Homeschool law by state: graduation, diploma, notice and records
47 of the 50 states and DC set no graduation requirements for homeschool students, so the family, or the school it homeschools under, decides when the course of study is complete. New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania set some high school requirements for homeschoolers in statute or regulation. In North Dakota, the rules depend on the legal option or on who issues the diploma. In 9, a homeschooling family sends no notice to anyone. Open a state for the statute behind each rule.
The law as of September 29, 2026.
| State | Notice to the state | Records | Testing or evaluation | Graduation requirements | Diploma issued by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Depends on the option | Required | None required by law | None set by the state | the church school or private school (which may be a home-based private school run by the parent) |
| Alaska | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent (home education exemption) or the private or religious school |
| Arizona | One-time notice | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
| Arkansas | Notice every year | None required by law | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent |
| California | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None required by law | None set by the state | the private school (the parent for a home-based private school, or the PSP for its students) |
| Colorado | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent (home-based program) or the independent school |
| Connecticut | No notice required | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
| Delaware | Notice every year | Required | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (as the homeschool) or the multi-family homeschool |
| District of Columbia | Notice every year | Required | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
| Florida | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent (home education) or the private school |
| Georgia | Notice every year | Required | Required | None set by the state | parent |
| Hawaii | One-time notice | Required | Required | None set by the state | parent |
| Idaho | No notice required | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
| Illinois | No notice required | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
| Indiana | No notice required | Required | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (as the person who administers the nonaccredited nonpublic school) |
| Iowa | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent, guardian, legal custodian or instructor responsible for the CPI or IPI program |
| Kansas | One-time notice | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (as the nonaccredited private school) |
| Kentucky | Notice every year | Required | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (as the homeschool) |
| Louisiana | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent (home study program) or the school (nonpublic school not seeking approval) |
| Maine | Notice every year | Required | Required | None set by the state | parent |
| Maryland | Notice every year | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent or supervising umbrella (practice) |
| Massachusetts | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent |
| Michigan | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (or the nonpublic school under option (a)) |
| Minnesota | Notice every year | Required | Required | None set by the state | parent |
| Mississippi | Notice every year | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
| Missouri | No notice required | Required | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (no statute addresses it) |
| Montana | Notice every year | Required | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (no statute addresses it) |
| Nebraska | Notice every year | Required | None required by law | None set by the state | parent or the exempt school (no statute addresses it) |
| Nevada | One-time notice | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (no statute addresses it) |
| New Hampshire | Depends on the option | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (optional certificate of completion) |
| New Jersey | No notice required | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (no statute addresses it) |
| New Mexico | Notice every year | Required | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (no statute addresses it) |
| New York | Notice every year | Required | Required | Some set in state law | no diploma recognized in law; the superintendent may certify substantial equivalence |
| North Carolina | One-time notice | Required | Required | Some set in state law | parent (as chief administrator of the home school) |
| North Dakota | Notice every year | Required | Required | Depends on the option | parent; or, on request, the school district of residence, an approved nonpublic high school or the Center for Distance Education |
| Ohio | Notice every year | Depends on the option | None required by law | None set by the state | parent or guardian (home education) or the school's governing authority (NCNP school) |
| Oklahoma | No notice required | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
| Oregon | One-time notice | None required by law | Required | None set by the state | parent |
| Pennsylvania | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Some set in state law | supervisor (parent) or a PDE-approved diploma-granting organization |
| Rhode Island | One-time notice | Required | None required by law | None set by the state | parent in practice; some districts issue a certificate |
| South Carolina | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent, or in some cases the home school association |
| South Dakota | One-time notice | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent (no statute addresses it) |
| Tennessee | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent-teacher (independent home school) or the church-related school (umbrella) |
| Texas | No notice required | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
| Utah | One-time notice | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
| Vermont | Notice every year | Required | Required | None set by the state | parent |
| Virginia | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent |
| Washington | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent |
| West Virginia | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | Depends on the option | None set by the state | parent (the person who administers the home school program) |
| Wisconsin | Notice every year | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
| Wyoming | No notice required | None required by law | None required by law | None set by the state | parent |
"Depends on the option" means the state offers more than one legal route to homeschool (for example a home education statute and a private school route) and the rule differs between them. The state page lists each route.
Your state's law, printed with your transcript
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The $29 PDF includes a one-page summary of your state's rules with every citation, next to the transcript and its GPA workings.
General information, not legal advice. Laws change, so check the statute before you rely on it.