Hawaii homeschool law for high school: graduation, diploma and records

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 302A-1132(a)(5) excepts a child from compulsory public or private school attendance when a notification of intent to home school has been submitted to the local principal 'in accordance with department rules'. Those rules are Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 8, Chapter 12 (Compulsory Attendance Exceptions), §§ 8-12-13 to 8-12-22, adopted in 1991 and last amended in 2000.

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 302A-1132(a)(5); Haw. Code R. ch. 8-12

The law as of September 29, 2026.

Hawaii at a glance

As of September 29, 2026

Notice to the state: One-time notice
Before starting, the parent must give the local public school principal a notice of intent, on Form 4140 or by letter giving the child's name, address, telephone number, birthdate and grade level and the parent's signature. It need not be resubmitted each year while annual progress reports are filed, except when the child would move to a different public school (for example from elementary to intermediate); the parent must also notify the principal if home schooling ends.Haw. Code R. § 8-12-13(a)-(c); Haw. Code R. § 8-12-16
Records the law asks for: Required
The parent 'shall keep a record of the planned curriculum', which the rule says should include start and end dates, hours of instruction per week, subject areas, the method used to determine mastery and a list of textbooks and materials in standard bibliographic format. The record is kept at home; the principal may ask to see it only if progress is found inadequate, and the parent must submit an annual progress report.Haw. Code R. § 8-12-15; Haw. Code R. § 8-12-18(b), (d)
Testing or evaluation: Required
Test scores are required for grades 3, 5, 8 and 10: the child may take the Statewide Testing Program at the local school or the parent may arrange private testing at the parent's expense with a comparable test, and the principal may approve other means. Every year the parent submits a progress report using one of four methods: a nationally normed achievement test showing grade-level achievement, progress of one grade level per year on such a test, a written evaluation by a Hawaii-certified teacher, or a written parent evaluation with work samples and graded tests and assignments.Haw. Code R. § 8-12-18(a)-(c); Hawaii DOE, Homeschool
Graduation requirements: None set by the state
Hawaii sets no graduation or credit requirements for home schooling, and the rules state that no course credits (Carnegie units) are granted for time spent home-schooled. The rule lists subjects an elementary or secondary curriculum 'may include'; none is mandated.Haw. Code R. § 8-12-20; Haw. Code R. § 8-12-15(3)
Diploma: Issued by: parent
The Department states that homeschooled students do not receive a high school diploma; a public high school diploma requires attending public high school for at least three full years and meeting credit requirements, and a community school for adults diploma requires age 16, at least one semester of home schooling under the rules and a satisfactory GED score. A parent-issued diploma is the custom.Haw. Code R. § 8-12-21; Hawaii DOE, Homeschool (FAQ)
Compulsory school ages: Children who will be at least 5 on or before July 31 of the school year and who will not be 18 by January 1 of the school year. A parent of a child who will be 5 by July 31 must enroll the child in public kindergarten unless the child attends private school or is otherwise exempt, including by home school notice.Haw. Rev. Stat. § 302A-1132(a), (c)

The legal options for homeschooling in Hawaii

Home schooling with notice of intentCompulsory attendance does not apply where notification of intent to home school has been submitted to the principal of the public school the child would otherwise attend, in accordance with Department of Education rules; the rules (HAR §§ 8-12-13 to 8-12-22) require a curriculum record, an annual progress report and test scores in grades 3, 5, 8 and 10. Basis: statuteHaw. Rev. Stat. § 302A-1132(a)(5); Haw. Code R. §§ 8-12-13 to 8-12-22
Appropriate alternative educational program approved by the superintendentA child is also excepted from attendance when enrolled in an appropriate alternative educational program approved by the superintendent or the superintendent's representative under Department plans and policies; this is separate from home schooling and requires approval. Basis: statuteHaw. Rev. Stat. § 302A-1132(a)(5); Haw. Code R. § 8-12-8 (text not confirmed)

What Hawaii law means for your transcript

Under Haw. Code R. § 8-12-20 no Carnegie units are granted for home school time, so a public school will not convert the transcript into credits automatically; the credits on a parent transcript are the parent's own measure.
The annual progress reports and the grade 3, 5, 8 and 10 test scores filed with the principal (Haw. Code R. § 8-12-18) are records the transcript can cite.
For college applications, the principal's written acknowledgement of compliance with chapter 8-12 (Haw. Code R. § 8-12-22) is available on request and can accompany the transcript.
The curriculum record's list of textbooks in bibliographic format (Haw. Code R. § 8-12-15(5)) can double as the source for course descriptions (practice).

College admission and state aid for Hawaii homeschoolers

A home-schooled child may take any college entrance examination offered to other students, and the principal of the local public high school must, on request, give written acknowledgement that the child has been home schooled in compliance with chapter 8-12.Haw. Code R. § 8-12-22

Recent changes to Hawaii homeschool law

No change to Hawaii's home schooling law took effect in 2023 to 2026. S.B. 3193 and H.B. 2376 (2026), which would have required home-schooled students to take the state assessment in person in grades 3 to 8 and 11 plus kindergarten and early-grade screenings, were not enacted: H.B. 2376 was deferred in the House Education Committee on February 17, 2026 and both bills ended with the 2025-2026 legislature. Section 302A-1132 was last amended in 2022 (L 2022, c 61) and chapter 8-12 in 2000.

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What we could not confirm

These points could not be checked against the statute or regulation text, so treat them with care:

Haw. Code R. § 8-12-8 (procedures for alternative educational programs other than home schooling) was located through LII but not opened.
Rule § 8-12-21(a) still names the Hawaii State Test of Essential Competencies, which is no longer given; the Department's current FAQ describes the public school diploma requirement without it and refers to a High School Equivalency Credential rather than a GED-only diploma.
The status of H.B. 2376 and S.B. 3193 comes from HSLDA's bill page (updated May 8, 2026); we did not open the Hawaii Legislature's bill status pages.

Sources

General information about Hawaii law as of September 29, 2026, not legal advice. Laws change, so check the statute before you rely on it. Found an error? Email [email protected].