2026–2027 Homeschool Laws and Requirements
How to Homeschool in California
Yes, you can homeschool your child in California. You do not need a teaching credential, and the state neither approves your curriculum nor tests your child. California has no homeschool statute of its own: most families teach at home as a small private school, which means filing the Private School Affidavit each October and keeping a few records, while others enroll in a public independent-study or charter program that supports learning at home.
Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources read 8 October 2026
Free printable guide
The California homeschool quick reference, 2026–2027
One page to keep: what California requires, the dates, and the official links, checked for the 2026–2027 school year. Open it here first, then download it.
What California homeschool law requires
The whole list for the 2026–2027 school year, as California's county offices of education state the Education Code:
| Requirement | What California asks | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| Private School Affidavit | Every private school, including a home-based one, files the informational affidavit with the California Department of Education online each year between October 1 and 15; a family that starts later files on starting. It is not a license or an approval: it registers your intent to educate your children privately, and your district then treats your child as attending a private school. | Education Code, as the county offices of education state it; CDE's affidavit page |
| Subjects and teachers | Taught in English, the branches of study required in the public schools, by instructors capable of teaching. For grades 1 to 6: English, mathematics, social science, science, fine arts, health and physical education. No teaching credential for a parent running a home-based private school. | Education Code, as the Stanislaus and San Mateo County Offices of Education state it |
| Records | An attendance register, your courses of study, and the names, addresses and qualifications of your instructors, with a copy of the affidavit, kept at your school. The district's attendance supervisor may ask to see the attendance record. | Education Code, as the Stanislaus County Office of Education states it |
| Tests | No state test, portfolio or evaluation for a private school student. The state's assessments apply to public school pupils, which a charter or independent-study enrollment is. | San Mateo and Stanislaus County Offices of Education |
| Other routes | A tutor who holds a California teaching credential, three hours a day for 175 days a year; or a public school district's independent study or charter program, which is public enrollment with its own agreement and testing. | Education Code, as the county offices of education state it |
File the Private School Affidavit (CDE) Stanislaus County: private and home school
How to start homeschooling in California
- File the Private School Affidavit online with the California Department of Education between October 1 and 15, or on the day you start later in the year. It registers your intent; nothing is approved.
- Withdraw your child from the public school. Once the affidavit is filed, the district treats your child as attending a private school.
- Set up your school's records: an attendance register, your courses of study, and the names and qualifications of the instructors, kept at home with a copy of the affidavit.
- Teach the branches of study the public schools require, in English: English, mathematics, social science, science, fine arts, health and physical education for grades 1 to 6. California sets no days or hours for a private school.
- Know the other routes if they fit better: a tutor with a California teaching credential, or a public district's independent study or charter program, which is public enrollment with its own agreement and testing.
How Faith Schooling covers California's requirements
California sets no days or hours. A year of 36 weeks with four or five mornings a week is the common shape, and it is yours to set.
A California private school keeps a course of study on file. Faith Schooling's programs are that course of study for English and mathematics: Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden for English, Building Number Sense for mathematics, each a sequenced textbook with a teaching guide, taught in English by the parent the law calls an instructor capable of teaching. Social science, science, fine arts, health and physical education are yours to choose.
California asks for an attendance register, your courses of study and your instructors' names and qualifications, kept at your school. The dated, finished pages of each program are that record, and a HARVEST report is a placement note for the file.
- English
- Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden reading in Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency; grammar, writing and composition in Grammar Garden
- Mathematics
- Building Number Sense K–5 mathematics textbooks; Kindergarten to Grade 2 add practice workbooks and teaching guides
- Social science, science, fine arts, health and physical education
- Your choice Faith Schooling does not publish these subjects; choose what fits your family
- Bible
- The Apostolic Academy not something California requires; free: Scripture memory, Bible study and printables for the family
The curriculum map Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency Grammar Garden Building Number Sense HARVEST placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder
What California does not require, and you should still do
- Place your child. A private school student takes no state test; HARVEST, the free placement check, names the grade and quarter to start in reading and math.
- Plan the year. California sets no days or hours for a private school; the Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan, and its record is the attendance register's companion.
- File on time and keep the copy. The affidavit window is October 1 to 15; print the filed affidavit and keep it with the register and the dated pages.
HARVEST free placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder The Apostolic Academy
Common questions
- What is required to homeschool in California?
- California has no homeschool statute: most families teach at home as a small private school, filing the Private School Affidavit each October and keeping an attendance register, a course of study and the instructors' names on file. No credential, no test and no curriculum approval.
- How do I start homeschooling in California?
- File the Private School Affidavit online (October 1 to 15, or on starting), withdraw your child, open your attendance register and course of study, and teach the required branches in English.
- What homeschool forms must I submit in California?
- The Private School Affidavit, once a year, to the Department of Education. Nothing else is submitted; your records stay at your school and the district's attendance supervisor may ask to see the attendance register.
- Are standardized tests required for California homeschoolers?
- No. A private school student takes no state test, portfolio review or evaluation. The state's assessments apply to public school pupils, which includes a charter or independent-study enrollment.
- How many instructional hours does California require?
- None for a home-based private school. Only the credentialed-tutor route is held to three hours a day for 175 days.
- Can I use my own curriculum in California?
- Yes. A private school chooses its own materials; the law asks for the public schools' branches of study, taught in English by instructors capable of teaching.
Official California homeschool resources
Read from California's own public bodies for the 2026–2027 school year on the date shown. The Education Code, the Department of Education and your county office of education are the final word; this page is a plain-language guide, not legal advice.
- San Mateo County Office of Education — alternatives to public schools: private schools (a parent instructing at home may be one), the affidavit under Education Code § 33190, attendance records under § 48222, credentialed tutoring, independent study — checked 2026-10-08
- Stanislaus County Office of Education — private and home school: the annual affidavit by October 15 ("not a license"), the elementary subjects, tutors' credentials, independent study — checked 2026-10-08