | HSLDA |
| Oklahoma | No | No | HSLDA |
| Oregon | Once | Yes | HSLDA |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| Rhode Island | Approval | Depends on district | HSLDA |
| South Carolina | Depends on option | Depends on option | HSLDA |
| South Dakota | Once | No (since 2021) | HSLDA |
| Tennessee | Depends on option | Yes | HSLDA |
| Texas | No | No | HSLDA |
| Utah | Once | No | HSLDA |
| Vermont | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes | HSLDA |
| Washington | Yes | Yes (kept at home) | HSLDA |
| West Virginia | Depends on option | Yes | HSLDA |
| Wisconsin | Yes | No | HSLDA |
| Wyoming | No | No | HSLDA |
"Depends on option" means the state offers more than one legal route (for example, a church school or umbrella school versus a home instruction statute), and each route has different rules.
The habit that protects you in every state
Even where your state asks for nothing, keep simple records: the days you taught, what you covered, a few work samples each term. If you ever move, return to school, or apply to college, those records are the proof. Our guide to homeschool record keeping by state shows what to keep and for how long, and how to track attendance covers states with day or hour minimums. In states that ask for a standardized test or an evaluation, keep every result dated in the test score tracker, and in high school record each finished course on the homeschool transcript.
Keep the records your state asks for
Log school days in one click and print a monthly report whenever your district or evaluator asks. Free, no account, and nothing leaves your device.
