Notice and letter of intent
Homeschool Letter of Intent Requirements by State
Some states require a notice, letter of intent, private school affidavit, or district filing before homeschooling. This page points you to the state-specific notice guide for every jurisdiction.
This is a navigation and comparison hub. Use the official-source links on each state page before making compliance decisions.
Alabama
Notice: Yes, but it depends on the option you use. Families usually enroll with a church school or private school, and the private tutor option has its own paperwork expectations. · Send to: Usually the church school or private school you are using; the private tutor route may also involve the local superintendent. · Deadline: Varies by option. In practice, families should complete enrollment or required paperwork before or when they begin homeschooling.
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Alaska
Notice: No for the direct parent-or-guardian homeschool option. Other options, such as correspondence or private school programs, have their own enrollment paperwork. · Send to: No one for the direct parent option. If you use a correspondence program, private school, religious school, or tutor route, follow that program's enrollment process. · Deadline: No deadline for the direct parent homeschool option.
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Arizona
Notice: Yes. Parents file a one-time affidavit of intent to homeschool. · Send to: The county school superintendent. · Deadline: Within 30 days after starting homeschooling in the county.
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Arkansas
Notice: Yes. Parents generally file an annual notice of intent to homeschool. · Send to: The local public school superintendent. · Deadline: Usually by August 15 each year. If you start later or withdraw from school midyear, follow the current Arkansas notice rules for late starts.
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California
Notice: Yes, in most common homeschool setups. Families using the home-based private school route file a Private School Affidavit each year, while other legal options have different paperwork. · Send to: Usually the California Department of Education for the private school affidavit route; families withdrawing from public school may also need to notify the local school. · Deadline: For the private school affidavit route, file annually between October 1 and October 15. If starting later, families should review the current CDE instructions for late filing.
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Colorado
Notice: Yes, if you are homeschooling under the standard homeschool statute. Families using the certified-teacher option do not have the same notice requirement, and families working through an independent school may follow that school's process instead. · Send to: Any Colorado school district of your choice. · Deadline: At least 14 days before starting, and then again each year.
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Connecticut
Notice: No. Connecticut law does not require families to file anything before they start homeschooling. Under optional state guidelines, some districts may ask for a notice of intent, but that filing is voluntary. · Send to: No one by law. If a family chooses to file the optional notice, it goes to the local school superintendent. · Deadline: No legal deadline. Under the optional guidelines, a notice of intent may be filed within 10 days of starting.
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Delaware
Notice: Yes. Delaware homeschoolers using the common single-family or multi-family options must file annual enrollment and attendance reports. The coordinated option also involves the local superintendent. · Send to: Usually the Delaware Department of Education through its reporting system. The coordinated option also requires contact with the local superintendent. · Deadline: Enrollment is due on or before September 30 each year, and end-of-year attendance is due on or before July 31.
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District of Columbia
Notice: Yes. Families must file a homeschool notice with the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education. · Send to: District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). · Deadline: File 15 days before starting homeschooling, and then file again each year by August 15 according to HSLDA's District of Columbia guidance.
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Florida
Notice: Yes. Parents file a written notice of intent to establish and maintain a home education program. · Send to: The county school superintendent. · Deadline: Within 30 days of starting a home education program.
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Georgia
Notice: Yes. Parents file a Declaration of Intent to operate a home study program. · Send to: The Georgia Department of Education. · Deadline: Within 30 days of starting a home study program and then annually by September 1.
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Hawaii
Notice: Yes. Parents generally file a notice of intent when they begin homeschooling. · Send to: The principal of the public school in the area where the child lives. · Deadline: At the start of homeschooling. Families should notify the local principal right away when they begin, especially if the child is leaving a public school.
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Idaho
Notice: No. Idaho does not require a standard notice of intent for independent homeschooling. · Send to: No routine filing is required. If a child is leaving public school, families usually notify the local school or district so the student is not marked truant. · Deadline: No statewide filing deadline for independent homeschooling.
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Illinois
Notice: No. Illinois does not require a standard notice of intent for independent homeschooling. · Send to: No routine filing is required. If a child is leaving public school, families usually notify the local school or district so the student is not marked truant. · Deadline: No statewide filing deadline for independent homeschooling.
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Indiana
Notice: No. Indiana does not require a routine notice of intent for independent homeschooling. · Send to: No routine filing is required. If your child is leaving public school, it is wise to notify the school so the student is not marked absent or truant. · Deadline: No statewide filing deadline for independent homeschooling.
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Iowa
Notice: It depends on the option. Iowa's Independent Private Instruction and opt-out routes do not require routine notice, while the annual-assessment, supervising-teacher, and Home School Assistance Program routes require Form A. · Send to: Usually the local school district for pathways that require Form A. For Independent Private Instruction, no routine filing is required unless the superintendent or Iowa Department of Education makes a written request for limited information. · Deadline: For pathways that use Form A, families starting after the school year begins generally submit a partly completed form within 14 calendar days of starting and a fully completed form within 30 days. Dual-enrollment requests are commonly tied to a September 15 deadline. Independent Private Instruction and opt-out do not have a routine filing deadline in the available sources.
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Kansas
Notice: Yes, but usually only when you start. Families generally register the name and address of their nonaccredited private school one time in the first year. · Send to: The Kansas State Board of Education. · Deadline: The available sources describe this as a first-year registration when you start homeschooling, rather than a recurring annual deadline.
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Kentucky
Notice: Yes. The captured sources say families must annually send a private school notice of attendance. · Send to: The local board of education, typically through the local school district superintendent. · Deadline: Within the first two weeks of the school year. The captured HSLDA source says this is traditionally understood as no later than two weeks after the local district begins school, often around mid-August.
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Louisiana
Notice: Yes. The required paperwork depends on which Louisiana option you choose. · Send to: For the home study option, apply to the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education through the Louisiana Department of Education. For the nonpublic school option, notify the public school your child attended within 10 days if applicable and report attendance annually to the Louisiana Department of Education. · Deadline: For home study, apply within 15 days after beginning and renew annually by October 1 or 12 months after initial approval, whichever is later. For the nonpublic school option, notify the prior public school within 10 days of enrollment if applicable and file the annual attendance report around the 30th day of the school term, with the captured HSLDA resource saying no later than 30 days after the school year starts.
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Maine
Notice: Yes. Under the home instruction option, parents send an initial notice of intent and then send a yearly continuation letter with an annual assessment. · Send to: Both the school officials of the local administrative unit and the Maine commissioner of education. · Deadline: Send the initial notice within 10 calendar days of beginning home instruction. In each later year, send the continuation letter and annual assessment on or before September 1.
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Maryland
Notice: Yes. Most homeschool families submit a Notice of Consent form, though umbrella-style options may route oversight differently. · Send to: Usually the superintendent of the local school system for the portfolio option, or the supervising nonpublic school or church umbrella for certain alternative options. · Deadline: Generally at least 15 days before starting a home instruction program, again each year, and within 15 days after moving into a new county.
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Massachusetts
Notice: Yes. Families generally seek approval for a home education plan before starting homeschool instruction. · Send to: Usually the local superintendent and or school committee in the family’s district of residence. · Deadline: No single statewide annual deadline is set in the statute, but families should submit for approval before they begin homeschooling and before withdrawing a child from school.
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Michigan
Notice: No for families homeschooling only under the homeschool statute. Some families using the nonpublic school route may have separate reporting or administrative considerations. · Send to: Not required under the direct homeschool statute. Families leaving public school should still follow local withdrawal procedures. · Deadline: No annual notice deadline under the direct homeschool statute.
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Minnesota
Notice: Yes. Minnesota requires notice to the local superintendent for homeschooled children in the compulsory-attendance ages described in the available sources. · Send to: The superintendent of the school district where the child lives. · Deadline: By October 1 each school year, or within 15 days after withdrawing a child from public school. HSLDA also says families who move into a new district should notify the new district within 15 days.
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Mississippi
Notice: Yes. Families file an annual certificate of enrollment for a home study program. · Send to: The school attendance officer for the public school district where the child lives. · Deadline: On or before September 15 each year. If you begin homeschooling midyear, the HSLDA summary says you must file the certificate at that time.
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Missouri
Notice: No. Missouri does not require a routine notice of intent for direct homeschooling in the available sources. · Send to: No routine filing is required. If your child is leaving public school, it is wise to notify the school so there is a clear withdrawal record. · Deadline: No statewide filing deadline for direct homeschooling.
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Montana
Notice: Yes. Families notify the county superintendent each school fiscal year that the child is being homeschooled. · Send to: The superintendent of schools of the county where the homeschool is located. · Deadline: During each school fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30. The HSLDA source suggests filing at the beginning of each school year.
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Nebraska
Notice: Yes. Families using Nebraska's exempt-school homeschool route file paperwork when they begin and renew it each year. · Send to: The Nebraska Commissioner of Education or Nebraska Department of Education through the exempt-school filing process. · Deadline: Promptly when you begin homeschooling and by July 15 each year thereafter, according to the HSLDA summary in the raw sources.
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Nevada
Notice: Yes. Nevada requires a notice of intent to homeschool for a child subject to compulsory attendance. · Send to: The superintendent of schools of the school district where the child resides. · Deadline: Before beginning to homeschool, or no later than 10 days after formal withdrawal from public school, or no later than 30 days after establishing Nevada residency. A new notice is also required within 30 days if the parent or child name or address changes.
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New Hampshire
Notice: Yes. A parent beginning home education, withdrawing a child from public school, or moving into a district must notify a participating authority. · Send to: The New Hampshire commissioner of education, the resident district superintendent, or the principal of an approved nonpublic school that agrees to administer the law. · Deadline: Within 5 business days of commencing the home education program. If the program ends, written termination notice is due within 15 days. If the family moves after notifying a resident district superintendent, the parent must notify the former district and submit a new notice.
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New Jersey
Notice: No routine notice of intent is required under the main homeschool statute. · Send to: No standard annual filing is required. If a child is leaving public school, families usually notify the local school or district to avoid attendance problems. · Deadline: No statewide filing deadline for independent homeschooling.
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New Mexico
Notice: Yes. Parents must notify the New Mexico Public Education Department when they begin homeschooling and must renew that notice each year. · Send to: The New Mexico Public Education Department, addressed in the HSLDA source as notice to the state superintendent through the department's homeschool process. · Deadline: Within 30 days of starting homeschooling and annually by August 1 thereafter.
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New York
Notice: Yes. Parents must notify the district and then submit an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). · Send to: The local school district superintendent. · Deadline: Notice is generally due by July 1 each year or within 14 days of starting midyear.
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North Carolina
Notice: Yes. Parents usually file a Notice of Intent to operate a home school before beginning. · Send to: The North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education. · Deadline: Before you start operating the homeschool. It is not usually an annual filing once the school is established.
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North Dakota
Notice: Yes. Families homeschooling under the home education law generally file a statement of intent each year. · Send to: The superintendent of the public school district where the child lives. · Deadline: Generally at least 14 days before starting homeschool, or within 14 days of moving into the district, and again each year if you continue homeschooling.
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Ohio
Notice: Yes. Parents generally send a yearly notification that they are homeschooling. · Send to: The superintendent of the school district where the family lives. · Deadline: By August 30 each year, or within 5 calendar days after starting homeschooling during the school year.
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Oklahoma
Notice: No. The available raw sources and the Oklahoma statute reviewed here do not show a routine notice of intent requirement for independent homeschooling. · Send to: No routine statewide filing is described for independent homeschooling. If a child is leaving public school, families usually notify the local school so the student is not treated as absent or truant. · Deadline: No statewide filing deadline for independent homeschooling in the available sources.
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Oregon
Notice: Yes. A parent, legal guardian, or private teacher must notify the education service district in writing when a child is taught at home or withdrawn from public school for home instruction. · Send to: The education service district that contains the school district where the child lives. · Deadline: The statute requires written notice when the child begins being taught at home or is withdrawn from public school, and again if the child moves to a new education service district. The available sources reviewed here do not give a specific number of days.
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Pennsylvania
Notice: Yes. Families homeschooling under the home education statute generally file a notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration each year. · Send to: The superintendent of the local school district of residence. · Deadline: By August 1 each year, or before starting a home education program midyear.
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Rhode Island
Notice: Yes. Families must request approval for at-home instruction before they begin homeschooling. · Send to: The local school committee in the district where the child lives. · Deadline: Before starting homeschool. Some districts may also expect renewal or updated paperwork on a local schedule.
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South Carolina
Notice: It depends on the option. Option 1 requires approval from the local district board of trustees. Options 2 and 3 work through SCAIHS or a qualifying homeschool association rather than a simple statewide notice form. · Send to: Option 1 families apply to the local school district board of trustees. Option 2 families enroll with the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools. Option 3 families enroll with a qualifying homeschool association with at least 50 members. · Deadline: The available sources do not show one single statewide filing deadline for every option. For sports under the equal-access law, written notice to the district superintendent must be given before the season begins.
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South Dakota
Notice: Yes. Families must file the standard alternative-instruction notification form. · Send to: Either the South Dakota Department of Education or the local school district. · Deadline: Within 30 days of beginning homeschooling. File another notification within 30 days if you move to a different district or enroll the child in a public or nonpublic school.
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Tennessee
Notice: Yes for independent home schools. Tennessee says parents must submit an Intent to Home School form to the school district and renew it before each school year. For church-related umbrella schools, the state says that form is not required, though proof of enrollment may be needed when withdrawing from public school. Accredited online school enrollment follows private-school rules rather than the home-school form. · Send to: For independent home schools, the local school district where the family resides. For church-related umbrella programs, the district intent form is not required, but families withdrawing from public school may need to show proof of umbrella-school enrollment to the local district. · Deadline: For independent home schools, before the start of each school year. If a child is leaving public school midyear, Tennessee says the child may be withdrawn to independent home school at any point during the school year, and notice should be given when home instruction begins.
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Texas
Notice: No routine notice is required for a family that is already homeschooling independently. · Send to: No annual notification agency is required, though families withdrawing from public school may need to communicate with the school. · Deadline: No recurring filing deadline.
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Utah
Notice: Yes. Utah says the parent must provide a one-time initial notification to the local school board or district of residence stating the intent to homeschool. · Send to: The local school board or school district of the child's district of residence. · Deadline: The available official source says the notice is required to begin homeschooling, but it does not give a single annual deadline because Utah treats it as a one-time notice rather than a yearly filing.
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Vermont
Notice: Yes. Families generally file a Home Study Enrollment Notice for each student. · Send to: The Vermont Agency of Education. · Deadline: Usually annually before the school year begins, or within 10 business days of starting a new home study program after the school year has begun.
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Virginia
Notice: Yes, for the main home instruction option. Some alternative legal pathways have different rules or may not use the same notice process. · Send to: The local school division superintendent. · Deadline: For the main home instruction option, notice is generally due by August 15 each year, or as soon as practicable after moving into the division or starting later.
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Washington
Notice: Yes. Families using home-based instruction file a Declaration of Intent every year. · Send to: The superintendent of the local public school district where the child lives. · Deadline: By September 15 each year, or within two weeks of the start of the public school quarter, trimester, or semester if you begin later.
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West Virginia
Notice: Yes for the home instruction pathway described in West Virginia Code 18-8-1(c)(2). The parent must present a notice of intent to the county superintendent or county board when home instruction begins. If the child is enrolled in public school, notice must be given on or before the date home instruction starts. A new notice is required when moving to a new county. · Send to: The county superintendent or county board in the county of residence. If the family moves, the previous county superintendent must be notified and a new notice must be filed in the new county. · Deadline: On or before the date home instruction is to begin if the child is leaving public school. The statute does not present one single statewide yearly filing date in the text reviewed here.
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Wisconsin
Notice: Yes. Wisconsin requires an annual PI-1206 statement of enrollment for a home-based private educational program. · Send to: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. · Deadline: On or before October 15 each school year, using the PI-1206 form. Wisconsin sources also describe the count as based on enrollment on the third Friday in September.
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Wyoming
Notice: No routine statewide notice is described in the reviewed 2025 HSLDA Wyoming overview. If a child is already enrolled in school, a written withdrawal notice is still recommended. · Send to: No routine filing agency is clearly identified in the reviewed 2025 Wyoming summary. If your child is leaving public or private school, send written withdrawal notice to that school. · Deadline: No statewide annual filing deadline was confirmed in the reviewed 2025 Wyoming summary. If withdrawing from an existing school, do so before attendance problems begin.
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