Map and data · checked November 2026
Homeschool hours by state: how much time the law asks
Most states never say how long a homeschool day or year must be. 20 do, some in days, some in hours, some in both. Find your state on the map, then use the calculator to turn the rule into hours a day.
How many hours a day is that?
Pick your state and how many days you plan to teach.
Missouri: 1,000 hours a year, 600 of them in the core subjects.
1,000 hours over 180 days is about 5.6 hours a day.
Everything Missouri asks of homeschoolersWhat the numbers say
- 122 of 50 states set no number of hours or days for homeschoolers under the usual option, including Texas, Florida, Illinois and Michigan.
- 220 states set a minimum. 9 count days only, 8 combine days with hours, and 3 (Missouri, Montana and Wisconsin) count hours instead of days.
- 311 states put a number of hours in the law. The highest is Montana, at 1,080 hours a year in grades 4–12; the lowest is Colorado, at about 688.
- 4Where days are set, 180 is the usual number: 11 states use it. The range runs from 170 to 186 days.
- 5In 8 more states (Alabama, Alaska, California, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina and West Virginia) a time rule applies only under some homeschool options, or the district reviews the hours you propose.
Hours and days, state by state
| State | Minimum days | Hours a day | Hours a year | The rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | – | – | – | Only the private tutor option: 3 hours a day for 140 days. |
| Alaska | – | – | – | Only the religious private school option: 180 days. |
| Arizona | – | – | – | None set. |
| Arkansas | – | – | – | None set. |
| California | – | – | – | Only the credentialed tutor option: 3 hours a day for 175 days. |
| Colorado | 172 | 4 | 688 | 172 days, averaging 4 hours a day. |
| Connecticut | – | – | – | None set. |
| Delaware | – | – | – | None set. |
| Florida | – | – | – | None set. |
| Georgia | 180 | 4.5 | 810 | 180 days of at least 4.5 hours. |
| Hawaii | – | – | – | None set. |
| Idaho | – | – | – | None set. |
| Illinois | – | – | – | None set. |
| Indiana | 180 | – | – | The same days as your district’s public schools, often 180. |
| Iowa | – | – | – | None for Independent Private Instruction; 148 days under the other options. |
| Kansas | 186 | – | – | About the same as public schools, usually 186 days. |
| Kentucky | 170 | – | 1,062 | 1,062 hours over at least 170 days. |
| Louisiana | 180 | – | – | 180 days a year. |
| Maine | 175 | – | – | 175 days a year. |
| Maryland | – | – | – | Long enough to carry out the program; no number is set. |
| Massachusetts | – | – | – | The district reviews the hours you propose in your plan. |
| Michigan | – | – | – | None set. |
| Minnesota | – | – | – | None set. |
| Mississippi | – | – | – | None set. |
| Missouri | – | – | 1,000 | 1,000 hours a year, 600 of them in the core subjects. |
| Montana | – | – | 720 (1–3) / 1,080 (4–12) | 720 hours (grades 1–3) or 1,080 hours (grades 4–12). |
| Nebraska | – | – | – | None set. |
| Nevada | – | – | – | None set. |
| New Hampshire | – | – | – | None set. |
| New Jersey | – | – | – | None set. |
| New Mexico | 180 | – | – | The same days as local public schools, generally 180. |
| New York | 180 | – | 900 (1–6) / 990 (7–12) | The equivalent of 180 days: 900 hours (grades 1–6) or 990 hours (grades 7–12). |
| North Carolina | – | – | – | A regular schedule for at least nine calendar months. |
| North Dakota | 175 | 4 | 700 | 175 days of at least 4 hours. |
| Ohio | – | – | – | None set. |
| Oklahoma | 180 | – | – | 180 days. |
| Oregon | – | – | – | None set. |
| Pennsylvania | 180 | – | 900 (K–6) / 990 (7–12) | 180 days, or 900 hours (grades K–6) and 990 hours (grades 7–12). |
| Rhode Island | 180 | – | – | The same days as public schools, about 180. |
| South Carolina | 180 | – | – | 180 days (4.5 hours a day in the district-approved option). |
| South Dakota | – | – | – | None set. |
| Tennessee | 180 | 4 | 720 | 180 days of at least 4 hours (independent home school). |
| Texas | – | – | – | None set. |
| Utah | – | – | – | None set. |
| Vermont | 175 | – | – | The equivalent of 175 days. |
| Virginia | – | – | – | None set. |
| Washington | 180 | – | 1,000 | 180 days, or an average of 1,000 hours a year. |
| West Virginia | – | – | – | None for the notice option; 180 days with school board approval. |
| Wisconsin | – | – | 875 | 875 hours a school year, July 1 to June 30. |
| Wyoming | – | – | – | None set. |
Keeping track of your days and hours
Our free school year calendar counts your school days and, if you enter hours a day, your total hours. The attendance tracker keeps the day-by-day record. Both run in your browser, with no account.
Use this map on your site
Co-ops, support groups, bloggers and reporters are welcome to share the map or the data. Copy the code below to show the map with a credit link.
<a href="https://homeschoolquicktools.com/homeschool-hours-by-state"><img src="https://homeschoolquicktools.com/images/homeschool-hours-by-state-2026.png" alt="Map of homeschool hours and days required by state, 2026" width="1200" height="800"></a> <p>Source: <a href="https://homeschoolquicktools.com/homeschool-hours-by-state">Homeschool hours by state, Homeschool Quick Tools</a></p>
Questions
How many hours a day is homeschool?
Most states do not say. Of those that do, 4 to 4.5 hours a day is the usual figure (Colorado 4, Georgia 4.5, North Dakota 4 and Tennessee 4). A state that counts 900 hours over 180 days works out to 5 hours a day. Younger children often finish their lessons in less time, which is fine where no number is set.
Which states require a set number of homeschool hours?
Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin. Missouri, Montana and Wisconsin count hours instead of days, so a daily log matters most there.
Which states have no hour or day requirement?
Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. Families still have to teach, and some of these states ask for a notice or other records.
Do I have to log homeschool hours?
Only where the law counts hours or asks for attendance records. Even where it does not, a simple daily log is the easiest proof of a real school year if anyone ever asks.
Can I use this data or the map?
Yes. Download the CSV or link to this page, and credit Homeschool Quick Tools with a link. It is a plain-English summary checked against HSLDA in November 2026, not legal advice.
How this was made: each state’s time rule was summarized from its HSLDA legal page and “How to Comply” article in November 2026. Hours a year for Colorado, Georgia, North Dakota and Tennessee are days multiplied by hours a day. Rules change, so each state page links its source. A summary, not legal advice.