Notification or Registration
Determine whether your state requires a notice of intent, registration, filing or other notification before or during homeschooling.
Homeschool Information
Know the rules. Teach with confidence.
Homeschooling is legal throughout the United States, but the requirements families follow are determined primarily by state and local law. OpenBook helps families understand the questions they should ask and directs parents to official government resources for current requirements.
Important: Requirements Differ By State
This page provides general educational information and is not legal advice. Homeschool laws can change, and requirements may differ according to a child's age, location, educational arrangement and other circumstances. Families should verify current requirements with their state department of education, local school authority when applicable, or a qualified legal professional.
Questions To Investigate
What does my state require?
There is no single nationwide homeschool procedure. Depending on the state and homeschool option selected, families may need to consider some or all of the following.
Compulsory Attendance Age
Check the ages during which your state's compulsory education requirements apply and how those requirements apply to homeschool students.
Attendance
Some homeschool arrangements may require a certain number of instructional days or hours, while others may use different requirements.
Required Subjects
Your state may identify subjects or areas of instruction that must be included in a child's homeschool education.
Testing or Evaluation
Some homeschool options require standardized testing, portfolio review, progress evaluation or another method of demonstrating progress.
Recordkeeping
Families may need or wish to maintain attendance, coursework, assessment results, portfolios, transcripts or other educational records.
Instructor Requirements
Depending on the state and educational option, there may be requirements concerning the parent, instructor, supervising teacher or qualifications.
Public School Access
Rules may differ regarding extracurricular activities, dual enrollment, special education, classes, athletics and other public-school services.
High School & Graduation
Families educating older students should investigate graduation requirements, transcripts, diplomas, college admission preparation and applicable state rules.
Before You Begin
A simple homeschool compliance checklist.
Before beginning a homeschool year, parents should identify the legal homeschool option they intend to use and confirm the requirements that accompany it.
Save copies of important forms and records. Laws and administrative procedures can change, so check official information again before each school year.
Parent Checklist
Before Starting The School Year
✓
Identify your homeschool option
Some states provide more than one legal
way to homeschool.
✓
Check notification requirements
Determine whether anything must be filed
and note applicable deadlines.
✓
Check required subjects
Compare your curriculum plan with
applicable state requirements.
✓
Understand attendance rules
Determine whether days, hours or another
attendance requirement applies.
✓
Check assessment requirements
Determine whether testing, evaluation
or portfolio review applies.
✓
Create a recordkeeping system
Keep important homeschool documents
together throughout the year.
✓
Recheck official information yearly
Do not assume last year's procedures
are necessarily unchanged.
Why Location Matters
Homeschool rules aren't identical across the country.
A requirement that applies to one family may not apply to another family using a different homeschool option or living in another state.
📝
Notification
Filing and notification procedures can differ.
📅
Attendance
Required days or instructional time can differ.
📚
Curriculum
Required subjects and instructional rules can differ.
📊
Assessment
Testing and evaluation requirements can differ.
Verify Before You Rely
Start with official sources.
Because laws change, OpenBook encourages families to verify requirements through government resources rather than relying solely on a curriculum provider, social-media post or outdated article.
U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education provides a state-by-state resource covering regulations affecting private and home education.
State Regulations Resource →Your State Department of Education
Your state's education agency is an important source for current homeschool procedures, official forms, guidance, deadlines and regulatory information.
Find State Education Information →
An Example: Iowa
One state can have multiple homeschool options.
Iowa is a useful example of why parents should identify the specific homeschool option they are using rather than looking for one generic list of "homeschool rules."
The Iowa Department of Education currently describes multiple forms of private instruction, including Competent Private Instruction and Independent Private Instruction. Requirements differ according to the option selected.
Iowa Department of Education →
Iowa Department of Education
Private Instruction Options
Competent Private Instruction — Option 1
Iowa describes an option involving instruction provided by or under the supervision of an appropriately licensed practitioner.
Competent Private Instruction — Option 2
Iowa also provides a parent-supervised CPI option without a current Iowa teaching license. Requirements can depend on the family's choices and circumstances.
Independent Private Instruction
ALWAYS VERIFY CURRENT IOWA GUIDANCE
Iowa separately recognizes Independent Private Instruction, which has its own statutory criteria and requirements.
OpenBook's Role
Curriculum support and legal compliance are not the same thing.
We want families to understand exactly what OpenBook is—and what responsibilities remain with the parent or guardian.
OpenBook Can Help With
- Organized homeschool curriculum
- Lessons and learning activities
- Assignments and assessments
- Student progress tracking
- Educational record organization
- Parent learning tools
- General homeschool information
Parents Remain Responsible For
- Selecting the appropriate legal homeschool option
- Filing required notices or forms
- Meeting state and local legal requirements
- Meeting applicable attendance requirements
- Arranging required outside assessments
- Maintaining legally required records
- Verifying current laws and procedures
Check Again Each School Year
Education laws, administrative rules, forms and procedures can change. Even if you have homeschooled before, review the current information from your state education agency before beginning a new school year. Information on this OpenBook page should never be treated as a substitute for current official guidance or individualized legal advice.
Once you understand the rules, let's focus on the learning.
OpenBook is being built to give families an organized curriculum, student learning environment and parent tools for the educational journey ahead.
Explore The Curriculum →